Global Library

[Magdolna Marosvari]

Dear Technology Preview Community,

We are pleased to let you know that the Archicad Library went through a technology change that has the following benefits:

Content expansion

Until now, each Archicad language version (INT, USA, GER, JPN, etc.) had its own library collection. With the Global Library, all library content will be available in all Archicad language versions.

Cross-border collaboration

Regardless of which Archicad language version is used, the template will define the default language and standards (default sizes, attributes, surfaces, pens) of the library parts you are about to place.

Easier plan migration at future version updates

Until now, each Archicad version (…25, 26, 27) had its own library. To use the new Archicad version, users had to migrate the library objects of their existing projects to the new Archicad library.

The Global Library is compatible with all upcoming Archicad versions. Plus, when new library content is released, users can simply add any new Library Package to an existing project without having to go through a migration."

Faster delivery

The lighter delivery infrastructure allows Graphisoft to deliver library content faster and in greater quantities than before.

It is important to know that THE USAGE OF THE GLOABL LIBRARY IS OPTIONAL.

We recommend you to start using the Global Library when you completed your ongoing projects and you are about to start a new one, because the current Monolith Library and the new Global Library does not work together in the same project. Until then you can still update to Archicad 28 and keep using the current Monolith Library.

Archicad 28 comes with the Global Library by default, if you prefer keep using the current Monolith Library you just have to unload it and load your current Archicad version's library and template.

You can choose at each project start which library type you prefer to use, the Monolith or the Global one. 

Further fine tuning of the Global Library is on the way in upcoming Archicad 28 updates, but we are hoping that many of you will already be able to benefit from it in its current state.

For more detail, please read the release note attached below.

We are looking forward to your much valued feedback.

Thank you,

Magdolna

[PhilA42]

I have created a large eparate library of *.gsm and *.lcf files, textures, surfaces and so on.  many of these were created for AC 25 but there are also new ones from places like BIM Objects etc.  They all seem to work just fine.  They are located in the Application folder - actually under AC 26 with the Library Folder I named.

The M-SORA windows Library created several years ago (one of THE best parametric window objects available) also works just fine in AC28.  See attached image

These load and work just fine.

[Barry Kelly]

Any old objects or libraries that you have should work perfectly fine in 28.

Just as they worked in your older versions as well.

There is no difference in how objects work in 28, just a new 28 Global library that is not migrate-able from old Archicad libraries.

Barry.

[PhilA42]

Thanks for the clarification

Phil
Versions 8 through 27
Macbook ro M3 Max ARM chip, 64GB Unified Memory, 2TB SSD

[Robert Horvath]

Hi All!

The problem I have is that the 28 migration library and the 27 are running under the same name.
In BIMcloud you can have both previous version and 28 migrated projects.
In BIMcloud, it is difficult to separate the migration library for 27 or earlier and the migration library for 28 that already contains 27.
For a previously migrated project, we would need the migration libraries, however we would still use the monolithic library. In this case, you will encounter a lot of duplication.
How can this be solved?

[Barry Kelly]

There is no migration library for 28.

If you are using the 27 monolith library, then do not also load the 27 migration library, just load 26, 25, 24, etc., migration libraries.

Expand you duplicates list in the library Manager and you will see the paths of the libraries that are causing the duplicates.

Unload one of them.

Barry.

[Francois_MCD]

Hi @Barry Kelly can you please also give a similar summary of the ideal process when saving an AC28 project file back to AC27?

[Barry Kelly]

That is simple.

You can't.

The libraries do not migrate forwards or backwards.

You would have to save as 27 and then manually replace all of the 28 objects with 27 ones.

Barry.

[Robert Horvath]

But there is a migration library for 28. This includes the 27 migration sub-directory.

I know the solution you described, but for the simple user it will be a problem to see through it.

[Barry Kelly]

No.

That is the full 27 library as what they call 'obsolete' objects.

It is the full 27 library but will not show as new objects.

These 'obsolete' objects are actually what the objects are saved as when they do not migrate to the next version.

In this case it is the entire 27 library that does not migrate, so they are all obsolete.

Obsolete objects can be seen and can still be modified, but they can not be placed as new objects.

So if you have a file that uses 27 objects, you will be able to see them and amend them, but you will not be able to place a new 27 object because they will not be seen in the object settings dialogue.

You will only see them there if you select an already place object, but you will see just that object and no others.

You use this when you have an old file with 27 objects and you also have the 28 Global Library packs loaded as well.

So for new objects you will see the new 28 objects.

For existing old objects you can see the settings for them and they can still be modified.

I would recommend not loading the new Global library and the 27 migration (obsolete) objects as it may become confusing which objects you are using.

The old objects have the version number in their name, the new 28 objects don't.

Barry.

[Francois_MCD]

@Barry Kelly wrote:

That is simple.

You can't.

The libraries do not migrate forwards or backwards.

---

Eish! 😲😞 @Barry Kelly that's really not what I wanted to hear (obviously).

All the implications as also outlined by @Ransom Ratcliff and your reply here forces us into another tricky (& impactful) corner.

So we have to pick a 28 or pre-28 "lane" for our projects and STICK to it & face the consequence.

- This also means we have to run totally separate! but parallel workflows & templates from here on to handle our projects across stages & time, correct?

  because having projects in several different versions is a long standing reality & cross version compatibility was always one of Archicad's superpowers.

- This also means that those of us from the perpetual license era, will have to be set up with both perpetual & subscription licenses for effective systems across these versions of Archicad, correct?

We're facing major loss of time & efficiency for the foreseeable future until whenever our historic projects all reside in the 28 "lane".

- Is it intended that we can expect forwards or backwards compatibility between versions 28, 29, 30, & beyond as we are used to with every version up to Archiced 27?

I'm not against change & innovation, but it's not the easiest thing to plan & maintain a profitable model in an already strained economies everywhere under highly impactful changes like these also coming our way with the Archicad ecosystem.

We can not see into the medium & long term future of where Graphisoft is "taking" us. All our comments in this & other threads are an attempt to get useful, practical answers so that we can plan & navigate these nonnegotiable changes with the least impact we can manage under the circumstances.