Server "Connection failed" warning

[Anonymous]

A9 is ArchiCAD-version 9.

"Connection failed"

Warning (see below) pops up with certain actions in A9. If I'm "mid-click" and don't hit the OK button before doing anything else, then an A9 window covers the warning and the rainbow wheel spins out of control and I must "force quite" A9. I lose work and time.

We use a G4 as our server and we use a PC and my G5 networked into the G4. One thing that might have caused this problem is that the Library for the job we're working on was loaded into the job file on the Server from the file on the PC. There may be a connection issue related to that as things worked very well before.

If I catch the OK button in time, work goes on until the next appearance of the same warning.

In Plotmaker the warning pops up twice for every updated sheet.

Anybody???

[KenMcN]

Jay wrote:
Graphisoft was pretty quick to respond with a text code that corrected the AC problem when put in the correct file. Unfortunately it reappeared in Plotmaker too.

Jay
We've got the same problem - with machines running either Tiger or Panther (so it's not just a Tiger problem).
How did Graphisoft 'respond' to your problem? Did they send you a file you could pass on to us?
We've also got the problem in Plotmaker, so we'd be very keen to hear if there is any progress in this regard.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Kenny

[Anonymous]

We have some code we could send to you. Have not solved PM issue, same issue with PM, ....but I must wait to tomorrow for my computer guy to send you our code, etc.

David Tauer was our direct connection at Graphisoft, USA, and was very helpful. We made a log of our actions leading up to the warnings, and he sent us the code, ...which Christopher applied.

I promise we'll send more tomorrow. I suggest direct communication with Graphisoft though. It works.

[Brad Elliott]

Jay,
You disappeared. I am doing some work for a firm that is having the same problems. I just sent an email to Graphisoft but wondered if you were having any success. They have a mixed 10.4 & 10.3 all Mac network. There is some evidence that it is caused by 10.4 and once a 10.4 machine opens the file it is corrupted for the 10.3 machines as well.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I, ...we, ...did disappear. Sorry. Been way busy.

We have the correction code for both AC and PM. My guru, Christopher, will post both. Today I hope. No guarantee that our problem is your problem though, and this is code.

(But it probably is.)

I still suggest emailing David Tauer at GS, USA. Chris will post his email response to us with his email address, or just call him. East Coast US time. He's great.

[Anonymous]

David Touer from Graphisoft sent us this fix for the problem in an E-mail as follows.


Find a file named 'com.graphisoft.AC 9.0.0 USA v1.plist' and/or 'com.graphisoft.PM 9.0.0 USA v1.plist'. It is located in <user_home>/Library/Preferences

- This is the file you have to edit in Terminal window.
- Open Terminal
- type:

For ArchiCAD:

defaults write com.graphisoft.AC\ 9.0.0\ USA\ v1 InputOutput -dict "DisableCrossPlatformMountingFeatures" "<true/>"

For PlotMaker:

defaults write com.graphisoft.PM\ 9.0.0\ USA\ v1 InputOutput -dict "DisableCrossPlatformMountingFeatures" "<true/>"

Then please open the plist file itself in TextEdit** and check if this text exists in it:

<dict>
<key>DisableCrossPlatformMountingFeatures</key>
<true/>
</dict>

Than start AC/PM again and try to reproduce the problem.

** Note: On OSX.4.x, this plist file in binary and viewing it with a Text Editor is difficult. Please use the plutil command to convert this file to ascii text for viewing in text editor. See GSKB#1000

OS 10.4.x SOLUTION


Open Terminal Shell (Go > Utilities > Terminal
Inside the terminal, please enter the following commands. These are UNIX commands and are case sensitive. (You should be able to copy-n-paste these commands in)

cd Library/Preferences
defaults write com.graphisoft.PM\ 9.0.0\ USA\ v1 InputOutput -dict "DisableCrossPlatformMountingFeatures" "<true/>"

To verify the edit to the plist file is when you can use the plutil utility. Type in this:

man plutil

This will display the manual (man) page for this utility, explaining its usage, etc. The important thing to get out of this is how to convert the binary plist file to xml format for easier viewing and then convert it back to binary after you verify it is correct.

There is a GSKB#1000 illustrating the usage of this as well.

To View it in Text Editor:

plutil -convert xml1 com.graphisoft.PM 9.0.0 USA v1.plist


To Put it back in binary format:

plutil -convert binary1 com.graphisoft.PM 9.0.0 USA v1.plist

Good luck everyone

[Anonymous]

I do not know if he will like this but here is David's e-mail if the solution doesn’t work for you

David Tauer [dtauer@graphisoft.com]

I would suggest you don’t abuse this information he is one of many in the tech support branch of Graphisoft. If everyone e-mails him directly with problems other than this one he becomes a secretary and can't work on the problems he specializes in. Just use your best judgment.

[__archiben]

chris / everyone...

you can also use apple's 'Property List Editor' to add the new setting . . . it can be installed as a part of the developer tools: found under ./Applications/Installers/ (or ./Applications/Utilities/Installers - i forget)

it's a graphical user interface for the above procedure for people not keen with messing in the terminal . . .

simply add the 'DisableCrossPlatformMountingFeatures' setting as a "New Sibling" of the 'InputOuput' entry. set it to 'Boolean' and then 'Yes'.

bear in mind that anybody using archiCAD in a cross platform (PC<->mac) environment will have to specify any external file paths manually when opening a PC created file with mac archiCAD . . .

also - anybody using chris' terminal method above should only copy and paste as he suggests if you are using the same US version of archiCAD as chris. otherwise, replace the file names with the correct localisation and version!

~/archiben

[Robert Fuchs]

This problem defiantly has to do with the windows/mac mixed network.
we ran just fine at our office with an xserve fileserver and G4 and G5
computers running all libraries off the server. Then we had to get a couple
of windows laptops and any file they touch we get the same error. Even after
we go back to another file no windows computer has touched we get the error. But after that non window file is opened about three times AC & PM
forgets and we have no more connection errors. I have not had anyone lock up b/c of it so far. Only people forgetting to click OK in BG AC so it will keep
importing.

[Anonymous]

Is there a file other than these two..

com.graphisoft.AC 9.0.0 USA v1.plist
com.graphisoft.PM 9.0.0 USA v1.plist

...that might get involved when BG ArchiCAD exhibits the same problem while updating layout books in Mac OS X 10.3 and 10.4...?

[Anonymous]

Hi!

Has anyone of you a solution to this problem?
It seems you've dealt with this already.
I've been discussing this for weeks at topic:
archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=58674#58674

If you have any suggestions please let me know.

Server is running 10.4.6, network is GB, users are on 10.4.6., all are local hardware key's and ArchiCad is build 2219.

Server has been reinstalled, Norton is not active and there are 4 PC's
but they are not active in ArchiCad projects.