PlotMaker problems in TeamWork

[Anonymous]

In assembling a set of docs based on a teamwork file, we are linking views to the lbk. Everything works great from my machine, where the project was started, set up and shared from.

The problem comes when someone else opens the lbk from a different machine. On the 2 jobs we've done this with, the library parts do not load properly when BGArchiCAD transfers the views. As I said, it works on the "setup" machine consistently. In allcases, teammates are able to load libraries and work on the files in regular AC.

We load 2 libraries: the standard AC Library .pla from the local disk, and the office standard library from the server.

One job consistently loads the AC library OK, but fails to load the office standards, the other job loads the office standards, but not the standard AC library.

I am at a loss for a solution. Unless there's something I'm missing, or the problem is fixed in 8.1/3.1, we'll be switching back to pmk's

Can anyone help? or at least sympathize?

TIA
Wes

[__archiben]

ahhh!

finally somebody with my very very annoying problem!

and of course if you put the archicad library on the network where BGarchicad has access to it, the library load times (archicad vs mac networking) get too long.

we have so far in our office tried many options to get around this, but none that work properly. at present we are doing the following:

the libraries are put on a network server and archicad "client" machines are using the cache libraries function to keep a local copy sychronised for archicad to work from.

this seems to work for about 50% of our team-mate's machines. ie BGarchicad will pick up archicad's preferences and load library parts from half of the machines. at the moment, we haven't figured out why it doesn't work on the other half!

library loading - in both archicad and background archicad - has been the bane of my life since archicad 8. we thought that we had it sorted in 8.1, but a deadline came along that put us under pressure and wiped out that notion!

please let me know if you find a solution - i'm still trying. . .


~/archiben

[Anonymous]

Can anyone help? or at least sympathize?

It's all about the paths to the libraries. We have all our hard drives named identically for this very reason. It's not so much a concern with stand-alone PLNs as when you open the file and set the correct path for the library and then save, BGArchiCAD gets the new library path. You get your network libraries o.k. because that path is consistent across all machines.

Unfortunately, with Teamwork, BGArchiCAD can only use the saved path - the one that was used when saved by a Team Leader with Exclusive Access. Even if you have the PLP open with the right paths, doing a Send and Receive as a Teammate will not help.

Users don't really NEED to have their own cute hard drive name. We have a consistent path on all our machines:

LNCPMac/Applications/ArchiCAD 8.1 folder/ArchiCAD Library 8.1

This will allow BG ArchiCAD to find the libraries properly. HTH

Mark

[Anonymous]

first post!

We have had the same problem, fixed with logging in as teamleader on the plotmaker computer.
There is no other way to manage libraries in BGarchicad?
Seems like that's sort of a crucial thing to do. We're waiting to hear if this issue is fixed in 8.1 ...

Katie Bertsche
Mercer & Bertsche
AC8v3, MacG4s of various vintages, os x.2

[Anonymous]

Katie wrote:
to hear if this issue is fixed in 8.1 ...

Nope. it's the same with 8.1. You can read my previous post as to the cause of the problem. To fix will require a bit of a change to the BGArchiCAD startup routine. A needed one mind you, but it might take a while.

Mark

[Anonymous]

we havn't received the 8.1 discs yet, and we're still discovering things that 8 does every day (we spent a long time sticking with 6.5 until v2 came around).
just had a bit of a panic here in the office since renaming the harddrives makes archicad lose its add-on folder and lots of other various ramifcations to the setup which I will no doubt discover today...
but it works now! thanks!

Katie Bertsche
Mercer & Bertsche
AC8v2 various G4s osx.2

[Djordje]

Katie wrote:
we havn't received the 8.1 discs yet, and we're still discovering things that 8 does every day (we spent a long time sticking with 6.5 until v2 came around).

You should have taken on v3, but bear out until 8.1 arrives ...

[Anonymous]

oops, typo, we do have v3.
still struggling away with library disaster here today...
could someone explain what the library cache setting should be on a teamwork project when we have some libraries on a server (project -specific libraries) and some on client machines (AC8 library)?
archicad is running the library loading window sometimes 4 times while signing into the project; a few times before setting the workspace, then a couple of times after. Actually it was doing this before I renamed the harddrives also. Is it possible to clear the cache out so it is not looking for the libraries on the same harddrive with an earlier name?
hope that makes sense...
thanks,
Katie Bertsche
Mercer&Bertsche
AC8*v3!* various G4s osx.2

[__archiben]

Djordje wrote:
You should have taken on v3, but bear out until 8.1 arrives ...

hmmm. library loading activity is still not quite up to the job on a mac as it should be in 8.1 either.

katie - if you want to send me a PM with your e-mail address, i'll e-mail you a lengthy 'report' that i have sent to graphisoft. it describes most of the problems and issues with the different workarounds that we have been trying.

if you want clear out your library cache, the default location is in your home folder library cache:
~/Library/Caches/Graphisoft/Local Cache Library/

delete the entire folder. that way archicad will ask you if you want to make a brand new one next time you enable your cache libraries...

~/archiben

[Anonymous]

This is surprising, We have no problems loading libraries (and we are mixed platform!).

Of course, we are not on AC8, so maybe that's the problem.

I thought I'd chime in anyway to say that we have all our libraries on our server (Mac OS X server, Dual G4 1.25ghz,100 base T + 1000 base T). Our library load times are very acceptable and things are easy, central and consistent. I would suggest that an investment in a good network is worth looking at, rather than a hodgepodge of local and network libraries (surprisingly, PCs are slower at loading libraries than Macs, but that could be because of our server)

I should add that we have customized our libraries pretty heavily to minimize the size. Typical size of loaded libraries is +/- 50Mb

Miguel