Compressing Library Container Files .lcf

[Anonymous]

1. Are LCF files faster than just loading the library folder in Teamwork 13?
2. Are compressed LCFs faster than uncompressed LCFs in Teamwork 13?

I noticed there is an option to "COMPRESS" when creating library Container Files (.lcf)

Just for fun I created an LCF for the "ArchiCAD 12 Migration Library" which originally contains a 50.2 MB lcf file.

the new ArchiCAD 12 Migration Library Compressed.lcf file I created is only 22.8 MB.

I assume the compressed files move faster through the pipeline, but may take longer to translate when you are working on the model... but that is an assumption.

Any experienced teamwork 13 library gurus know the facts?

[ztaskai]

bmarmor wrote:
1. Are LCF files faster than just loading the library folder in Teamwork 13?

Yes, they are enumerated faster than independent files in a folder.

bmarmor wrote:
2. Are compressed LCFs faster than uncompressed LCFs in Teamwork 13?

No. The first enumeration takes even longer. Later it's about the same.

bmarmor wrote:
I assume the compressed files move faster through the pipeline, but may take longer to translate when you are working on the model... but that is an assumption.

All this library storing alternatives don't affect model generation. Their processing is done while loading the libraries.

Regards,

[Anonymous]

Related Question:
I like to keep our textures in our Office File so that every time someone creates a new texture we can all use it on different projects. It helps our library grow

However, Windows makes a Thumbnails file which creates duplicates in each folder of our Office Library file. I am trying out the use of Container Files. But, unless I am missing something, the process of adding a texture is pretty cumbersome.

These are the steps as I understand it:
1. Find or Create Texture, (usually by modifying an existing texture) using Photoshop.
2. Save into Office Library file.
3. Go to Manage BIM Server Libraries to refresh the Office Library file
4. Go to Create Container. Containerize the Office Library file and save it with the same name as the previous container.
5. Go to Library Manager and refresh the library.

This makes it pretty difficult to tweak textures. And this setup creates 3 times as many duplicates. Create Containers only allows us to access files that are already loaded into the project. To avoid this we have to add the following steps:

3.5 Go to Library Manager - Load file version of Office Library into the project.
5.5 Remove the file version from the project.

Is there a better way to do this?

[Katalin Takacs]

Here you can find the detailed steps of creating a Library Container File: http://www.archicadwiki.com/CreateLcfLibrary