ArchiCAD temp file history

[DavorP]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if there is a way to backup ArchiCAD temp files in case user quits without saving? I know it is explicitly users' fault if they choose not to save but it would be good to keep the copy at least for short time after no save was opted.

This does not happen often but once in a while it does, and I did notice it usually does when users have many ArchiCAD instances running at the same time so it is easier to make mistake of closing without saving of the wrong one.

Good and reliable 3rd part backup app perhaps?

I have tried some undelete apps but not with much success.

[schagemann]

Can you please add more detail to your signature - namely which platform you use... Apple or PC?

However, I would arguably not go that far in micro managing users, it really is not asking too much to remember to either Send and Receive or hit the CMD + S buttons every now and then.

2 more points:

• for ultimate data safety you would need to run this backup routine so frequently, that it will most likely impact the overall performance of your Mac;
- you presumably are aware of the Data Safety settings in the Work Environment? We find that ultra safe already impacts on performance, particularly with large project files;

[DavorP]

We are running windows.

Surely it would not be a huge issue to keep temp files in history for a number of days instead of overwriting on next run.

[Barry Kelly]

DavorP wrote:
We are running windows.

Surely it would not be a huge issue to keep temp files in history for a number of days instead of overwriting on next run.

The 'temp' files (or autosave files) are constantly being updated depending on the data safety settings you have in the Work Environment.
In ultra safe mode it is tracking every step the user makes.

So these temp files are constantly being updated - not just on the next run.

Also they are not in a file format that can simply be opened.
A single project is split among many temp files and folders.
They exist until the user shuts down properly (or chooses not to save), when this happens the temp files should be cleared.
So even if you are constantly backing them up, you will now be backing up an empty temp folder.

I think this will be all too messy to keep multiple backups and try to restore them.
It is not simply a single file.


As mentioned by schagemann, the user should save every now and then.
This will create a backup (.BPN) file (again depending on your settings but it is doing this by default) everytime the user saves.
This .BPN file can simply be opened as a normal file or can be renamed as .PLN and opened.
This way you can potentially only lose the work done since the last save.

So if the user shuts down without saving, you have the current .PLN file that was last saved and the .BPN file is the file save the time before that.
All you will lose is the work since the last save - so it is much easier to just get the user to save often.


Barry.