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Installation & update
About program installation and update, hardware, operating systems, setup, etc.

Setting default AC Version to open .pln - Mac OS

Stress Co_
Advisor
Since installing the demo version of AC15...
I can't reset the default application to open .pln files.
The default is AC15 and I want it to be AC13.

Using "get info"> "Open with:> selecting AC13> change all
always reverts back to AC15

I'm not sure if it's a Mac OS problem or an AC problem
Can anyone confirm/repeat the problem?
Thanx
Marc
Marc Corney, Architect
Red Canoe Architecture, P. A.

Mac OS 10.15.7 (Catalina) //// Mac OS 14.2.1 (Sonoma)
Processor: 3.6 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9 //// Apple M2 Max
Memory: 48 GB 2667 MHz DDR4 //// 32 GB
Graphics: Radeon Pro 580X 8GB //// 12C CPU, 30C GPU
ArchiCAD 25 (5010 USA Full) //// ArchiCAD 27 (4030 USA Full)
10 REPLIES 10
Thomas Holm
Booster
Stress wrote:
I'm not sure if it's a Mac OS problem or an AC problem
Both. Since GS don't version-mark their apps the MacOSX expects it, the OS defaults to always open a document that is "owned" by a certain app by the last installed version of that app.

Unless you delete AC15, the cure is to re-install AC13!

You could try just re-applying the last AC13 hotfix/update, but I don't think that would be enough.
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
Stress Co_
Advisor
Thanks Thomas.
I'll try reinstalling 13 and/or the last update.

BTW, looking at the screenshot I attached.
I see "get info" once again shows the AC version number for the file.
(Does that indicated Graphisoft IS version marking the files?)

Related TOPIC
Marc Corney, Architect
Red Canoe Architecture, P. A.

Mac OS 10.15.7 (Catalina) //// Mac OS 14.2.1 (Sonoma)
Processor: 3.6 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9 //// Apple M2 Max
Memory: 48 GB 2667 MHz DDR4 //// 32 GB
Graphics: Radeon Pro 580X 8GB //// 12C CPU, 30C GPU
ArchiCAD 25 (5010 USA Full) //// ArchiCAD 27 (4030 USA Full)
Thomas Holm
Booster
Well, there are several aspects here I guess. For example, your .pln is marked 13.003 but the app is marked 13.0.0. (Which AFAIK every hotfixed version of 13 is.)

I for one, would like the main versions to "own" their documents so when I double-click a 13 pln it should open in (the latest version of) AC13 as default. Thus no one in the office would run the risk of accidentally migrating a project to the next version. There are (still) so many issues with uncontrolled version migration that I've never understood why Graphisoft persists doing it this way. But I guess they could explain it someway, if they want to.
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
Anonymous
Not applicable
I've noticed this too, Launch Services seems buggy in the way it handles the file associations. The reproducible fix in my experience is:

+ Select your .pln, choose "Get Info"
+ From the "Open with.." popup menu make sure you choose "Other", not one of the versions that is already listed in the menu.
+ Navigate to your desired version's folder (13/14)
+ Tick the "Always Open With" box, and then select your Application, click OK.
+ Then apply the "Change all" setting in the Get Info window

Cheers,
Reino
Thomas Holm
Booster
Digicat wrote:
I've noticed this too, Launch Services seems buggy in the way it handles the file associations. The reproducible fix in my experience is:

+ Select your .pln, choose "Get Info"
+ From the "Open with.." popup menu make sure you choose "Other", not one of the versions that is already listed in the menu.
+ Navigate to your desired version's folder (13/14)
+ Tick the "Always Open With" box, and then select your Application, click OK.
+ Then apply the "Change all" setting in the Get Info window

Cheers,
Reino
Sorry. That isn't safe. The procedure you mention won't guarantee that ther right version opens the file, since the versions apparently identify themselves too similarly to the system. The system will eventually default to open with the last installed AC version anyway

The only safe way to handle this is to always open the app first, and then use its Open command to navigate to and open the file.

You might try to re-install the version you want as default. That should work, but I guess just until you install a new hotfix to the later version. Not safe as I see it.
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
David Maudlin
Virtuoso
Thomas wrote:
The only safe way to handle this is to always open the app first, and then use its Open command to navigate to and open the file.
Or drag the file to the correct Dock icon.

David
David Maudlin / Architect
www.davidmaudlin.com
Digital Architecture
AC27 USA • iMac 27" 4.0GHz Quad-core i7 OSX11 | 24 gb ram • MacBook Pro M3 Pro | 36 gb ram OSX14
Anonymous
Not applicable
David wrote:
Or drag the file to the correct Dock icon.
David
Indeed, the tried and not-so-inconvenient method.

The change I mentioned has been consistent on several 10.6.8 workstations, I'm going to investigate further as it might have something to do with some additional tinkering with Launch Services.
Thomas Holm
Booster
Digicat wrote:
David wrote:
Or drag the file to the correct Dock icon.
David
Indeed, the tried and not-so-inconvenient method....
Well, since several versions have identical default icons, for this to be safe it requires that you've tinkered with the app icons too, something not all are comfortable with.
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
David Maudlin
Virtuoso
Thomas wrote:
Digicat wrote:
David wrote:
Or drag the file to the correct Dock icon.
David
Indeed, the tried and not-so-inconvenient method....
Well, since several versions have identical default icons, for this to be safe it requires that you've tinkered with the app icons too, something not all are comfortable with.
The user has the same issue if opening the correct version of ArchiCAD first, then navigating to the .pln file: they have to know which icon to click on to open the correct version.

David
David Maudlin / Architect
www.davidmaudlin.com
Digital Architecture
AC27 USA • iMac 27" 4.0GHz Quad-core i7 OSX11 | 24 gb ram • MacBook Pro M3 Pro | 36 gb ram OSX14
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