improve addition of all the add-on's to the product

[Eric Milberger]

Why do we have to add materials one way and other assets another.

Fix it so that we can hold old objects in a folder structure.

The same for any libraries  Let them frow from version to version on the hard drive.

When you do a new install have this automated so that it is a one step process.

Do this with a catalog of all saved models, etc.

Make migration as simple as "I want the new version"

[Barry Kelly]

Your topic title mentions "add-ons".

Your message then mentions "materials", "objects", and "libraries".

Exactly what is it you are wishing for?

These are all very different things.

Can you explain what it is that you want automated when you install a new version?

Barry.

[Eric Milberger]

One first are items that are US based.  To much of this is to foreign to put in documents.

Then a lot more us products.  I got hung up on days when I had to model 5,000 seats for an arena and we have none in this package and I cannot find any that are for this product.  And I run into this quite a lot of days.  Spending hours looing for a canopy, a coiling door and on and on.

And bringing in gsm is ok but too many items will not translate or they end up restricting dimensions.

Try and find an O.H. Door or a awning - it is not easy

So a lot more materials for sure, and more models definitely as to many ether are not available from our BIM Component site.

I also probably lien into commercial products as we do no residential.

[Barry Kelly]

So your wish is really for more library objects?

If so, let me know and I will close this wish, as it is far to general.

Then, you should make a wish for particular objects (or types of objects) rather than an open ended 'we need more object wishes'.

Wish for stadium seating that could be a single seat, a row or an bank.

Or maybe you want a sliding door with six sliding panels, that I saw mentioned the other day.

Objects are very regional specific, construction type specific, even builder/manufacturer specific.

You might have better luck contacting your local distributor asking how they can help with local content.

A good example of this is Central Innovation with their local content for Australia and New Zealand.

Barry.

[Eric Milberger]

My wish is to alwyas have more as too much time is creating something that should already be there;

But the comment is here is to only imbed materials that are being used.  This should be transparent to the user.  All Materials should be in an organized folder that grows and grows.  But to keep the file lean would be to keep al the materials in a folder.  Then when you open another seed file for the job everything is there.  If this was done for all materials, models, parts etc.  Your file would be lean and everything would be available when you open a very Lean new file for a project.

[Barry Kelly]

I am still not sure I understand the wish.

You want a 'lean' file, which to me means just the bare essentials.

But you want that file to have access to all materials (and I assume other attributes) and objects you may want to use.

You can already do this.

Have one 'lean' template with just what you need.

Have a library with just a few basic objects.

Have another template that has all the attributes you have ever created.

And have additional libraries that contain many more objects you may need.

Open your lean template and now import the extra attributes that you need.

And load the additional libraries for the extra objects you want.

Or my preference, have a master template that has all of the attributes and library objects that you will ever need.

Then ignore the bits you don't want to use or you can delete the unwanted attributes and un-load unwanted libraries.

28 now helps with the libraries with the new library packs.

You only have to load the objects that you actually need - don't need trees, don't load that library pack.

Barry.

[Eric Milberger]

Similar but in a more complicated way.

Just use walls as an example fo How I'd like it to work

I open a blank template as I want no preinstalled walls

I need one.

I select the wall tool 

I can see all walls available in a very ordered group of folders and sub folders  (D;Walls/Masonry)

As I select a wall it is only then imbedded in the file

AS I create new wall s they are in the model but also now placed in the Wall folder and sub folder appropriate to the category of wall.

This library grows out side the model BUT is also in a growing folder of categorized assets.

The file stays very lean as nothing is embedded that is not being used

This is the process in the other Cad package I have.  Over 30 years the libraries have grown to every possible wall type I would use.

This includes Materials, Walls and compound walls.  (In archicad , Material, single material wall and complex walls.

I am working with two people who are experts in Archicad.  It is a big challenge with the new seed files and when to take them on.

If all assets are in an assets folder, then when you would open the new template All those assets are immediately ready for use and grows job by job.

I have the same process for cells and compound cells (toilet or toilet stall)

Or a wall (CMU) or a compound wall Complete wall

When you open a new version in my other SW.  It jsut opens and versions really have no issues - you jut open in the new version with no issues.

So in final you also end up with only one version of software on hte machine and upgrades are not a big deal.  Thus all new features are immediately available.

So this improves speed of adoption, new version is no issue and opening up in an old version is no issue

[Barry Kelly]

Sounds like you want a central attribute file that links to other files?

If so there is already a wish for this (possibly other wishes for the same thing as well).

Here is one ...

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Wishlist/Central-Attribute-manager-as-a-Library-container/idi-p/...

If this seems to be what you want, I can close this wish and you can vote for the other one.

Barry.

[Eric Milberger]

Looked at it and not really as it still places everything into the file.  These libraries can get huge so it would be nice to have only the ones you are using actually in hte design file.

[Barry Kelly]

I'll change the status back to open, so people can vote if they want (they could still vote before).

I'm not sure how other software works, but I don't how you can have attributes available for use in a file if they do not exist in that file.

If you save a file as a MODule, then they only contain the attributes that have been used.

Maybe a regular PLN file could be like this as well, but referencing all attributes in a central (master) attribute file, so they are available for use but not stored in the actual file until they are used.

Attributes can be arranged in folders now.

I am not quite sure what the advantage of this would be, except for a slightly smaller file size.

Attributes and libraries are two very different things.

But the same applies to the library objects, they need to be loaded in the file if you want to use them.

However, unlike an attribute, they are not stored in the file until you place an instance.

Even then, they are still not stored in the file, only the settings for the objects are stored in the file (unless you place the object in the Embedded Library).

Barry.

[Eric Milberger]

Trying to think this through via this application.

It could be a series of linked modules with all the Walls for example.

then they are quickly cut on and copied into the file and then the module is cut off.

I could to this in my other application but is was quicker just to open a folder and see.

I have just not seen it done that way yet.