Global Libraries additional information request

[Michael W]

Is there more information about the Global Library and how it works in the background? It sounds like it could be a good mechanism for managing company standard libraries and managing revisions of custom-made GDL parts. Some initial questions:

• Are LCF's being made redundant?
• Is there a way for BIM managers to create their own Global library or are.LCF files the preferred method.
• What is the equivalent of 'extract LCF' for the global libraries
• Are there any changes to the Migration GDL workflows?

[Barry Kelly]

I can't tell you all about library packages and how exactly they work, I am still trying to discover that myself.

But I can answer your questions (I hope).

• Are LCF's being made redundant?

No, LCFs are actually a part of the library package, along with some other files that control them for the various language templates.

I am hoping more information will be released about how these extra files work and I believe there will be a tool in the future to help us manipulate them - i.e. how to substitute attributes so they work for various templates.

The .libpack file is just a container file that contains these files along with the .LCF, which is in itself a container file for the objects.

• Is there a way for BIM managers to create their own Global library or are.LCF files the preferred method.

There should be no need to do this unless you need to create a library that works for various languages and templates with different attributes.

The way you create and load 3rd party libraries now will still work in 28+.

You can create .LCFs if you find them easier, or you can just have a folder with objects in it (which I personally find easier to edit objects).

• What is the equivalent of 'extract LCF' for the global libraries

Just as there is a command to 'extract/create LCF', there is also a command to 'extract/create libpacks'.

If it is not in your current menus or toolbars, you can add the new commands in the Work Environment.

• Are there any changes to the Migration GDL workflows?

Apparently we will not need to worry about migration in the future.

No need to load additional migration libraries as it will all be controlled within the .libpacks.

Exactly how this will work I am not 100% sure, as we are yet to have any updates to the 28 library, which is brand new (and does not migrate from 27).

My understanding is there will still be migration in objects the same as is done now.

But instead of separate migration libraries, the 'obsolete' objects will just be contained in the .libpack file - Graphisoft please feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this.

Whether there will be a separate 'obsolete' .LCF in each .libpack or whether the 'obsolete' files will simply be stored in the main .LCF in the .libpack, remains to be seen until we start getting upgraded libraries.

In the pre-28 libraries, it is more convenient to have all of the 'obsolete' objects stored in separate 'migration' libraries that can be loaded as necessary.

Now they will automatically be loaded with the .libpacks as I understand it.

Barry.