Unwanted Master GDL in the libraries

[agroni]

Hi everyone,

for some years now, we have been battling some unwanted Master GLD Libraries in our Teamwork projects. I have recently found out, that other offices are facing the same occurrence.

Let me explain what is happening...

We start the project with a clean template, where only our standard libraries are available. During the project development, more or less after 1-2 moths, these libraries located in some strange folders start appearing. 

or here

You will probably think that is it from copying elements from other files. I can guarantee that this is not the case.

We have also tried the option of cleaning all related teamwork files. Nonetheless, the libraries appear after some weeks or months again. Because we don't receive error messages of missing libraries (after deleting them), this means that these libraries are not in use. We started to notice this problem already in Archicad 24. We are getting these master GDLs:

MASTER_GDL_ArchiCAD_Library.gdl

MASTER_GDLVelux81de_DB.gdl

ArchiCAD_Library_Master.gdl

Following my observations, I can conclude that the amount of those libraries might have a slight impact on performance. Still, we want to have super clean teamwork files, therefore it is bothering me a lot.

Does anyone have a similar case?

Why do they appear?

Did you manage to solve it?

I am very thankful for any input...

thanx

[Barry Kelly]

MASTER_GDL files are a real problem as they populate your file with possibly unwanted attributes.

Ever noticed attributes in the attribute manager with names written in italic text - and you can't delete them as they simply return later?

These are from the MASTER_GDL files and will remain until you delete those files, then you can delete the attributes.

Even simply copying a line from one file to another will also copy across all of the MASTER_GDL file even though they are not used for that line, whether you want them or not.

Hotlinks will possibly do the same thing.

It has been mentioned to Graphisoft in developer forums which you may not be part of.

But as of yet there is no solution other than manually deleting these unwanted files and attributes.

Barry.

[agroni]

Thanks @Barry Kelly for your fast reply.

We don't have any attributes in italic in our projects. That's a good sign, that it can be worse of what we have 🙂

For a really long time, we were thinking, that we had an internal bug wondering around our projects. We also had discussions with our Archicad support here in Austria, with sadly no results.

I am wondering what is keeping @GRAPHISOFT from repairing this matter??? Resources, time, importance? 

It is a bug that has been following us at least from Archicad 24.

What is the top secret forum saying? 

[Barry Kelly]

---

@agroni wrote:

What is the top secret forum saying? 

---

No official reply or solution from Graphisoft,

But a number of top users have clearly demonstrated the problem and voiced their opinions.

So GS are aware it is an issue.

But bringing it up here and reporting it to your local support is good as well.

The more people that report this as a problem, the more likely it will be looked into.

Jared Banks (Shoegnome) has also created a blog article about it.

http://www.shoegnome.com/2023/08/03/archicad-tutorial-92-copy-and-paste-embedded-libraries-and-maste...

Barry.

Barry.

[agroni]

Wow, it is crazy to see that even by copying a single Hotstpot brings all that garbage into the file.

But in shoegnome's case, he was copying elements from one file to the other, which for us it is not the case. There is probably another  reason on how these master GDLs are being transported from one file to another. Slowly I am beginning to think that even if the files are in Teamwork, this "worm" gets from one file into another. 

It would be an honor to hear what @GRAPHISOFT has to say about this. 

We, as the biggest users and largest Archicad clients are seeking some answers for a situation that has been bothering all of us for a long time.

To all the Archicad Community out there, let's make out of this bug situation a big situation. Post likes or replies until someone gets a signal in Budapest.

If anyone else has a better idea... simple go ahead and speak 🙂

cheers

[Patrick M]

it's been a while since I've complained about this. and a bit since this thread has been commented on. I'll give it a bump here. this software "feature" is pretty nearly the bane of my entire existence. EVERY one of my clients has been frustrated with this file pollution issue. We do everything we can to keep files clean, but it's so ****** volatile. Any copy paste or local data containing a master_gdl.gsm file will bring in the pollution.
It's especially awesome <sarcasm> when the team is working away and they update their modules, not realizing the corruption is in the module. Now we need to purge all modules, clean the file, and replace the modules, hoping to all things holy that we get the module back in the correct position and rotation.
If no other feature is added to future versions of AC, just keep master_gdl.gsm and the resulting surfaces OUT of my archicad files. I'm going to be spending the rest of the night trying to get this file cleaned up because these objects and the surfaces are everywhere, in every module! Ya'll are making my life pretty miserable with this ****

  

[furtonb]

It's also a good idea to have an absolutely nuked template file (no layers, no line types, no materials other than the essentially required ones, but you match the story settings of your "real project") to see what a simple copy-paste or a hotlink will bring to the live file. It is not 100% working, as deadline pressure makes people think "whatever" leaving files wonderfully polluted.

You might ask: why do I have to make this so complicated, maybe Sisyphus was among the first users of Archicad? If he was, he might still be wondering why the simple copy-pasting of elements (between files: the attribute-mayhem, within the file: lack of proper instancing and in-place hotlink editing) is such an overlooked area, but as with the rock, he is destined to exist without a solution for eternity and keep cleaning files forever.

[Patrick M]

I instruct my clients to "sandbox" any copy/paste work, and even any external content import. If your working file is clean (no master_gdl.gsm BS or polluted surfaces), jsut go 'file>new>from current settings', then paste into THAT file. Same concept, just no need to have a stripped down version of the template. gives a clear idea of any unwanted pollution thats going to come in, and gives you a chance to clean things up and do a second copy/paste to get the content in without (hopefully, maybe not, probably doesn't work) dragging the unwanted surfaces and embedded library objects with it

[rodut1112]

I`e been trying to get rid of Master GDL files in our office for the last 5 years, and they still propagate like a virus. No matter how clean a template is, once someone opens a older file and copies even a line/fill, then these GDL master files come into play. The one in the image attached is the cancer that keeps spreading and its from 2012, but somehow it keeps showing up in newer files.

This hoermann gdl i believe comes from a garage door manufacturer. I guess, someone used a bim components object once and now we are doomed.

This software is so hopeless lately(past 10 years)

[Patrick M]

yes, we have one that has been hanging around since 2011. they are always manufacturer specific. I get why this was a 'feature', but it ought to come with a warning

"you are pasting elements that contain a master_gdl.gsm, would you like to:

-proceed

-cancel

-omit master_gdl and its attributes"

or just do away with third party master gdl compatibility all together. no one needs the manufacturer to provide the surfaces integrated into their objects. If they want to include them, have them include an aat or xml file that we can import manually.

I've also noticed that files sometimes become polluted simply by opening. I recently opened a file that was 100% clean. I did no copy/paste at all. I checked the embedded library and surfaces and it was full of 150+ extra surfaces and the cursed master_gdl.gsm objects. I can only assume it was somehow tied to a cache of local data that sync'ed to the file. I don't know.
It's beyond annoying. Trying to keep 50-75 files free of this is basically a full time job, especially for projects using .mod, since it requires stripping them out, cleaning the file, rebuilding them and replacing them, every time the modules get polluted.

master_gdl.gsm is quite probably the most frustrating part of my job.