backup file location

[Dave Brach]

My company uses box for our cloud storage, so every time we save a .pln file it syncs with the online file system. For some reason box has difficulty with the .bpn files and I was wondering if I could specify that the backup files be saved in a different location than the main .pln?

[Barry Kelly]

I don't think so.
The BPN is simply the original PLN being renamed when saving and then the new PLN is created.
Any original BPN file is deleted first.

In the Work Environment, you can not set the path of the BPN but you can turn them off completely - obviously you will no longer have any backups (auto save (data recovery) will still be on).

This is probably another reason not to work directly in a synchronizing (cloud) folder.
Work elsewhere and copy to the cloud folder when you are happy with the file or use Teamwork as that takes care of the synchronising for you.

The big problem with cloud storage is it just detects a file has changed and starts to sync it.
Archicad may not have finished its process of saving so the cloud is trying to sync a file that is still being changed.


Barry.

[Dave Brach]

Thanks, Barry, that's interesting. So if I open a PLN, work on it for an hour and save it, the BPN is just a copy of the one-hour-old PLN? What would you say is best practice/acceptable risk for Recovery Files and Backup Files? If I have my Recovery File set to Ultra Safe I feel like I could turn off Backup Copies. This is anecdotal, but in 10 years of using archicad I don't think I have ever opened a backup file, but I have many times been prompted to open the recovery file. Also, FYI in 4 years of using box drive, we have not had a problem with syncing PLNs, just recently had this quirk with BPNs. Thanks for your input.

[Barry Kelly]

I sometimes use Dropbox, iCloud or OneDrive.
I find it is when you save and then save again very quickly that can cause problems.
Archicad handles it fine, the cloud drives don't seem to keep up.

Yes, the BPN is simply the last PLN that you saved - one save back if you like.
When you save, the existing BPN gets deleted (if there is one), the current PLN file alrady existing gets renamed to BPN and then the current on screen file is saved as the latest PLN.


The auto save is a bit different.
These only exist while you have a file open.
Close it in Archicad (with or without saving first) and the auto save file will be automatically deleted.
Only if Archicad (or your computer) crashes or you force quit Archicad, then the auto save file is not deleted and you will be prompted to recover it the next time you start Archicad.

So if you turn the backup files off, you will have no backup files at all, but you should be save if your system/program crashes.
Personally I like the extra safety of the BPN.

I have had corrupted PLNs in the past (no way to open them) and occasionally I have found it quicker to open a BPN because I have messed something up and then saved it. It is easier sometimes to open the BPN rather than trying to undo the changes - quicker to start again.

But each person has to weigh up their own data safety.
Some even frequently 'Save As' just to keep incremental backups of a project as it is being worked on.
Or you can get backup software that does all that for you.

I think even some cloud services keep previous copies.


Barry.