sorting items in and out of libraries (.lcf)

[Anonymous]

Hi All,
New user to archicad and trying to make the move (slow at the best of times) over from a long time AutoCAD (Cad soft build) User.

Pretty straight forward question; I hope..

iv been trying to build up a nice library of items, but the problem is im ending up with to many “libraries”, causing archicad start up to be a quite slow. Every time im searching the web and see a downloadable library with a handful of items I really like, I down load said “.lcf” library, and this adds another library to my “active libraries”..

at the moment under my library manager > Active libraries, I have about 6 “.lcf” librarys loaded… each have things I wish to use often. But most have items I know I will never use
for example, one has well over 1000 items (250mg in size) and I know I would only use about ½ of the items at the best of times…the question is, how do I open the “.lcf” files and pick and choose the items I want and drop them in to my own library folder.. thus giving me 1 active library and smaller library file sizes to be loaded each time I start up a new session of archicad. And will save me having to look in 6+ libraries for that door or window I remembered using but cant remember where it was saved.

possibly break them up in to single gsm items (if possible) so they can be sorted into folders and delete the ones i dont want/need

i hope all that makes sense..

Thanks in advance
GeNOS

[Barry Kelly]

FILE menu > Libraries and objects > Extract a container...
is the command you want.
This will conert the LCF file into individual objects.

If you want to start pulling individual objects out and creating a new library then you will have to be carefull of objects that "call" other objects as macros.

The best way to sort this out is to place the objects you want in a plan and then archive it as a PLA file.
This PLA can then be opened and the library saved so you can access it again.
I think this will include any objects called as macros.

Barry.

[David Maudlin]

GeNOS:

In addition to Barry's advise, once you have assembled the library parts you will use frequently into a folder, you can create your own .lcf file with the Create Container... command. Both the Extract a Container... and Create Container... commands may be needed to be added to your Work Environment.

David

[Anonymous]

cheers guys, that worked with one of the 2 librarys i wanted to pull apart...
the one that didnt work was this one
http://www.archicad.ca/?p=75


as u can see on the left of the picture it shows all the folders numbered 00, 01 02 03 04 05 all the way up to 50. but when i extracted it i only got
folders 26, 32, 34,35 and 50.. (which are probably the 5 most usless folders in the whole library ) so only 5 of the 50 it actually has?

unless im doing somethign wrong? (which is highly likly )


also while im on librarys, is any other aussie users have any reccomendation to australian style librarys.. mainly windows and doors??

thanks again

[Barry Kelly]

GeNOS wrote:
cheers guys, that worked with one of the 2 librarys i wanted to pull apart...
the one that didnt work was this one
http://www.archicad.ca/?p=75


as u can see on the left of the picture it shows all the folders numbered 00, 01 02 03 04 05 all the way up to 50. but when i extracted it i only got
folders 26, 32, 34,35 and 50.. (which are probably the 5 most usless folders in the whole library ) so only 5 of the 50 it actually has?

unless im doing somethign wrong? (which is highly likly )

No, this container file does not extract fully.
Others have had this trouble as well.

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=118915&highlight=lcf#118915
(I can't yet find the link to the post that was referred to here).

I am not sure if the makers have done something to it to protect it in some way seeing as they put a lot of work into compiling all of the objects.
I would like to get this container extracted as well rather than having to load the whole file.
If anyone has any ideas please let us know.

GeNOS wrote:
also while im on librarys, is any other aussie users have any reccomendation to australian style librarys.. mainly windows and doors??

If you have a subscription for Archicad then there is the Aus Essential library that you can download from Arkiklub.
We don't use those particular parts as we now have our own customised objects.
But they were based initially from that library many years ago and it has been improved since then.

There is also the Cadimage Door & Window Builder that will allow you to create most doors and windows.
Many people use that quite successfully.

Your local Archicad reseller may have more suggestions.

Barry.

[Karl Ottenstein]

GeNOS wrote:
cheers guys, that worked with one of the 2 librarys i wanted to pull apart...
the one that didnt work was this one
http://www.archicad.ca/?p=75

That lcf was created on Mac and contains characters that are not allowed in Windows file names. Or at least that was the case at one point.

Karl

[Anonymous]

cheers guys, bummer it cant be extracted. they shoudl have set it up in differeent part so u could just load what bits you wanted.

barry, Essential library isnt really all that for what we are doing. ill give Cadimage Door & Window Builder a go

thanks again.. been a great and speedy help.