Project data & BIM
About BIM-based management of attributes, schedules, templates, favorites, hotlinks, projects in general, quality assurance, etc.

Module using .pln or .mod

Tom Krowka
Enthusiast
Hotlink manager will allow me to place a .pln or a .mod. In this case, I'm placing a building on a site. The building is constantly being tweaked. If I place it as a .mod, I have to save to a .mod, then update. If I simply place as a .pln, then I cut out the middle "save as .mod" operation.

The building .pln is about 50 MB. The .mod is 1.5 MB. Other than that obvious difference, are there any drawbacks or problems to using the .pln as the module?
Tom Krowka Architect
Windows 11, AC Version 26
Thomas@wkarchwk.com
www.walshkrowka.com
7 REPLIES 7
Anonymous
Not applicable
Generally linking a PLN is best for whole buildings. MODs are best for parts and pieces. An example of the latter is publishing unit plans form one PLN file to be used in one or more apartment building models.
Tom Krowka
Enthusiast
I was asking more in terms of the operation of AC11 itself rather than conceptually. I have been crashing the site plan when saving after placing .pln modules, but not after placing .mod modules of the same building (saving the whole .pln as a module under the save as command).
Tom Krowka Architect
Windows 11, AC Version 26
Thomas@wkarchwk.com
www.walshkrowka.com
Tom wrote:
I have been crashing the site plan when saving after placing .pln modules, but not after placing .mod modules of the same building (saving the whole .pln as a module under the save as command).
I think you just answered your own question.
MacBook Pro Apple M2 Max, 96 GB of RAM
AC27 US (5003) on Mac OS Ventura 13.6.2
Started on AC4.0 in 91/92/93; full-time user since AC8.1 in 2004
Laura wrote:
Tom wrote:
I have been crashing the site plan when saving after placing .pln modules, but not after placing .mod modules of the same building (saving the whole .pln as a module under the save as command).
I think you just answered your own question.
Yes, you may have to do what you have to do for THAT project. But generally, hotlinking PLN files is the way to go. Instant updates! With modules you always have to remember to save a new module file from the building file before the site will update it.
Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System
Tom Krowka
Enthusiast
As always, the one last question. Why would AC work one one way and not the other, when it' supposed to work both ways.
Tom Krowka Architect
Windows 11, AC Version 26
Thomas@wkarchwk.com
www.walshkrowka.com
I would guess it's just a matter of TMI -- the host file gets bogged down with the amount of data to be processed -- MOD files mean less data.
MacBook Pro Apple M2 Max, 96 GB of RAM
AC27 US (5003) on Mac OS Ventura 13.6.2
Started on AC4.0 in 91/92/93; full-time user since AC8.1 in 2004
Erika Epstein
Booster
Laura wrote:
MOD files mean less data.
Correct.
Erika
Architect, Consultant
MacBook Pro Retina, 15-inch Yosemite 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Mac OSX 10.11.1
AC5-18
Onuma System

"Implementing Successful Building Information Modeling"