Side-by-Side Modeling: Reusing Previous Projects as “Live” References Instead of template file

[alghgifari]

Hi

I work in a small office mainly designing similar two-story residential houses, so I’ve started using a “Side-by-Side” workflow instead of relying on a template file.

My Workflow:

1. Save As: I start by doing a “Save As” from a previous project that’s close to the new brief.
2. Live Reference: I keep the old model inside the same file, just moved off to the side, while I build the new design in its proper position.
3. Attribute Pickup: I use the Eyedropper/Syringe (Alt+Click) to quickly grab wall composites, window settings, floor heights, etc. I also copy furniture and lighting directly from the old model when needed.
4. Layout Integration: Since the layers and Layout Book are already set up for a similar house, I just need to update the view
5. Cleanup Before Export: Once everything is ready for export (PDF/DWG), I just delete the old project geometry from the file.

It’s honestly been faster for me than building everything from Favorites or constantly rebuilding a template, but I’m starting to wonder about long-term file size and stability.

Questions for the community:

• Does anyone else work like this, and is it actually a good long-term workflow?
• My file keeps getting bigger over time—what’s the best way to reduce/clean it up?
• At what point do you think it’s better to switch back to a proper template-based (.tpl) workflow?

thanks.

[max_min]

This is not saving you time, it only seems like it because you don't have a good template, so it's "easier" to grab from other projects. This is a bad long term strategy and you may not see it right now, but it will catch up eventually. 

To answer your questions:

• If anyone else is working like this, they are not someone you should take advice from.
• Your files will continue to get bigger over time theres no way around that. Sure you can purge and cleanup, but theres always remaining data that stays within the file even if you completely delete the model.
• Yesterday was the best time to start a proper template workflow.

My honest advice is; Nothing beats having a well crafted template that is tailored to your offices' needs and project types, PERIOD! Anyone that says otherwise doesn't know what they are talking about... Likely because they have never had a good template either.

A template is not one and done, a template is a project that evolves with your firm, it evolves with each project, it evolves as you learn new Archicad techniques. A template is something that should get regular attention so that it grows with your office. Therefore, the best template is not the one you purchase, nor the one you hire someone to make for you, the best template is the one that you make and maintain yourself. 

[Stefan L_]

I really wonder if pumpin' hours into an evolving TPL template pays off here.

This workflow maintains itself, so there might be no need to maintain a template.

Internally, there's no difference between PLN and TPL anyway, so you start with a packed template - so what?

IMHO picking, copying, reusing things from an existing project is so much more intuitive and visually clearer than scrolling contextless lists of icons with cropped names and annotations...

File size? Pffft.

We're doing gigabyte PLNs here, with average machines. Seems like many iterations for free.

Purging unneccessary project specifics now and then, start over with a new AC version...

[alghgifari]

I hear you, totally get that a template is the "proper" way to work. But for a solo user in the trenches, context is everything.

I’m the only one in my office using Archicad; the rest are Revit hacks who put out some pretty sad deliverables. Since no one else ever touches my PLNs, the "mess" of having two projects in one file is invisible. Plus, our final handoffs are always in AutoCAD and PDF. As long as the DWG is clean, the "Digital DNA" bloat in the source file doesn't affect the final product.

I’m still developing my own standards, and having the previous project sitting right next to the new one helps me compare wall-to-floor connections and material developments in real-time. For me, it’s much faster than opening an old project just to see how I solved a problem last month.

Call me a noob, but right now, speed and finishing the job outweigh technical purity. It might catch up to me eventually, but for a solo user under a deadline, it's what keeps me moving!

[alghgifari]

I’m glad I’m not the only one! I searched the internet for ages and found zero documentation on this workflow—I honestly thought I was insane because no one talks about it.

My current project is sitting around 600MB and starting to feel the lag. Part of the issue is that the file I’m using as my "base" was originally created back in 2019. After migrating through every version up to AC29, it’s definitely carrying some legacy "ghost data" and bloat that needs a serious purge.

I’d love to know how you handle the maintenance on yours. Do you do a "Clean Slate" merge into a fresh file every few versions, or just go heavy with the Attribute Manager and Library purge?

[Lingwisyer]

I think the issue is less copying and reusing things from existing projects, but continuously restarting in the same file by moving the last project to the side. The hidden bloat will continuously build up making everything slower. Whether the file you start from is a pln or tpl was not the point given, but that you develope a file that is relatively clean. In alghgifari's response, they mention solving a detail and not wanting to need to go chase it down in a previous file. My response to that would be that if you believe it to be a common enough detail, copy it to your template file, as either a 3D assembly or a worksheet drawing. In that way, only relevant data is carried through to future projects.

Ling.

[LucaP]

Hi!

I am also looking into more details about this topic recently. I am working in a rather small company at the moment (ca. 8 people) and we are suffering from the lack of any template or our projects (nobody had the time to develop it to be honest). At the moment we are using similar approach that @alghgifari suggested, however since we have ambitious plans to expand in the near future I am looking for a way to develop a workflow to reuse a good project (meaning a clean one, with proper base of attributes and default settings) and recently I came upon a user suggesting to use a hotlink for that. The reason for such a workaround is simply lack of time to develop a full template that includes everything necessary - and to be honest, the amount of settings to set up in advance is intimidating.

The way it could work is that you could use a hotlink of another project, use syringe to pick up settings of elements from that hotlink and based on that you could develop a new project. Doing it this way allows you to simply disconnect a hotlink when you're done without the need to delete all the elements and fall into a trap that your schedules could be "infected" by those remaining elements.

I was wondering what does the community of experienced users think about such approach. I know it is not "by the book", but sometimes the reality requires such sacrifices 😉

[Lingwisyer]

Hotlinking can cause attribute issues. Either by the attributes not matching, or attributes that did not exist previously populating into your current file. How much of an issue this is will vary from case to case.

[LucaP]

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I'm aware of the possible attributes mayhem, however so far we were cautious with editing default attributes, whenever we needed something we simply added an attribute to the list. This allows us to avoid any problems, but I'm well aware that it isn't the best approach (of course we occasionally run into the attribute issue, but we're already quite efficient in solving those).

What I like about the idea of Hotlink as a Template method (name not copyrighted) is that you could copy even the assemblies included in it (i.e. walls with stairs and floors) to use as a starting point for your model (without the headache of some properties not being set properly). The fact that the hotlink is an overlay and could be easily "unplugged" from the project is also a big plus IMHO.

I'm just trying to discuss this method with more experienced users, I know about few downsides of it, but maybe there's also something I'm not considering and need someone to point it out form me, so I am really grateful for your input @Lingwisyer 

[Stefan L_]

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@alghgifari  schrieb:

I’m glad I’m not the only one!

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Au contraire! 🤣

The fact, that your are the only one in your office makes your workflow possible.

If there are ~100 other AC users - like in my case - one is doomed to maintain a template.

Unfortunately this 'one' is me...