Materials Libraries

[Anonymous]

We have some clients (retail chain stores) with their own specific colours, materials, graphics etc. We have created various materials to reproduce their corporate image in our renderings. The trouble is: we now have too many materials in our "standard" materials library. Editing (or even choosing) materials has become somewhat unwieldy.

We have stripped the materials back to the original on each machine so new projects start with the ArchiCAD standard set. No problem there.

However the best method of "archiving" the materials we have been able to come up with is to create a "template" .pln file, specific to each client, with only the materials included and all the remaining attributes stripped out using the attribute manager. The first step of a new project for a client involves merging their "template" and thus bringing in the materials.

This is a bit high maintenance: its not newbie friendly and it's easy to bring in all sorts of rubbish with the merged file if someone has accidently worked in it.

Is there a better way? Perhaps some method of Libraryfying the materials which doesn't involve a separate .pln?

I'm interested in how other people manage this issue.

Perhaps this post should be under libraries etc???

David Coughlan

[Dwight]

The Attribute manager enables import of specific materials_attributes_from any file - your specific client PLN reference file, for instance - easy if you prefix material names with the client's name or ID.

Another way is to make a set of simple objects - a matrix of slabs, say - with all of the client's materials included on them. Copy these carrier elements from one open ArchiCAD file to another - the process also transfers the material definitions - you can immediately delete the objects and the new materials remain on the list.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dwight.

We'll stick with the hard-to-muck-up slabs with relevant properties method. It just seems a trifle primitive.

Cheers

David

[Dwight]

I can make fire with two sticks.
Is that primitive, or practical?