Ever copy-paste an apartment ten times, then realize you now own ten separate fixes?
That is exactly the pain Hotlink Modules solve: repeatable chunks without repeatable mistakes.
A Hotlink is a live reference to an external Archicad source file that you place into your host project, so updates flow through to every instance. Instead of editing each copy by hand, you edit the source once and refresh all placed instances together. This is ideal for the repetitive parts of buildings such as hotels or offices with many identical rooms, and the same source can even be reused across several projects.
Create the module source
First, save the elements you want to reuse (for example, one apartment) as a module file.
Select the elements in the Floor Plan.
To include elements from several stories, use the Marquee tool's multistory option.
Go to File > External Content > Save Selection as Module.
Enter or choose a file name, and choose the Module File (.mod) format.
Click Save.
A .mod file is a simplified, lightweight Archicad file that contains model and Floor Plan data only, which makes it considerably smaller than a full .pln.
Place the Hotlink
Next, drop instances of that module wherever you need them.
Choose File > External Content > Place Hotlink.
In the Place Hotlink dialog, click Select Module (or Change Module if a Hotlink already exists), then New Module to add your source.
Choose the source: From File to browse for your .mod (or another Archicad source such as a .pln or a Teamwork project), or From BIMcloud.
If the source has multiple stories, use the Select Story dialog to place either a single story or all stories, then click OK.
Set the Hotlink Settings (Master Layer, Orientation, optional Master ID, and how elevations are handled), then click Place Hotlink.
Click to drop each instance on the plan. You can place as many instances as you need.
The placed Hotlink can only be edited as a single entity; its individual elements stay locked as long as they remain part of the Hotlink.
Update every instance at once
When the design changes, edit the source once and refresh all instances together.
Modify and save the source file (for example, open it in a separate Archicad instance, make your changes, and save).
Back in the host project, open File > External Content > Hotlink Module Manager.
In the Hotlink Sources list, the edited source shows a Modified status (click Refresh Status if needed).
Select the source file and click Update.
Click OK to update every placed instance of that module.
Every placed Hotlink of that module refreshes in one step, so a single fix propagates across the entire model.
The Hotlink Module Manager is also where you can relink missing sources, change or replace modules, and manage nested modules.
When to use Hotlinks
Reach for Hotlink Modules whenever you have repeated units that should stay consistent across the model:
Hotel rooms
Typical apartments
Office rooms
Anything you want to keep identical everywhere is a good candidate.
Share this with that colleague who loves copying entire floors. For more techniques like this, check out the Learn Archicad! program.
