Create a "Packed" or PLA Library

[Anonymous]

I have not been able to find anything written about how to create a PLA of personal libraries, can anyone help? Thanks.

Barry

[Anonymous]

Barry wrote:
I have not been able to find anything written about how to create a PLA of personal libraries, can anyone help? Thanks.

1. Open a new ArchiCAD file.
2. Go to File/Library Manage... and load only the Libraries you wish to compress. (Do NOT load the ArchiCAD Library)
3. Go to File/Save As... and in the Save Plan dialog box chose "ArchiCAD Archive Project [*.pla]" (1. in picture below)
4. Name the file (e.g., XXX_library.pla) and click on the Options button (2. in picture below)
5. In the Archive Options dialog box be sure to check "Include All Parts of Loaded Libraries" (3. in picture). You probably will NOT check any of the other 3 Options unless you know that you have a special need to do so. For example, if you need a special background picture with an object; or texture or whatever..
6. Click OK; click Save

All that being said... why would you do this? If you wiill never add to this library OK; if it's a 3rd party library you will never add to... probably OK.
If it's a dynamic library... you keep creating new parts and adding to it; no.

Regards,

Woody

[Anonymous]

Woody,

Thanks. I'll give it a try. The library will be used by many drafters that should not be able to modify the library parts and hopefully it will speed up load time. Thanks again.

Barry

[Anonymous]

Barry wrote:
The library will be used by many drafters that should not be able to modify the library parts and hopefully it will speed up load time.

This is a good way to manage your libraries. A firm should typically be loading 3 (or more, if 3rd party libraries are used) libraries per project:

1. The ArchiCAD Library... which should not be altered.
2. The Firm Library... library parts you create which you will use over and over again in many projects. Creating a *.pla is a good way to manage this as only the CAD manager should be allowed to add or alter parts within that library. (and it should load faster as a *.pla)
3. The Project Library... parts specific to a project and keep within the directory for a specific project. Custom stairs might be a good example of a part kept in the Project Library.

Using PLAs can help to manage your libraries effectively.

Woody