details from 1 file to another? - best way?

[Anonymous]

Hi

Whats the best way of getting some standard details fron 1 archicad file / project to the other? (without too much work!)

Thanks in advance!

[Rick Thompson]

laszlonagy wrote:
PMK has the great advantage that it does not update if you do not update it, which is sometimes just what users want (like in archiving and stuff).

I haven't though of pmks in awhile:) Maybe worth rethinking though. Just to make the point as above, I personally never set a detail to auto update, and have submitted it as a bug for the last 2 versions as being being "mandated" (when dragging from nav on to layout). It's ridiculous to need to select them to change the status. There needs to be a preference for that. I seem to get a point out of it, so there is some recognition, but no action. I have found the ability to easily update very helpful and really do appreciate being able to have my details in one file, however, my work is a bit abnormal, so different rule apply. As an example, I can have the same basic detail and easily generate several versions with layer management. As an example... any wall details, from the ground up can easily be set as a view with a 2x6 and a 2x4 version. Since all details are in one file, it is always open and quickly available when I open a pln. so I haven't noticed the 1000x freaking slowdown

[vfrontiers]

Rick wrote:
Since all details are in one file, it is always open and quickly available when I open a pln. so I haven't noticed the 1000x freaking slowdown

A couple of things...

1. Are you using ONE detail file for ALL your projects? I have an OFFICE STANDARD detail file that gets copied into the PROJECT FOLDER and renamed. Here I can hack and slash the details to fit this project. And even though most standard details DON'T change, it seems prudent to cover things like when the code changed our sill plates from +4" above grade to +8". If I use only ONE for ALL projects, I will have updated ALL PAST PROJECTS with the WRONG information.

2. Just updating the FIRST detail will cause ArchiCAD to have to open up a 2nd copy. The time it takes to do that far exceeds updating 100 10k pmk's. [provided they don't lose their link!]

3. Might be nice if we had a way to directly edit the PMK's! We used to be able to do that... in the Layout side... Just OPEN and Save...

Believe me, I am EXPLORING this option in hopes of streamlining my process. I enjoy ALL the commentary.... so keep it coming.

To be fair, my slowdowns likely have another contributing factor... the NETWORK... we're on GIGANIC, and it doesn't really seem to bog down, but still... opening up the 2nd file just sends AC into a tailspin. And, having several projects open at the same time could mean this is the 4th or 5th copy of AC open.

Food For Thought.

[Rick Thompson]

Yes, ONE.. but I have to emphasize I do have a unique circumstance in that I reuse the same 200 - 300 plans year after year. So, when the code changes I can change one detail and have all file potentially updated if I update the links. And, I only do one type of building.. wood frame housing. For me having this detail file has made life much simpler. I can have many details with common parts and have a few individual layer to generate different versions. I attach a screen shot for the humor of seeing all layers turned on at a roof detail story for exposed rafters.

Projects don't update at all if you have the placed drawing set to manual update, which I do. Updating is 10 seconds for my files, which may have 20 externally placed details/notes. If I needed to keep a plan as it originated, then I just unlink that detail.. which I never have, I just don't run the update. So, opening a past project does not initiate an update. If I have a situation on a particular plan that varies to the point only one detail needs changing, there are two ways I do it. Normally on the layout I place a white fill over the text, or whatever, that needs changing, and re note it. Or, I can go to the base detail file, copy it, and paste it on a manually rebuilt section window.. then save that view. That's how I make some "standard" variations. Those want update as easily, but that has not been an issue.

[Chazz]

Great topic and contributions.

I'm really feeling the pain with the update times when linking our standard details (from a dedicated 115 MB detail PLN) via project chooser. We bring in drawings, not views (and bringing in whole layouts seems to always fail). We need to do this for every project and like Rick, we WANT our layouts to always to reflect the most current version of the master detail file.

The speed of the PMK approach sounds intriguing but the issue for me is that I don't think this method would allow something that is crucial for us: maintaining the path integrity of details called within details.

Let me explain. If you set it up right in the master detail file and link via Project Chooser, the details that include call bubbles to other details will show the right Drawing ID and Layout ID in your project file. I find this rather amazing and doubt it would work with the PMK method. Does anyone understand what I mean?

[Chazz]

vfrontiers wrote:
To be fair, my slowdowns likely have another contributing factor... the NETWORK... we're on GIGANIC, and it doesn't really seem to bog down, but still... opening up the 2nd file just sends AC into a tailspin.

I don't know what GIGANIC is but agree that anything involving opening a 2nd copy of AC is too dang slow. All our stuff is on the corperate servers but I use Chronosync to mirror the data to my local machine to cut out network slowdowns. You need to be careful (particularly when working with others) but it is a system that works well for us. And Chronosync is a fantastic tool with uses far beyond this.

[Brett Brown]

Could someone please point me to the instructions for saving a view as a PMK in 12. I've looked in help and there is zero information for a "new feature". Also can these PMK's be edited?

Can someone who has seen 13, tell me if the handling of standard details from one project to another has been at all addressed? Yes or No will do. Just so I don't waste time changing what I am doing now if detail handling is changing for the better in 13.

[Eduardo Rolon]

page 7 of the New Feature List
and
page 444 of the Reference Guide

One of the benefits of using Mac's (vs Xp or any flavor of Windows)is having a Search feature, with which we can do a search and find stuff

[Brett Brown]

Been there,done that, but if you look at both those pages it says absolutely nothing about how to. I can't find anywhere in Publisher to save as PMK. Nothing under "Publisher Set Properties". Nothing under "Document Options"
Don't need Windows to do a search,just search AC help. What about my two other questions Ejrolon?

[Eduardo Rolon]

pmk can be edited = AFAIK yes
AC13 I have no information, but you can read page 438 were it is described how to work with large projects and it might help you to establish your workflow using PMK's

as for publishing PMK's
If you read page 444 it says that you can Publish to PMK so the steps are

1. open the publisher
2. drop a defined View. ( edit: Layouts cannot be saved as PMK)
3. from the Format choose PMK.

[Eduardo Rolon]

and part of page 444