GSM loading parts location advice for shared pln

[Anonymous]

Hello.

I keep running into this, not only when sharing files, but when I open up AC more than one instance with different plans:

Where do we put custom GSM parts (like staircases) so that it SAVES IT WITH THE FILE/Plan (vs. us having to reload all the library parts everything we use every time we access a file)? I spend about an HOUR a day custom loading, browsing and finding files that the plans we work on and share use. Frankly I'm missing something or this is a big issue that needs to be addressed (at least by me- *chuckle*).

So what is the trick? Where do we save our parts for the plans so that they can be edited perhaps, but for sure so they load with the models?
Argggghhhhhh!

[TomWaltz]

Anything that you want multiple people to be able to access should be on a network volume/server that everyone can access, not on any one person's hard drive.

[Anonymous]

Recommended practice is to load three Libraries:

Archicad Library for your AC version
Office Library - any parts for all users additional to AC Library (downloads, for example)
Project specific Library - For things like stairs and custom built parts that will only be relevant to individual project.

They should all be located on your server so everyone has access to them, and paths are the same for all, otherwise you will have to re-map them each time you load a project. Our Project Specific library goes in the project folder so when the whole job is archived all custom parts go too.

[Link]

s2art wrote:
They should all be located on your server so everyone has access to them, and paths are the same for all, otherwise you will have to re-map them each time you load a project. Our Project Specific library goes in the project folder so when the whole job is archived all custom parts go too.

Will have to respectfully disagree with you there mate. The three library loading rule is spot on, but IME the ArchiCAD Library should load locally. As long as the path is the same on each machine (which it is by default), it will be found and load much more quickly on the local drive, without any problems.

Surely this holds true for Mac too.

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

First- thank you.

2nd...I too have found that local libraries load a lot faster as well- sometimes even AC crashes on our office machines if we try to load via the office LAN. And if we've slightly different versions of AC this really messes things up (networked libraries- better to simply copy and update them once a week or as needed)...

3rd. I think I might have not explained correctly.
Let me clarify (though we're real close on this)...

----I've got a folder where I keep all the projects. Each project has it's own 4-digit code. in each folder I have sub folders for all the basic things that stay the same per job. I.E. dimensions, site stuff, documents, plans, GSM parts,...Named in a way that makes sense and of course is similar for EVERY project- nothing custom or unexpected- which means everyone can do the same who works on the project.

(maybe this ought to be in the BIM section- lol)

...Ok. Now when I start my computer in the morning (either linux virtualized via VMware, but usually not- usually direct in winXP as the sig says, just for clarity sake!) and go to open a file I worked on before I went to sleep, it asks me to locate the LIBRARY PARTS I JUST USED AND MADE. I mean, I save it to the GSM folder for the project, save the file, and come back later ON THE SAME machine and... I have to browse for the folder starting at root (C:\)...huh?


Why? These are computers. No way it doesn't remember somewhere the last project's library parts- so this has GOT to me MY PEBKAC right????!!!



My AC is not saving the location OF the default GSM parts in the directory tree of the project. But isn't this customizable- so that it saves via the PLN location, or something? I know elsewhere in AC we can specify that function, to not search all the way to root, in case the project folder itself has been moved but the the tree hasn't been changed in relation.... Which is wonderful because then if other people in the office or that I work with are doing the same thing, I can email them the file, esp if we're on opposite sides of the globe, (and lacking open ports, network security or static IP's) and the included library part and they save them to the folder structure.

Problem is, I'm doing something wrong it seems- as it always asks to find and input location for the GSM parts -or anything customized for the project...Regardless of if it has been accessed ever or not from the machine attempting to access it!

Now in the history tab, (first tab on a windows AC) it will of course show the last couple of locations/library parts/folders I've loaded... but what if we're turning on a machine that is loading this project for the first time- I've sent them a zip with the project *.pln and the folder tree inside with all the parts... and AC loads the project, missing everything custom I've included. Sure the first time we might need to "point" AC in the right diection, but on restart, and reopening the file, esp. if we saved and did a normal shutdown, it OUGHT TO AUTO-LOAD the last settings for that particular project, right? Doesn't it SAVE this as part of the plan- and ONLY NEED re-pointing when the tree has been disturbed or it is a virgin view?

So this is a multi-issue library-part problem: all involve default save/settings and custom GSM parts (or even, say textures)!... So what gives- how do I do this without going into the registry and writing some lines to change this (editing the registry is only useful for machines I have access to as well). Is there a way to have the *.pln files save the not-to-root folder structure as PART of the file itself, so it will REMEMBER where to find the per-project-specific folder to look for library parts???

(-------is this a template issue???---------------)

---is there a better or different way of doing this- or simply I've stumbled on one of those things we figure out a few different ways of doing, all of which are still work-arounds....???? I know this is along post, and I've been delaying it for months now- but I've not found a solution yet, and I waste 10x this amount of time every time I open a project to work on it, hour after day after day.


I appreciate your time helping me with this one- it's time I will regain for the art of what we do.

Again, thanks for the help!

[Link]

Wow that's a long post. Sorry I didn't get to the end of it, but I just need to ask the question.

Do you add the folder you use for your custom library parts to the Active Libraries in the Library Manager?

If you do that and save it, it should go a long way to solving your issues. It will remember the path whenever you or anyone else opens it thereafter, provided they have access to that folder. If not then it may be a server or permissions problem and we can address that later.

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

Link wrote:

s2art wrote:
They should all be located on your server so everyone has access to them, and paths are the same for all, otherwise you will have to re-map them each time you load a project. Our Project Specific library goes in the project folder so when the whole job is archived all custom parts go too.

Will have to respectfully disagree with you there mate. The three library loading rule is spot on, but IME the ArchiCAD Library should load locally. As long as the path is the same on each machine (which it is by default), it will be found and load much more quickly on the local drive, without any problems.

Surely this holds true for Mac too.

Cheers,
Link.

Fair call. I suppose speed can be an issue when you are opening several projects a day, but I find that I'm usually only on the one job at a time, so only have to load once anyway.

In saying that, our CadMan does have our libraries stored locally, but forgets to update everyone at the same time, which produces issues too. Seems easier to me to just have things in one place.

Can't get 2cents here anymore, so that has to be my 10c input.

[Link]

I fully agree that the office and project libraries (including any sub-libraries) should be loaded over the network. Then any changes are global, but the ArchiCAD Library should never be touched, so it will always be the same locally on each machine.

My 5 cents.

Cheers,
Link.