Separate files for model and layouts

[David Collins]

The ArchiCAD 10 New Features Guide hints pretty strongly that using one project file for both model and layout information, for anything other than small projects, is asking for trouble. We are advised to keep two separate files for each project, one for the model and another for the drawing layouts. I really like the way Plotmaker has been incorporated into ArchiCAD, but this caveat is a little worrisome.

How small is small? What exactly happens when too much stuff gets loaded into a single file? Do things slow down and start to get squirrely or does the file size just get to be monstrous? If you're not trying to feed a project out over a network, is a large file size that serious a problem?

[Link]

And finally I see compression can be turned off. What are the possible negatives of leaving it on? I am not strapped for hard drive space and losing the Plotmaker overhead will free up a lot more so I can easily turn it off if there is a reason to.

It will just take a little longer to save is all, as it has to save then compress. Just like saving and zipping all in one go. There's also networking and teamworking issues. This is what the New Features Guide says:

If you saved an ArchiCAD Project in zipped form, and you no longer
want to use compression, you may use the Save As command and
uncheck the Compress file checkbox in the Options dialog.
Using this ZIP-technology has the advantage of reducing the sizes of
ArchiCAD Project files to about 1/3 of their original sizes, which can
make the use of 3rd-party compression application unnecessary in
such cases.

Because sizes are smaller, these files will travel faster over the
network, so compression gives the greatest advantage where network
throughput is slow or limited.

Saving these ZIP-compressed files will take about 30% more time,
but save about 70% on disk space and network traffic.
TeamWork Send-and-Receive operations will also benefit from this
new feature, especially when the network is slow. The slower the
network, the greater the expected gains from compression. With very
fast networks, compression may not make an appreciable difference.

Yes. But BookSettings 'n all don't follow, or do they?. I think an ExportLayoutBooktoSeparateFile command that really does eliminate all extra work is needed. A ReverseMerge, if you will.

I haven't tried it either, but it doesn't look like separating a file is going to be a very intuitive task. Such a reversemerge or file split command would be very welcome!

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

Link wrote:

Thomas wrote:
Yes. But BookSettings 'n all don't follow, or do they?. I think an ExportLayoutBooktoSeparateFile command that really does eliminate all extra work is needed. A ReverseMerge, if you will.

I haven't tried it either, but it doesn't look like separating a file is going to be a very intuitive task. Such a reversemerge or file split command would be very welcome!

The reverse merge/file split function would be good. Perhaps it would work to delete all the model data from a copy of the file and relink to the views in the original.

[Anonymous]

I'm not following the reverse merge terminology, but I've separated and merged layout books in 10 without any issues.

Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything since I'm recalling from memory:

1. Save your Book Info to an xml file (did anyone notice you can do that?)
2. Open your template file
3. Merge the layout book from the original project into your template
4. Load the Book Info into the template file
5. Open Drawing Manager and sort the drawings by source file
6. Relink the drawings that pointed to the original project as required.
7. Save the template file as your new layout book file
8. Keep on truckin'

[Link]

Hey Eric

We're trying to figure out how to separate a file back into a single project file and separate layout book, once it gets too big. Or as according to Graphisoft's rather ambiguous terminology - when it is no longer 'small enough'.

Good tip on the layout book info though!

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

Maybe I still don't follow you, Link. You lost me with, "separate a file into a single project file". 😉

I was just expanding on what Matthew said in his previous post: separating the model from the layout book.

Are you saying something else? Sorry for the confusion.

[Link]

Are you saying something else? Sorry for the confusion.

Me too!

Your steps 1-8 were for merging files right? Do you have similar steps to separate the model from the layout book?

Maybe I'm missing something!

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

OK, good we're actually on the same page here. Those steps are to separate the layout book. I'm separating it by merging the layouts into another template file and then deleting the layouts from the model file. We'll call it "Merge-Away" 😉

I like to do it this way because AC doesn't really have a clean way of deleting everything *except* the layouts. Model info can remain tied up in independent details and other not so obvious places, so it's easier to merge the layouts into another file and then delete the layouts from the original. Deleting the layouts is as simple as selecting them and, well...delete.

[Link]

It's quite late and I have had a very long day so excuse me for sounding dense, but doesn't that still leave you with the original file that has both the layouts and the model? Do you just merge the model data of that into an empty file?

I clearly need sleep!

Cheers,
Link.

[Thomas Holm]

Thansk for the tip, Eric. I just think this processs should be available in AC as a single command.

Also, to answer Link, this seems to leave the original layouts (now redundant) in the original file. Can they be safely deleted?

Eric wrote:
I'm not following the reverse merge terminology, but I've separated and merged layout books in 10 without any issues.

Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything since I'm recalling from memory:

1. Save your Book Info to an xml file (did anyone notice you can do that?)
2. Open your template file
3. Merge the layout book from the original project into your template
4. Load the Book Info into the template file
5. Open Drawing Manager and sort the drawings by source file
6. Relink the drawings that pointed to the original project as required.
7. Save the template file as your new layout book file
8. Keep on truckin'

[Anonymous]

Thomas wrote:
Thansk for the tip, Eric. I just think this processs should be available in AC as a single command.

Also, to answer Link, this seems to leave the original layouts (now redundant) in the original file. Can they be safely deleted?

Eric wrote:
I'm not following the reverse merge terminology, but I've separated and merged layout books in 10 without any issues.

Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything since I'm recalling from memory:

1. Save your Book Info to an xml file (did anyone notice you can do that?)
2. Open your template file
3. Merge the layout book from the original project into your template
4. Load the Book Info into the template file
5. Open Drawing Manager and sort the drawings by source file
6. Relink the drawings that pointed to the original project as required.
7. Save the template file as your new layout book file
8. Keep on truckin'

It seems that Eric just forgot to include the step of deleting the layouts from the original file. See his more recent post to that effect. I don't think anyone wants delinquent (duplicate) layouts hanging around making trouble and scaring the townsfolk.