Multiple Linking?

[Anonymous]

Is there a way to multiple link in Plotmaker? When I move a ArchiCAD file I then have to relink the file in the Plotmaker Navigator panel. Is there a global way of achieving this by just redirecting all view sets to the new file location? At the moment I have to go through and one by one relink all the views in Plotmaker to the new location of the AC file.

[tsturm]

I thought this was going to be about how to get multiple AC files linked in PM and coordinated using the link.

What??

I have details done in while working on other projects. I have decided they should be designated as Office standards. I store these in a single location versus moving them about from project to project just so they can be linked in the AC file of the project.

But the problem is that when I make a detail reference in the AC file, using the PM link label with the idea that PM will track where this detail gets put in the drawing set. However the detail is not in the the AC file for the project so the detail reference cannot track which detal should be connected to it.

am I lost yet, possibly.

I like the idea of creating details in AC and using the PM linking method to track the positon of the detail in the drawing set, So how do I do this for details which I do not want to redraw from project to project????

did I skip a chapter in the manual?

[Anonymous]

I recommend merging the standard details into the ArchiCAD project file. I find that office standard details are often (usually) modified for the specific project.

This also ensures that all the drawings for each project are incorporated and coordinated in one place. It also precludes the possibility of subsequent modifications to the details affecting projects that have already used them.

[Anonymous]

if you want the auto-numbering detail markers to work, you will need to place each office detail in its own detail window.

you must do this with the place module command rather than merge (I haven't had any luck using merge - maybe I'm missing something though...) This must be done fresh every time you start a new job.

Also, remember that the detail wodow does not allow one to use the wall tool to quickly draw plywood, mdf, steel, etc.

I think there's already a wishlist item about all of the above. Go vote at http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=2027

[tsturm]

We were looking at the detail window earlier today. I noticed for the first time that I could not use the wall tool in the detail drawing. I use this all the time to draw my parts, like GWB, plywood and such.

As I cannot see drafting my details with just the fill tool, I will search out another way to use my details.

So, Nice try GS. I am back to my 6.5 methods. Good try thought.

thanks for the suggestion gents. But copying office standards around from Project to Project helps to loose them as standards.

[Anonymous]

Graeme wrote:

Oops,
Seems to be working now. I will have to practice this one a bit more. I found I had to select AchiCAD models in the Files of Type dialogue box.

I have found this to be true as well. One thing I have found is that if you don't select anything immediately after opening the lbk you can link to a different AC file and it will read the appropriate drawings and disregard the rest. In addition some other things that prevent Read all from showing a "live" selectable pla or pln to read from other than when there are both files and projects selected is if there are views in a lbk from another project included, in this situation you can actually select an AC file to read from but nothing will happen. It would be nice of you could list the drawings by the name of the AC file or folder they are linked to. An important thing to note here is that if you have a lot of view sets in AC make sure that you select the correct view set as PM does not in any situation default to the correct set (the set the original placed drawings were imported from). Again it will appear to be updating something but nothing will happen. The same is true if there are drawing names (views) in your lbk template that are not in the AC file you are trying to link to.

If you set up templates for PM according to your AC template(s) you can link all drawings to a new project quickly and easily. The only thing that I need to do for each new lbk is add my logo to the masters, add the book info, check the arrangement of the placed drawings and start deleting the layout pages and drawings that aren't needed.

[Anonymous]

Matthew wrote:
I recommend merging the standard details into the ArchiCAD project file.

Most definitely-!! The office ArchiCAD project template should already contain your standard details and they should already be placed in your PM lbk template to be deleted if not needed. Create an independent detail for each one, it may sound like a daunting task but it really isn't too bad and well worth the investment of your or an associates time. The time saved from having to deal with these on every project is IMO very significant.

[Anonymous]

I have a related problem to the standard details question. I have a campus type project which has each building in separate files. I would like to/need to be able to place a tracking detail bubble linked to one detail into multiple building files. Is this possible in some way? If not directly possible has anyone come up with a work around for this?

Thanks,

Aaron

[Djordje]

tsturm wrote:
thanks for the suggestion gents. But copying office standards around from Project to Project helps to loose them as standards.

That is why you don't copy. You create templates that are ALWAYS the starting point.

[Link]

I just caught this post today and thought I'd pitch in. I spend about as much time making pre-linked templates as other people would modeling!

So just to clarify:

If you have an lbk pre-linked to a single pln as a template system, you can copy these to files (or even better a folder containing just these two files) to another loction, and these files will remain linked to each other. The link is remembered by name, so as soon as you rename the pln, PM loses the link and you will need to use the 'Link All To...' button.

If you are linking to multiple files, then you need to use the Read From... button to read from the same copied folder. But yes a separate category for this in Drawing Usage would be much more helpful, but don't forget that Drawing Usage will tell you the exact path for each view.

I base all my templates on this copying system. Then you can continue to tweked these files and as you copy them to a new job, you always have the latest version of the template. A .tpl file is useless to me!

Weston Blaney said:

you must do this with the place module command rather than merge (I haven't had any luck using merge - maybe I'm missing something though...) This must be done fresh every time you start a new job.

I think you must be missing something here Wes, modules are perfect for this. I have even made library parts of details, so that my clients could use favorites to insert them directly into their empty, pre-linked detail windows. Quick and easy! But if you use the same details in all of your projects then I agree with Matthew, just place them in your original template pln. Place them in their own detail windows and depending if you want them to be autoreferenced, place them in live or independent detail windows.

I also spotted a post here http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=2027 about the detail origin location moving all the time, which I don't quite undertsand, as anyone can move the origin of a detail by using the correct sub-element edit from the pet palette with the little + mark at the center of the detail bubble to move it. If only all views had this + mark, it would make placing views in PlotMaker much more predictable!

Jeffrey Said:

An important thing to note here is that if you have a lot of view sets in AC make sure that you select the correct view set as PM does not in any situation default to the correct set (the set the original placed drawings were imported from).

I don't agree with this mate - I've never had a view get confused as to what viewset it came from. However if you have the same sections placed within the same layout book, the markers will only reference the first one. GS knows about this one - trust me!

Jeffrey Said:

The only thing that I need to do for each new lbk is add my logo to the masters, add the book info, check the arrangement of the placed drawings and start deleting the layout pages and drawings that aren't needed.

Why not have your logo on the Master at all times? If you needed to turn it off or switch it out with other logos, simply place it on a layer of it's own. Do that by double clicking on the imported image, select it all, copy, close the image, and paste it on your master. Just delete the original, place the pasted image on the layer you want and use the layout book layer combinations to determine it's visibility.

Cheers,
Link.