Packaging an ArchiCAD File to share

[Anonymous]

We are working with a visualization artist on a project which we have modelled in ArchiCAD. He is familiar with ArchiCAD and would like the native file, which he then strips down or alters as required, before exporting to Maxwell.

Is there a way to package the whole file (inc. imported library parts) which can then be sent to him? Akin to how you would package a file in Adobe InDesign. We don't need any teamwork functionality, simply the pln file as it stands with all the necessary resources. To further complicate this, we use AC 21 and he is running AC 19.

Thank you for any help!

[Erwin Edel]

Save as .PLA, this will include the library parts, though it will not save back to 19 for you.

You will have to save back to 20 and then from there to 19 and probably you will run in to problems with the library parts.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the prompt reply Erwin. Could you clarify the workflow here for me as I'm not clear how I would do this...

I can create a pla file fine (though the 70mb pln becomes a 600mb pla), but the pla opens and runs fine reading all the parts from itself. Presumably as standard though this is an AC21 pla file? How would I backsave the pln file and then create a pla file from it...? I'm also not sure how I back save two versions, from AC21 to AC19

Simon

[runxel]

SiRo_Arch wrote:
I'm also not sure how I back save two versions, from AC21 to AC19

Since you can only backsave one version at a time, you will need Archicad 20 running.
Older versions will work with newer dongles/codes.

[Anonymous]

Okay, so the process here would be back save from AC21 to AC20 as a pln file. Open the AC20 pln in AC20, loading any libraries, and back save to AC19 pln. Then open the AC19 pln in AC19, load any libraries, and save out a pla file?

I appreciate that legacy saves in BIM no doubt carry all kinds of complications and difficulties. But this does seem like a heavy workflow (for one it requires loading two older versions of ArchiCAD on to my already pretty full SSD!). Are legacy saves not something that people come up against regularly in using ArchiCAD?

Again, thanks for all the help guys

[Erwin Edel]

Most common format I see shared with external visualisation companies is 3DS and sometimes IFC. General idea seems that they just have to make do with that.

[Barry Kelly]

SiRo_Arch wrote:
But this does seem like a heavy workflow (for one it requires loading two older versions of ArchiCAD on to my already pretty full SSD!). Are legacy saves not something that people come up against regularly in using ArchiCAD?

Not if everyone is using the latest or at least the same version.
So you either have to suffer the extra workflow of back-saving (or work in the old version) or have you visual artist upgrade to the same version as you - but of course there will be a cost involved for him to do this (but if he wants the work this is something he should consider).

Or as Erwin mentioned find some common file format you can save and he can read.

Barry.