Installation & update
About program installation and update, hardware, operating systems, setup, etc.

.bpn to the rescue.

Anonymous
Not applicable
For all the complaining I do, I thought I'd throw in a compliment to
G.S. crew.
I had just done a save, then a save-as and closed. My normal duplicity B.U. routine.
Went to reopen the first saved file and NON of the changes where there for the last few hours in either file!
However, .BPN to the rescue. (First time for me.)
Apparently without me paying attention, AC had been keeping tract and must have just done an auto save, as every thing was there:--))))
Thanks G.S. team.
lec
7 REPLIES 7
Barry Kelly
Moderator
Don't go celebrating just yet.
Sounds like something else is going on here.

It seems like you are confusing the BPN with an autosave file.
They aren't the same.
The auto save files are not a format you can simply open, and will only appear when Archicad has not been shut down correctly (i.e. crashed).
The next time you start Archicad you will be prompted with a message that there is an auto saved document.

The BPN is the actual PLN file as it was last saved.
When you save it saves what is on screen as the PLN and what was the PLN already there becomes the BPN.
So the BPN will always be older than your PLN.

I can't understand how your BPN can be more up to date than the PLN.
This shouldn't be the case.
That's what makes me think there is something more sinister going on.
Unless I am misunderstanding what you are saying.

Barry.
One of the forum moderators.
Versions 6.5 to 27
i7-10700 @ 2.9Ghz, 32GB ram, GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB), Windows 10
Lenovo Thinkpad - i7-1270P 2.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, Nvidia T550, Windows 11
Anonymous
Not applicable
Well I'm confused then. (nothing new there).
When I opened the bpn all was good, and then saved it as a pln.
pln was way older.
Just as a note; Never was a crash or notice that I saw.
Just for fun, sense seeing your post I re opened the file once more and all is good, or at least so far.
Late here, West coast and brain is melting. I'll take a better look at what you posted and file in daylight.
Thanks Barry
lec
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi Barry
quote: "It seems like you are confusing the BPN with an autosave file.
They aren't the same.
The auto save files are not a format you can simply open, and will only appear when Archicad has not been shut down correctly (i.e. crashed).
The next time you start Archicad you will be prompted with a message that there is an auto saved document."
Yep, I've seen that before. But it did not seem to "crash" this time.

"The BPN is the actual PLN file as it was last saved.
When you save it saves what is on screen as the PLN and what was the PLN already there becomes the BPN."
I think I get that.

"So the BPN will always be older than your PLN."
Just don't know what that was as I was already going into brain drain and functions just wanted to shut down.

"I can't understand how your BPN can be more up to date than the PLN.
This shouldn't be the case."
Then I don't know either.

"That's what makes me think there is something more sinister going on.
Unless I am misunderstanding what you are saying."
I think you got it right Barry, I'm just not sure what happened, and may never at this point
All is fine today,(at least so far), maybe I was actually asleep in my chair and dreamed it all?
Thanks for all your help.
Take care.
Be safe out there.
lec
andrewzarb
Booster
lec1212 wrote:
...then a save-as...
lec
Maybe if you do a thorough search of your computer you may find that you did a save as to a file format other than .pln or saved it somewhere other than your main file.
Anonymous
Not applicable
andrewzarb wrote:
Maybe if you do a thorough search of your computer you may find that you did a save as to a file format other than .pln or saved it somewhere other than your main file.
Good idea! My bet is you accidently saved it as an archive file (.pla).

Mine randomly seems to come up with this as the default sometimes when you save-as. There is probably a reason but I don't know it!
andrewzarb
Booster
I just know that when I select 'Save As' the save as window opens to the last place I did a manual save with the last file format I used when I did a 'save as'.

If you're not careful you can save all sorts of thing all over the place.
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi Andrew and Peter.
Both great ideas.
1."My bet is you accidently saved it as an archive file (.pla)."
Very well could have been, except I don't have any .pla files in that folder of anyplace else I've now looked.

2."you can save all sorts of things all over the place"
25yrs of pcs and sure have been there done that.

Especially can see the save-as as sneaking in especially if I used .pla's or
other file types recently, but even without that, other file types do burp in occasionally. I think I'll call it electron random chaos theory.
Kinda happens in my mind sometimes too:-))))

Guess this is AC warning to me to slow down a bit and verify what the heck I'm saving and to where?
Thank you both.
And still,Thank you bpn, even if it wasn't mean to be a back up file.
lec