module file not saving the work done

[Achille Pavlidis]

Hi everyone,
i have had a very big problem today,
after working for several hours on a module file and saving regularly, i closed a the file. When i re-opened it, all the work had disappeared, archicad didn't save anything. The module was exactly as when it was created, even though the modification date was accurate...
Has anyone had this problem before?
I have worked a lot with module files before, and never had this kind of problem.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Is it possible that you did not save your changes into the MOD file itself, but into a PLN file with the same name?

[Achille Pavlidis]

no it is not...
but i have discovered something...
i was actually working on a detail that i made in the module file...

is it possible that this is the problem? That you cannot save anything inside the module apart from the module file itself? i.e. no sections details elevations etc?

[Laszlo Nagy]

That could very well be the problem.
I tried drawing a line and a fill into one of the Elevations within the Module, saved it and reopened it: the line and fill were gone.
So they do disappear, the only question I do not know the answer of: is this a feature or a bug? I would vote bug.

[Achille Pavlidis]

I vote bug to.

If it is not, and you are not supposed to use details etc, GS should have disabled the sections/elevations and details tools on the module file.

It is very frustrating to lose all the job done for this reason.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Yes, I agree with all you wrote.

[Ignacio Azpiazu]

.mod files are not working files. AC opens them from a pln with the attributes of the previously used file, so once it does that it the titlebar should show untitled.pln, should not allow you to 'save' back to .mod but prompt for a name for the new .pln file or require a 'save as' .mod --and the 'save as' should have the notice 'only the elements visible in the floor plan viewpoint will be saved'.

[TomWaltz]

Ignacio wrote:
.mod files are not working files. AC opens them from a pln with the attributes of the previously used file, so once it does that it the titlebar should show untitled.pln, should not allow you to 'save' back to .mod but prompt for a name for the new .pln file or require a 'save as' .mod --and the 'save as' should have the notice 'only the elements visible in the floor plan viewpoint will be saved'.

I think Ignacio nailed it. MODs work best when they are generated from a PLN or PLP, either through "Save As" or the Publisher.

I've never seen a reason to work directly in a MOD, especially since they act very strangely regarding attributes available while working in them and the potential that they would differ from their original PLN.

If you are that concerned about being able to work and link the same file, why not just use a PLN?

[Karl Ottenstein]

As Ignacio states, this is not a bug and is the way module files have always worked. They are not a substitute for PLN files. They do not contain any views other than stories and do not contain any attributes other than those actually in use.

To the original poster: hotlinks can be to PLN files, too - so it sounds like you should be saving your work that way anyway, if you wanted to include a detail along with what you were working on.

Generally, I do not recommend trying to work on MOD files directly, but rather publishing them from a normal project file. Working with MOD files directly is an 80% sure way to get messed up attributes in whatever project you link the result into unless you ALWAYS make sure that the related project is the last opened file before opening the MOD ... assuring that ArchiCAD is using the matching attributes.

As to the warnings... I suppose I agree with Ignacio, but really, I don't know that ArchiCAD can warn about everything... Presumably one should learn about modules before saving to them...?

Cheers,
Karl

[Achille Pavlidis]

ok, you are right, -BUT- i think there should be some kind of warning or dimmed section marker on the .mod file, since it was not clear to anyone i spoke to that it is not allowed to work on anything else than the floor plan on the module file.