Forward Merge

[Anonymous]

I found a tech note on ArchicadWicki that describes one way
to repair a damaged file. The note is as follows.

"Fixing corrupt files using file merging

This method is called Forward Merging and simply merges a new & reset file into the corrupt file.

1.

Create a New & Reset file in ArchiCAD
2. Delete all layers from this file and save it. (e.g. with name 'crashmerge.pln')
3.

Open your corrupt file and select File->Merge and select the crashmerge.pln file to merge.
4. Save your file

Note: In case of you wish to merge a Teamwork file, please save your Teamwork files out to solo PLNs before doing this procedure and then re-share it afterward."

Many people on this forum have described the forward merge technique
and all of them that I have read say the opposite of what the tech note says.
They all say to merge the damaged file into the New and Reset file.
To me, what these people say seems logical and what the tech note
says is not.

Anyone care to comment ?

Thank you,
Peter Devlin

[Anonymous]

The technote doesn't make sense to me either. In many cases the corrupt file won't open at all making the procedure impossible and I can't see any advantage to be had by merging a new, blank file into the damaged one.

[Anonymous]

Hello Matthew,
My thoughts exactly.
Thanks for posting back.
Peter Devlin

[Erika Epstein]

As I understand it can reset the file overwriting /correcting settings that have become corrupt.

There are some posts here and here

[Anonymous]

Hello Erika,
Eric Batte's method is identical to the tech note method.
I have never had a corrupt Archicad file so I am unable
to find out which method, the tech note method or the method
described by many people on the forum works. Maybe they both work.
Thanks,
Peter Devlin

[Barry Kelly]

Merging files can be a good way to repair them but on occation I have come across a corrupt file that can't be opened directly which would lead to the forward merge option Peter mentioned.
But unless you are using identical templates you could end up with a whole bunch of nwanted layers, linetypes, wrong pen colours, etc.

I have found that if a file can not be opened then simply opening another file, leaving it open and then opening the corrupt file is enought to get it open.
Archicad will of course ask if you want to save the other file (which you don't).
But having a file already open seems to reset the sticking point stopping the corrupt file from opening.
And you don't have the problem of merging in a bunch of attributes you don't need.

Barry.

[vistasp]

Barry wrote:
But unless you are using identical templates you could end up with a whole bunch of nwanted layers, linetypes, wrong pen colours, etc.

When attributes overlap during a merge, which one takes precedence - the merger or the mergee?

Barry wrote:
I have found that if a file can not be opened then simply opening another file, leaving it open and then opening the corrupt file is enought to get it open.

This method should be added to the Wiki pages.

[Erika Epstein]

vistasp wrote:

When attributes overlap during a merge, which one takes precedence - the merger or the mergee?

My experience is that the attributes of the merged file are Appended.

[Barry Kelly]

vistasp wrote:
When attributes overlap during a merge, which one takes precedence - the merger or the mergee?

The merger (parent file) will retain all of its attributes and only new ones with different index numbers will be added from the merged file.

I guess that is another reason for the forward merge - so that your original attribute should remain unchanged although you may get new attributes.

Merging your file into another default template will destroy all of the attributes unless they match exactly or have completely unique index numbers that are different from the file you are merging into.


NOTE: the attributes are all matched by the index number (as seen in the attribute manager) and not by the names that we refer to them as.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

All,

Thank you for the tip on reversing the Wiki note recommendation. Nice save in a tough spot. I tried both ways, so I can tell you: merging the corrupt file into the blank file is what worked.

I do have to relink the layouts to an internal source instead of the external (corrupt) source. Is there a way around this? That relinking bit is a drag.

Tried something else - I went back to a copy of the corrupt file. Removed a Hot Linked Module and that fixed my problem. Hope this helps someone.

Snap