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

[Magdolna Marosvari]

Hi @Grover ,

Thank you for this question. We need to renew this article, it is outdated now.

The recommendation regarding to performance optimisation is to use the BIMcloud Library and to try to avoid using embedded library.

Best regards,

Magdolna

[NigelMX]

In the UK as we have the ArchCAD UK essential Library.

Is this to be rolled into the global library or will we still load it seperatly as is currently the case.

[Magdolna Marosvari]

Hi @NigelMX ,

The Essential Library will remain the same, it needs to be loaded all the time.

Regards,

Magdolna

[SeaGeoff]

I have downloaded and read the documents posted by @Magdolna Marosvari a few times. Of the two docs, the release notes are quite thorough. But the template creation doc falls well short of what we need to truly optimize our custom templates. Specifically, there is no detail about the Mapping Value Table file. The doc only goes as far as showing how to apply Graphisoft's defaults to our own templates. But we need to learn how to modify this file for our specific purposes. For example, I don't want to apply the old INT or USA standards to my libraries. Just the opposite, I want to apply my defaults to the new global libraries. But as it stands I don't even know what parameters and settings are controlled by this file let alone how to manipulate it.

Please inform us as to your plans for educating us about this. Thanks.

P.S. In the beta forum there was a video posted that compliments the template doc. Please post that here for the wider audience.

[JJMARQUEZ]

Hi,

I haven't seen anything about this:
If you create a mod with the SPA version from the default template, when you open the mod file the objects are INT and the surface images are missing.

[Barry Kelly]

I don't really have an answer for you and I have not tried saving a .MOD file yet.

.MOD files only contain the elements and attributes used.
No other information is stored in a .MOD file.

As I am discovering, the .PLN in 28 has 'hidden' information regarding the object parameter mapping tables and language version.

It would seem that the .MOD file does not contain this information?

I am not sure how this will work then if you want to open and edit just the .MOD file.

Of course you can place a .MOD file in another 28 file and it will adopt all of the settings of that file.

Barry.

[JJMARQUEZ]

Hi,
thanks for your reply.
I'm afraid this only happens to non-INT versions
The normal thing in many cases is to modify the mod file separately. If the objects are: "door" instead of "puerta" with all the INT attributes, it's a problem.
Regards.

[Ransom Ratcliff]

Please tell me if I understand this correctly:

• The real new Archicad Library for 28 is the Global Library that consists of a selected group of smaller sub-libraries (selected based on "Library Localization Preferences" encoded in the current project or template) that are each bundled into *.libpack files, similar to *.LCF files.
• We also have a folder named "Archicad Library28,"  "but the contents of this library are identical to the Archicad 27 library" according to the ArchiCAD 28 Help.   (BTW, when I look in my Archicad Library 28 folder, I see only a single 2k file called "Archicad Library.version")
• So, when we migrate a project from version 27 to 28, we are not actually doing library migration. Instead, we are still using a copy of the "Monolith" (new term) Archicad Library 27 and also loading the migration libraries for versions 17 through 26, whether we need those or not.
• In essence, the crucial function of the Migration Libraries (also called "Subset Libraries" prior to ArchiCAD 11) to make it possible to continue an existing project in the new version of ArchiCAD and benefit from its improved library, while not missing any discontinued objects, that were already placed in the project, is now broken.
• In order to facilitate Cross-border collaboration, enable easier access to localized content in other-version localized libraries, and make it easier for Development to supply localized libraries, we introduce a so-called "new Global Library technology" that is not backwardly compatible with earlier Archicad libraries. In short, the fact that we always had critically different parts in different localized Archicad libraries that had the same Main IDs in their GUIDs, was not fixed. This of course violated the Cardinal Rule that different objects have different Main IDs, with minor version updates getting a different "Revision ID".
  Indeed, now if we load all the *.libpack files, and no others, we still get thousands of duplicates.

I hope I am just misunderstanding the facts and their implications. We had started making subset libraries with version 6.0 in order to reduce the customers' pain of upgrading every year. But now it looks like we have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. We can no longer fully "migrate" a project from version to version. And when a project lacks the billable hours for the overhead of migration, more of our intellectual property will languish in older formats that become ever more difficult to access as operating systems, hardware, and ArchiCAD itself, change.

[Barry Kelly]

---

@Ransom Ratcliff wrote:

• The real new Archicad Library for 28 is the Global Library that consists of a selected group of smaller sub-libraries (selected based on "Library Localization Preferences" encoded in the current project or template) that are each bundled into *.libpack files, similar to *.LCF files.

---

Correct.

---

@Ransom Ratcliff wrote:

• We also have a folder named "Archicad Library28,"  "but the contents of this library are identical to the Archicad 27 library" according to the ArchiCAD 28 Help.   (BTW, when I look in my Archicad Library 28 folder, I see only a single 2k file called "Archicad Library.version")

---

I think that folder is supposed to be named '27' and not '28' and should contain the old '27' library.

But it does not.

This used to be where the 'Monolith' library was stored in every previous version.

The old 27 monolith library needs so be loaded if you want to continue using it.

Loading just the migration libraries will allow you to see already placed 27 objects in your project, but you will not be able to place new 27 objects as you can not use new migrated objects unless you alt-click an existing object to get its settings.

I have no idea why that '28' folder is still there if it is empty.

---

@Ransom Ratcliff wrote:

• So, when we migrate a project from version 27 to 28, we are not actually doing library migration. Instead, we are still using a copy of the "Monolith" (new term) Archicad Library 27 and also loading the migration libraries for versions 17 through 26, whether we need those or not.
• In essence, the crucial function of the Migration Libraries (also called "Subset Libraries" prior to ArchiCAD 11) to make it possible to continue an existing project in the new version of ArchiCAD and benefit from its improved library, while not missing any discontinued objects, that were already placed in the project, is now broken.
• In order to facilitate Cross-border collaboration, enable easier access to localized content in other-version localized libraries, and make it easier for Development to supply localized libraries, we introduce a so-called "new Global Library technology" that is not backwardly compatible with earlier Archicad libraries. In short, the fact that we always had critically different parts in different localized Archicad libraries that had the same Main IDs in their GUIDs, was not fixed. This of course violated the Cardinal Rule that different objects have different Main IDs, with minor version updates getting a different "Revision ID".
  Indeed, now if we load all the *.libpack files, and no others, we still get thousands of duplicates.

---

That is correct that there is no migration from 27 to 28.

If you load the 28 library packs you will be able to place new 28 objects.

If you load the 27 migration libraries, you will see the old library parts already placed but you will not be able to place new old objects, you will only see new 28 objects.

If you load the actual 27 monolith library, you will be able to place old 27 objects, as this is not the migration library.

I recommend you do not load the 27 monolith and 28 library packs at the same time.

You should not get duplicates (as 28 are all 'new' objects which is why they do not migrate), but you will have 2 libraries with very similar objects to choose from, and this will be confusing.

If you do load the 27 monolith library as well as the migration libraries, you will get duplicates reported as they contain the same objects.

Now with 28 we really have no choice but to make a clean start when using the new library pack.

If you have an old version file, you can work on it in 28, but do not load the global library packs, just continue loading your old libraries.

When starting a new project, start with a new template and use the 28 libraries.

Of course this means you will need to spend time updating your 27 template to a 28 version.

Unload any old libraries,

Load the new 28 global libraries.

Now you will need to find all 'missing' old version objects and swap them for the appropriate 28 version.

You will also need to update any 'favourites' if you have those set to use old library objects.

Barry.

[Eric B]

And sadly it is not a simple and straight forward task and requires a quite bit of effort to get it to be purely AC28 even with simple templates