Vanishing Project Indexes

[owen]

I'm having problems with dissappearing Project Indexes in v10.

I created a Sheet Index with one criteria to list a specific subset of drawings and then exported this setup as an XML file into the project library. The generated list is then saved as a View and placed onto the titlepage layout. File saved, index still there.

However on reopening the file this index setup frequently vanishes from the Document>Project Indexes>Project Index Schemes... list. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Regardless of the above, everytime without fail the generated list has vanished from both the Project Map & View Map.

In addition to this sometimes all the default Index Schemes that come with AC (Drawing List, Sheet List, View List) are missing from the menu (see attached). If my list scheme is there they always appear, but if not they are sometimes there, sometimes not.

Yet if I go into Document>Project Indexes>Project Index Schemes... they are still there - never my list though (see attached). If I select one and then go back to the Document>Project Indexes menu they have reappeared (again not my list).

I thought perhaps I could have a corupt scheme somehow and also the XML (I know the Scheme is stored in the file, XML is just a backup) so I have created several other new list schemes, all with different names and settings. All of them have the same problem.

I only noticed this occuring after I Teamworked the file, however I have since gone back to PLN and the problem persists.

I'm at a complete loss as to what might be causing it

[Link]

That is weird. My gut feeling is that it could be a culmination of many things and throwing Teamwork in there casts even more speculation on it.

My initial reaction to the scheme not listing in the menu is that it may be a WE thing. Are you always using the same Command Layout Scheme, or is it possible that you are using one whose Document | Project Indexes (shouldn't that be Indices? )menu does not include the 'List of Indexes' command?

May I also ask why you are saving out the XML file? Are you trying to import it into another file? And why are you filing it in the Library?

Cheers,
Link.

[owen]

Link wrote:
That is weird. My gut feeling is that it could be a culmination of many things and throwing Teamwork in there casts even more speculation on it.

I will have to test it out on a file that has not yet been Teamworked. As I said I didn't notice it until then, and perhaps whatever it did has carried over despite going back to PLN.

Link wrote:
My initial reaction to the scheme not listing in the menu is that it may be a WE thing. Are you always using the same Command Layout Scheme, or is it possible that you are using one whose Document | Project Indexes (shouldn't that be Indices? )menu does not include the 'List of Indexes' command?

This could be it with regard to the Default schemes - Despite having my WE checked as the Default WE, I find AC is constantly switching itself back to one of the undeletable AC WE's ... any tips on why this would be happening would be appreciated.

As to this being the cause of my custom schemes not appearing I dont think so as the behaviour is slightly different and does not always occur at the same time. Whilst the Default schemes still appear in the settings dialog even if not in the menu, my schemes appear either in both or none - it seems to not want to store my schemes in the file.

and yes .. the correct plural in technical use is Indicies. Thats actually what my Viewset is called, guess i just like being inconsistent

Link wrote:
May I also ask why you are saving out the XML file? Are you trying to import it into another file? And why are you filing it in the Library?

Yep .. The project is two buildings on adjacent sites, each with their own file (separate DA's etc) but they are very much being done as one 'scheme' so have a common library. I thought XMLs were the best way to maintain listing/scheduling schemes common to both but im open to suggestions. It's in the project library as I figured thats the best place for it. I wasn't aware of any issues with doing this but i'm pretty new to this side of AC.

[Link]

This could be it with regard to the Default schemes - Despite having my WE checked as the Default WE, I find AC is constantly switching itself back to one of the undeletable AC WE's ... any tips on why this would be happening would be appreciated.

The problem IMHO is that ArchiCAD defaults to the current profile, not the default profile. It doesn't take much to change the profile - all you need to do is stretch the Navigator by a pixel and whooshka - your profile is now custom. Next time you open another file it will use that profile.

If you start a new file, you at least get to choose your profile, but it always defaults to current. There may be a registry edit to change that - I haven't looked.

As to this being the cause of my custom schemes not appearing I dont think so as the behaviour is slightly different and does not always occur at the same time. Whilst the Default schemes still appear in the settings dialog even if not in the menu, my schemes appear either in both or none - it seems to not want to store my schemes in the file.

Can't explain it - maybe someone else has had a similar experience?

Yep .. The project is two buildings on adjacent sites, each with their own file (separate DA's etc) but they are very much being done as one 'scheme' so have a common library. I thought XMLs were the best way to maintain listing/scheduling schemes common to both but im open to suggestions. It's in the project library as I figured thats the best place for it. I wasn't aware of any issues with doing this but i'm pretty new to this side of AC.

XML's are the only way to import/export schedules settings now AFAIK. They don't need to reside in your project library though. I would recommend you store them in their own separate dedicated folder. I'm pretty sure that if they are in your library, it will take a little longer to load your project library whenever you open your project, or reload your libraries, because it has the XML file in it. Not too big a deal for one or two, but still probably not the purest way of doing it. I guess it's like your project PDF files, modules, renderings, etc - you wouldn't want to keep those in the project library, but in their own folders within the project folder. Just good housekeeping, you know?

Cheers,
Link.

[owen]

Link wrote:
The problem IMHO is that ArchiCAD defaults to the current profile, not the default profile. It doesn't take much to change the profile - all you need to do is stretch the Navigator by a pixel and whooshka - your profile is now custom. Next time you open another file it will use that profile.

If you start a new file, you at least get to choose your profile, but it always defaults to current. There may be a registry edit to change that - I haven't looked.

So the Default Profile gets used on those rare occasions we actually start a file from scratch, not whenever we open AC . That IS as ridiculous as it sounds is it not? The 'logic' of this program will never cease to amaze ...

I will check if this has been raised before, might be time for a wish

Link wrote:
XML's are the only way to import/export schedules settings now AFAIK. They don't need to reside in your project library though. I would recommend you store them in their own separate dedicated folder. I'm pretty sure that if they are in your library, it will take a little longer to load your project library whenever you open your project, or reload your libraries, because it has the XML file in it. Not too big a deal for one or two, but still probably not the purest way of doing it. I guess it's like your project PDF files, modules, renderings, etc - you wouldn't want to keep those in the project library, but in their own folders within the project folder. Just good housekeeping, you know?

OK thanks ... i didn't realise they would slow down library loading much. We do have quite a few so I will have a think about where else to put them.

[Link]

I will check if this has been raised before, might be time for a wish

Don't forget to poll for your own wish!

OK thanks ... i didn't realise they would slow down library loading much. We do have quite a few so I will have a think about where else to put them.

It won't slow it down too much, it's just not the best place for them IMHO. For my clients recommend a Project Folder similar (but not limited to) the folder structure shown attached.

I have this folder structure stored as a template itself, ready to copy for each new project. Each folder may have subfolders and I keep the actual ArchiCAD template in the CAD Files folder, so that it is always current for each new job. After a copy is made, each folder is renamed from Project to the actual job name/number along with the ArchiCAD template file and off you go.

Of course everyone works differently (eg. Teamworked files are a whole other story), but I find any 'template folder structure', as such, is a good time saver for any user.

Cheers,
Link.