Optimizing your own custom template
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2012-08-17 09:45 AM
I finally have time to work on our custom project template. I started "cleaning up" our latest project (.pln file), which contains the latest version of our old template.
I deleted any project-specific element (walls, slabs, zones etc), so the only items left are empty layers, markers, views etc., then I saved it as project template.
The file size after the cleanup is still quite large (100Mb+): how can I further reduce it and optimmize the template?
Thank you!
Enrico
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BIM Management
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2012-08-17 10:22 AM
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2012-08-17 10:37 AM
I kept a dozen independent worksheets as part of our template, but at the moment they are empty as well. How much do independent worksheets influence the total size of the file?
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2012-08-17 11:18 AM
Run through all your attributes in the attribute manager and ensure they're all ones you need in the template and you don't have extraneous things like line types or fills imported from Autocad that you never use. I don't think that'll take so much space but you never know. It's good practice to clean it up anyway.
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2012-08-17 11:33 AM
I'll try and clean up as much as possible the attributes, and eliminate any embedded object (although there should be none, as far as I know...)
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2012-08-17 02:12 PM
For each new release of ArchiCAD I recreate my office template from scratch so that I am not bringing in any unnecessary legacy data, the template for my office is approx 2Mb in size.
The process I follow is:
1- start new project using default template
2- delete all content & stories
3- delete all sections, elevations, interior elevations, worksheets, details, 3d documents, schedules, indexes, lists, info, sheets and sheet masters from navigation palette
4- delete all layers, layer states, pens, line types, fills, composites, profiles, materials, zones, cities, operation profiles using attribute manager
5- delete all loaded libraries and embedded library parts
You will now have a file that is as empty as you can as there are some linetypes, fills, sheet masters, sheets etc that cannot be deleted.
Save the file and now you can start rebuilding the template.
I would suggest creating a base template and a full template, the base template would contain only the attributes needed for all of your projects and would be the base from which you start new projects, the full template would contain all attributes that may be used. You can use the attribute manager to quickly import attributes from full template into your project as the need arises.
To rebuild the template it is essentially the reverse of the process used earlier:
1- import layers, layer states, pens, linetypes, fills, composites, profiles, materials, zones, cities operation profiles etc from your current template using the attribute manager.
2- load minimum libraries and embed any required library parts
3- import required schedules, lists, indexes, sheet masters
Best of luck,
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2012-08-17 02:48 PM
sboydturner wrote:This is excellent advice. We used to use Eric Bobrow's "Master Template". We had a few technical problems, and upon calling Graphisoft, they told us they could not help us with any technical problems with that template because they are not responsible for any after market templates. Eric migrates his template from as far back as V11, and that carries along many problems. It is wise to start anew every release, though it does take a little work.
Enrico,
For each new release of ArchiCAD I recreate my office template from scratch so that I am not bringing in any unnecessary legacy data, the template for my office is approx 2Mb in size.
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2012-08-17 04:55 PM

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2012-08-17 06:48 PM
Rick wrote:The same experience. There should be no problems at all migrating a template or other file forward, version to version.
I just have not have any issues migrating a file over a long time.
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2012-08-17 07:17 PM
Graphisoft mentioned "legacy files", whatever that is.