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project library loads things twice...

Anonymous
Not applicable
Just a quick question to see if this is happening to other people or if it's just us...
We've got a project library for each project, which lives with the project file on the server. When we create project specific object (patches, stairs etc) they are saved in this project library folder. If at a later date we open the object and edit it, the next time the project is opened and AC loads its libraries, the custom made objects seem to be loaded twice: once with the folder project library and once again on their own...
This is not causing any problems as such but also it shouldn't be happening.
Any ideas what 's wrong?

(if i'm not being clear, let me know and i'll post some screen snaps of the loaded libraries and duplicated objects in the report thingy)

taa
24 REPLIES 24
Anonymous
Not applicable
Djordje wrote:
xristina wrote:
....
nope... custom objects are saved in the project library. When they are edited they are still within the project library... changes are overritten...
the path points to the project specific library...
Then you should not have Other objects at all.

See how do you load your libraries from the server?
well, i thought i shouldn't but there they are when they are edited...

loading libraries from the server is done through the library manager at the start of the project's life when the folder is created but is normally empty until project specific objects are created :File/ Libraries and Objects/ Library Manager... navigate on the left pane to the CAD server, the project, the project library location, select and click add)... it then appears on the right pane, as expected and loads every time the project is opened... as expected.
then new project specific objects (such as patches, stairs from stair maker etc) are saved in there... so far no problems.
then i'll go and edit a stair, save it (no change in location or name, just click save)... next time i open the file the stair appears in other objects as well as being loaded with the project library folder.
still
Stuart Atkinson
Participant
i have a vague memory of having a similar problem when playing with liibraries a few years ago.

As a test, instead of just clicking "save", click on the "save as". This makes ArchiCAD assume you are saving it elsewhere and therefore it forces you to browse to the location you want to save to.
Browse to your project specific folder and overwrite the existing object.

That might fix the problem.

Cheers
Stuart
jp
Contributor
This is a real problem. Whenever you create a new object, Archicad assumes you want it loaded in the current project so it loads it. But if you have the object in a "project library" folder that you have loaded in the library manager, it does indeed load the file twice. I have either deleted the objects regularly from the "other objects" section and just let them load in the "project library" folder. Or, now I just don't bother to load the "project library" folder. The objects will be there. In teamwork, I would imagine this is a huge problem. For solo projects, it's not so bad
Many Thanks, JP

John Peterson, AIA
Dalgliesh Gilpin Paxton Architects
Archicad 7-21 US
PC and iMac
Gary Lawes
Participant
I think the problem arises if you modify a library part from a Library container file (.lcf) which is the default with recent versions of ArchiCAD. This is a single file carrying the whole library in an optimised form.
If you open a library part, and modify it, clearly it cannot be put back into the LCF file, so to overcome this ArchiCAD sves it under "Other Objects".
To overcome this I keep an extracted version of the LCF (in other words library parts in a folder structure as per early copies of ArchiCAD, when I need to modify a library part I open from there, save it back to its folder then create a new LCF file for use in ArchiCAD.
Or if you are less concerned about speed use the extracted folder based library in place of the LCF
AC 17
Windows 7 Pro
Intel i7-2600
16GB RAM
Anonymous
Not applicable
Stuart wrote:
i have a vague memory of having a similar problem when playing with liibraries a few years ago.

As a test, instead of just clicking "save", click on the "save as". This makes ArchiCAD assume you are saving it elsewhere and therefore it forces you to browse to the location you want to save to.
Browse to your project specific folder and overwrite the existing object.

That might fix the problem.

Cheers
Stuart
Stuart, thanks for the suggestion, we will try this, but as my colleague just pointed out to me, this issue also occurs at the tiem of the .gsm's creation. So I will choose the location and save it in there (eg, stair xy saved in project library folder) and then when I open the file the next morning, said stair xy will be loaded from the project library folder and in other objects in the Library manager.
I have to admit this is not a big problem, all we have to do is remove from other objects.... but, it is annoying and leads me to ask, are we doing it wrong or is it something that GS should improved within archicad?
I guess it could be to do with the container file way that libraries are 'stored' that Gary mentions? BUT, our project libary folders are indeed saved separately in a folder like structure soooo... I give up, I don't know...
Gary Lawes
Participant
The problem is definitely the container file. I have just tested it to prove it. If you extract the container file, then use this as the library (as per previous versions of ArchiCAD) it will work as one would expect, when both creating and modifying library parts.

As mentioned previously it is not technically possible to update the LCF when a new object is created, or one is modified therefore the object is stored in "Other Objects" which is not a satisfactory arrangement as you will have two identically named objects that are in fact different, within your loaded libraries. So best avoided.

Only modify objects from an extracted container then recreate the container file.
AC 17
Windows 7 Pro
Intel i7-2600
16GB RAM
rocorona
Booster
In ArchiCAd 12 when an object is "Saved as" will get a new GUID, so it is considered a different object from the previous one. GDL elements are no more identified by name, only by GUID (if it is no zero-zero-zero).
_________________

--Roberto Corona--
www.archiradar.com
AC18 - ITA full on Win10
_________________
_________________
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
It is a recommended way of working that if you modify any standard ArchiCAD Library Parts, you should save it under a different name.

If you want to overwrite it permanently in the LCF, then extract the LCF, modify the Library Part in the extracted folder, then recreate the LCF file from the extracted Library Folder. Then delete the extracted folder and keep using the LCF file.
Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac28
Anonymous
Not applicable
laszlonagy wrote:
It is a recommended way of working that if you modify any standard ArchiCAD Library Parts, you should save it under a different name.

If you want to overwrite it permanently in the LCF, then extract the LCF, modify the Library Part in the extracted folder, then recreate the LCF file from the extracted Library Folder. Then delete the extracted folder and keep using the LCF file.
Lazlo, I am not talking about modifying standard ac lib parts.

Can someone clarify for me, our project specific library, which lives in a folder with the project, on the server, NOT locally within AC library location... as I understand and see when looking at it from the finder, it is a folder with a bunch of .gsms in it... is this somehow compressed into an LCF??? it is not something we do consciously...
and if it is not becoming an LCF, then how does this explain our issues.
Gary Lawes
Participant
Xristina,

Check that the local project library is actually loaded, if it is not anything created or modified within that folder will sit within "Other objects" within the project file"
AC 17
Windows 7 Pro
Intel i7-2600
16GB RAM