Materials revert to default - AC11

[Sols]

Apologies if this is a known bug but I couldn't find any reference to it in a search...

I have a consistent problem which we have tested on two different systems in two different offices. Whenever I try to modify standard materials (ie. ones that are present in a new-and-reset blank project - like Whitewash) they revert to their original settings sometimes if I save the file, or if I save, close then re-open the file.

This has been happening on at least the last two AC11 update versions. I have the latest Australian hotfix (Build 1114). I have tried on two Windows systems under three different OSs (Vista 32-64 & XP)

The bug affects only files created from a new-and-reset in AC11 (which includes our office template). Files started in AC10 are OK. Sometimes just saving the file causes materials to reset, saving and closing always causes them to reset.

Is there something in AC now that protects default materials? If so, then WHY THE F*** doesn't the system stop you from modifying them in the first place rather than spend an hour making changes only to lose them once the file is saved.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Check your loaded libraries and loaded PLA/LCF to see if they contain any GDL files with their name starting with MASTER... If such a file contains a Material definition it will recreate the Materials each time you reload your library.

[Sols]

OK - but, this happens in a New & Reset file just loading the default ArchiCAD11 libraries (including the Essential library which is just in the Australian release) and our office library which hasn't changed since V10.

I have done a "Find library part" search in each type of object, window, door etc dialogue box and there are no parts loaded that have names starting with "master".

Like I said, the materials are sometimes reset when the file is just saved, and sometimes when it is closed and re-opened. So it is not necessarily when the libraries are re-loaded that it occurs.

[Laszlo Nagy]

You should search for "Master..." files in the operating system's file system, like in File Explorer in Windows.
These files start with "MASTER..." and their extension in *.GDL.
I think ArchiCAD will not find them for you in those Settings Dialog using AC's search function.

[Sols]

YES!!! Problem discovered - but not solved.

The Australian Essential Library which is a standrard library supplied by GS Australia causes any referenced materials to revert to defaults when it is loaded.

I will let GS Australia know and will be surprised if they aren't already aware of it.

Thankyou for your sage advice.

[Link]

Sols wrote:
YES!!! Problem discovered - but not solved.

The Australian Essential Library which is a standrard library supplied by GS Australia causes any referenced materials to revert to defaults when it is loaded.

I will let GS Australia know and will be surprised if they aren't already aware of it.

Thankyou for your sage advice.

If the library is the same quality as the Australian ArchiCAD Template, then it is bound to be full of errors and awfully unpolished!

Cheers,
Link.

[Sols]

...What template???

I have lodged a support ticket and I hope they take the Australian Essential Library11 off their downloads page until it's sorted. I imagine there must be a lot of people out there who just didn't bother to update it so there may only be a very small number of us who have had this bug occur.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Sols wrote:
YES!!! Problem discovered - but not solved.

The Australian Essential Library which is a standrard library supplied by GS Australia causes any referenced materials to revert to defaults when it is loaded.

I will let GS Australia know and will be surprised if they aren't already aware of it.

Thankyou for your sage advice.

I would like to defend those guys in this respect for the following reason:
Technologically a library developer does not have any other means besides using these MASTER.GDL files to make sure those attribute it references in its library parts actually exist in the Project File in which the library parts are used.
Any ArchiCAD Project File by default contains a full set of attributes (line types, fill types, material, etc.) Library developers have to resort to such methods if they want to use attributes not available in ArchiCAD by default.
This is a situation that potentially exists with any third-party Library.

[Sols]

I see your point. However, from a user's perspective, the LAST thing you want to have happen is all your little material tweaks disappearing the next time you load a library.

There is a pretty standard range of materials that has existed in ArchiCAD for ages. If a 3rd party library needs to access non-standard materials, then it should import them itself - but NOT overwrite the ones already there.

Having said that, it is frustrating that GS have never properly configured most of the standard materials. Textures and vectoral hatches exist in the standard object library and new & reset blank document but are rarely applied (eg. to start at the top of the list - aged copper?). As for Lightworks - there are so many lwi definitions supplied and
none of them are applied at all!

As a result I have resorted to tweaking standard materials so that they better represent what they should have out-of-the-box... hence my problem.