Template for AC 21

[Anonymous]

I created a great template file in our office that we've been using for quite a few years now. My question is; is there a point where I should start from scratch and create a new one? I've always migrated the template from the last version of ArchiCAD. Creating a new one from scratch is quite time consuming (though I know it pays off).

If starting from scratch, how much do I have to recreate? Can I bring in building materials, pen sets, composites, etc? I understand that starting over can remove potential bugs in the software... just wondering what is ok to migrate over and what might create problems.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Steve wrote:
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There is no need to "sett up" a new project. You open a similar project or two if needed, and let the new one evolve as you assemble it, mostly via copy and pasting pre-modeled building ststems that are simply placed and adjusted for the new configurations to make new buildings. There are unorthodox "Workflows" that are exponentially more efficient than the start with a Template idea. There is one Template I do like to use on occasion. It's called the Clear Template think it can be found in a search on this forum.

Wrote "start from…" then the project is set up.

I would never-ever start a project from a previous one.

• Title Sheet for my company resides in template, Building structure resides on template, basic naming scheme for materials, keynotes and drawings reside in my template. All rendering settings and basic drawing set up, etc. Basically I have in my template anything that I cannot control by using favorites and it is general enough to apply to any type of my projects.
• Right now I have 5 different types projects from a small store, to a chapel to a multi apartment building. All started from the same template and there is not much that I can copy/paste between them nor that I would want to.
• My practice is not building the same McDonald's every time so I don't get to reuse a previous project but I have my office standards that apply to all of them, Even if I was only building McDs then I would spend the time to create a particular template for that kind of project.

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In the end this is a preference of Workflows and if yours works then good for you but for me starting a project with a clean sheet of paper is more productive than staring with one were I have to erase all the previous project stuff.

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FWIW I even have a "Project Folder Template" from were I start all my projects and were all documentation resides. I would never duplicate an existing project folder and start erasing stuff to get it clean and let it evolve.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone. Great info and thoughts.

I've always used a template. I find it crucial. I also have a list within arms reach of "things" I need to add to or change in my template. I write these down, then every couple of months I take a few hours and change it as needed. It should be, as discussed, an evolving tool.

I have heard of "ghost" or legacy items/bugs that can be brought forward through versions of ArchiCAD. In fact, I just shared a file with GS's tech support that had some unexplainable building priority/building material issues that we could not fix. This is exactly why I was asking.

I think it's been a few years (4 maybe?) that I've started from scratch... so I think that's the way I'm going to go here. Of course I will manually copy and paste any 2D Details, title blocks, etc.

Thanks for all the comments and links.

[Steve Jepson]

Link wrote:
...
If you're not using a dedicated template you're doing it wrong! :winkI:

Cheers,
Link.

Templates are great for beginners, for people who have little or no imagination for how to use ArchiCAD more efficiently, and people who are constrained by the need for strict and static standardization. All of which are legitimate reasons to use a dedicated Template. None of those things apply to me.

If you are not assembling new projects with pre-modeled assemblies from completed projects - you are doing it wrong.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Steve are you really using the "my way is better, it is the only way and everyone else is wrong argument?"

Not a begginer, lots of imagination, not constrained and I have my dedicated template. So I disagree totally.

[James Murray]

Steve wrote:
Templates are great for beginners, for people who have little or no imagination

Right Steve, everyone here is beginners, lacking imagination. Christ, think a minute before you hit Submit.

[Steve Jepson]

ejrolon wrote:
Steve are you really using the "my way is better, it is the only way and everyone else is wrong argument?"

Not a begginer, lots if imagination, not constrained and I have my dedicated template. So I disagree totally.

You disagree with what exactly?
It is an objective fact that the people I described as Template users, are who uses Templates. Nothing wrong with that is there?

Who is using the "my way is better, it is the only way and everyone else is wrong argument" ?? That would be the Template Salesman! - "if you're not using a Template, you're doing it wrong" That is a rather infamous quotation from another Template fanatic. Links says that partly in jest because he knows how much I will like to see that said again. You sent your comment about the argument to the wrong person. It's the Template fanatics that can't talk all nice nice.

Anyway, I am open to being educated about how a dedicated Template is more useful than similar completed projects.

