Library Maintenance

[wile e coyote genius]

I have been using AC since about Ver .5. Now I am up to Ver. 26 and soon to Ver. 27. Every now and then I need to go back and review the old designs. The problem I run into is Migration Libraries that are incomplete. I have migration libraries that go back to AC10 but they are missing parts because when they were created only those parts that the old building needed but it didn't check all other designs made at the same time. So when such an old design is opened in a new version of AC it can't add to the appropriate Migration library any unique parts as the original library usually didn't exist anymore. Another issue is that when up grading to the next version the new library might not include some items from the previous version which is frustrating when you can't access a library part you really would like to use. My current thought when up grading is to extract the current library and the new version, move the old parts into the appropriate folder of the new library and finally recreate the library container. The only downside is that there will be a lot of duplicates but every part will be available and you won't have to put 3 or 4 libraries in using the library manager. I don't know about other designers but when I create a custom library part that I might want to use in a future design there isn't simple method to drop the part into the folder holding related item. Eg., AC has a Sports Facilities folder under objects but try and drop a custom curling rink into that folder. As AC drops the item into the embedded the user then has to copy the item from the embedded library to another location that AC can read from. And then remember to move the item to the proper location when you upgrade. Does anybody know if AC has library function to allow easy merging of past and new libraries and eliminate the need for migration libraries? I would create my own script to do this but I don't have any information on how AC maintains the libraries (actual file structure) and what AC uses to know what the item is when placed (door, window,etc.). I love AC but I would like a better Library Manager with more 1 or 2 click commands.

[Lingwisyer]

I almost always export Custom Objects to a project library, if not the general office library. Keeps the file leaner and makes it easier to manage multi-file projects. It also means you can start a new template without worrying about sorting through your old files for useable objects.

Ling.

[Barry Kelly · Accepted solution]

It seems you are talking about custom objects you have created or sourced from elsewhere.

There should be no problem with these, in fact no need to even migrate them.

The old objects should work just fine in new versions of Archicad (with a very few exceptions because of obsolete coding).

Do not try to combine your custom objects with the default Archicad library.

The default library is a Library Container File (LCF) that you have to extract if you want to add anything to it.

Bad idea to do that as every time the library is updated of there is a new version, you will have to add all of your custom objects again.

Best practice is to have your own 'Office' library that you load along side the default Archicad library.

You can add any custom objects to that library and it will not be affected by any changes to the default Archicad library.

I have a library that has objects way back from version 6.5 and they still work fine.

There is no need to migrate anything inside this library - the objects should work no matter what version you are using.

With the default library you will want to install the migration library if needed.

In Archicad 27 this migration library contains all of the version back to 17 - you load the entire "Archicad Migration Libraries" folder and not the individual migration folders inside it.

Earlier versions of Archicad have migration libraries back to version 13 which you could copy into the 27 migration library folder.

You other option is to add your custom objects to the Embedded Library, in which case they will always be a part of the file and you will never need to load an extra library.

But these objects will not be available to other files.

Which is why you should put them in your 'Office' library.

Barry.

[wile e coyote genius]

Thanks Barry  and Lingwisyer:

Your explanation on a better way to handle the libraries is very helpful to which I can do that. It does however creates a different issue (to me anyway). When designing there is the need to download actual product (like a door, window, cooktop, TV) to which I would like to access in the appropriate library folder. That is, if I wanted to import a door designed by another company and have access for the current and new designs it makes more sense to me that the item shows in the "openings" folder instead of searching through an "Office" library. Is it possible to have various folders in an "Office" library? While I can use AC I am not an expert regarding libraries and what can and cannot be done hence my questions. Any thoughts? Regards.

[Barry Kelly]

The 'Office' library is just a folder that contains many objects (more than one object at least) that you load as a library.

If you have just one object you can't load that as a library - it must be added to the embedded library.

But anyway, the 'Office' folder is just a folder.

You can add sub folders to it via your operating system.

Create the internal sub-folder structure you want and place the objects in any of those folders.

You simply load the parent 'Office' folder, and you will have that folder structure show in Archicad.

If you make any changes (add objects or re-arrange folders), you simply re-load the library in Archicad.

You will end up with 2 separate libraries to look through (office and default Graphisoft), but that is the way it has to be.

You can now update the Graphisoft Library or your Office library without one affecting the other.

You can actually have as many 'Linked' libraries as you want.

Barry.

[Lingwisyer]

You can load as many libraries as you want, and said libraries can have as many sub-folders as you want, within limits of your OS / storage system.

Regarding manufacturer libraries, I would load those seperately to reduce bloat as these are rarely native AC objects. If you are speccing your kitchen with Sub-Zero, there is not much point in loading a Hisense library.

[wile e coyote genius]

Thanks guys. Up until your responses I wasn't aware that it was possible to load a library by loading the first folder and AC would load that folder and all sub-folders. That will suit my needs perfectly.

Thanks and have a nice day.