If you totally disagree with that completed projects are more useful, then you should be able to tell me how using the same Template all the time is better.

[Steve Jepson]

James wrote:

Steve wrote:
Templates are great for beginners, for people who have little or no imagination

Right Steve, everyone here is beginners, lacking imagination. Christ, think a minute before you hit Submit.

They are good for beginners, those lacking in imagination, and those who need to comply with strict office standards. Those are objective facts are they not?

And like I said - these are all legitimate reasons to use a Template. Also an objective fact. Right?

[Eduardo Rolon]

If you are not assembling new projects with pre-modeled assemblies from completed projects - you are doing it wrong. Wink

This is the part I was refering too.
I don't disagree in that it helps new users but they are not the only ones that use them and take advantage if them.

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Nobody is saying that you should use the same template but that template evolve and they need to rebuilt from time to time.
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An assembly done in AC08 will not help much in AC21. The tool limitations we had then could have made us take decisions that are not practical now. In one particular case a 20'-0" x 20'-0" glass sculpture that I has to design and prepare CDs for will it was a pain to do in 2003 but with the new tools I could have done it in half the time. On another side everything that I could reuse from that project was placed on my template back then and has been brought forward and evaluated since that time. So I don't have to go back and dig around the old archive folder. If i remeber correctly the only item still left standing from that time are my drawing titles.
Also the way my design works I don't use previous assemblies in all my projects since the clients want something new. General Details on the other hand are used and they reside in my template.
Another example are AC Properties and IFC schema which change every couple of years and is not a beginner item, I place mine in my template.
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You work however you want but templates have their place even if you don't need to use them.

[Nathan Hildebrandt]

Steve wrote:

Link wrote:
...
If you're not using a dedicated template you're doing it wrong! :winkI:

Cheers,
Link.

Templates are great for beginners, for people who have little or no imagination for how to use ArchiCAD more efficiently, and people who are constrained by the need for strict and static standardization. All of which are legitimate reasons to use a dedicated Template. None of those things apply to me.

If you are not assembling new projects with pre-modeled assemblies from completed projects - you are doing it wrong.

Steve I am late to the party but am very passionate about BIM workflows and the use of ARCHICAD. Firstly before I start critiquing you on your views I want to understand where you are coming from. If you are a sole practitioner then feel free to stand by your views and keep doing what you are doing. I personally think your process is flawed in going from project to project but hey once again I don't know the type of work that you do. It may be cookie cutter stuff where you keep doing the same stuff over and over again. I suggest you watch your attribute mess you are creating and the library mess also.

Moving onto templates. I must be the biggest beginner here right now because I have once of the most complex templates used in practice globally. So I feel you have no idea of the needs for a well thought out template to control good quality output from over 50 staff. Now you talk as if when a template is created in one release it is frozen. No it isn't if there is something great that has been created on a project then you copy that across into the master template for the practice. Done once and then available for reuse. Pretty simple stuff really. Take your approach and you have excess information in the file that is not going to be 100% reused on the next project. Templates are useful for beginners to experts, maybe Rob Jackson is a beginner as well. Might pass on the message to him for you as well.

Cheers

Nathan

[Nathan Hildebrandt]

Steven wrote:
I created a great template file in our office that we've been using for quite a few years now. My question is; is there a point where I should start from scratch and create a new one? I've always migrated the template from the last version of ArchiCAD. Creating a new one from scratch is quite time consuming (though I know it pays off).

If starting from scratch, how much do I have to recreate? Can I bring in building materials, pen sets, composites, etc? I understand that starting over can remove potential bugs in the software... just wondering what is ok to migrate over and what might create problems.

In response to the original query. Steven depending on the new features that come with the new release I determine how much I rebuild from scratch. I always try to roll over and see what is broken and also open the OOTB INT Template and see how the new features were intended to be used (built from GSHQ) then cross check against each other. If things are fundamentally broken on bringing a template across I rebuild. Also if I have significant workflows that I am changing over then I will rebuild those parts from scratch as well. This year we made significant changes to our pensets to align with our BMAT so that meant attaching new pens to our 1000 BMAT attribute list and surfaces. With the introduction of classifications this year and the IFC export we are also completely building that from the ground up. There are no real rules that I have it all depends on what happens each year.

Cheers

Nathan