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PlotMaker 'Collect for Output' Archiving

Anonymous
Not applicable
There is a well-known desktop publishing program (Quark) which refers to source files in much the same way as PlotMaker references .pln, jpeg and OLE files. In this program there is an option to 'Collect for output'. What this does is makes a new directory (folder) into which it copies the main file, plus a copy of every source file used in that particular file.

This is very useful when, at the end of a project, you want to purge your hard-drive of all alternative images etc. that are no longer needed, without fear of deleting any files which ARE still required. It also collects all the relevant files into ONE place, where they may have been residing in many different directories

I believe a similar option in PlotMaker would prove invaluable, but if any one knows a similar workaround using the current version, I would be pleased to hear it. I seem to have many copies of the same images, drawings etc, because I'm paranoid that I'll accidentally delete the only copy of that 'killer perspective'!

Best regards to all.

Kevin
7 REPLIES 7
gpowless
Advocate
This sounds like it may be a great way for versioning.
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Why not just keep the PDF version of the set. That's what we started doing. You can always replot it if you need to. Then again, there might be some other reasons which I hadn't considered yet, so I'll listening a while longer before I vote.
Aussie John
Newcomer
PDF set is the way to go. Compact and waht you see is what you get.
Cheers John
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Anonymous
Not applicable
I agree PDFs are the way forward IF you want a non-editable archive copy of the actual print.

However I'm really just looking to save the original .LAY file, together with its source jpegs, plns and OLE files in one place that I can move around in windows explorer. I should explain that often I'll be working on a project where, for speed, I keep the perspective jpegs on my workstation (laptop), and at some point need to copy the whole lot back to the network server.

I understand you can save the LAY file including source files, but is there a way of 'extracting' this file at a later stage to get to the the original, uncompressed jpegs and plns?
__archiben
Booster
kev

i've been hesitant on replying to this, because i can see see more potential in it than simply archiving a current state of the LBK. as gpowless said, there could be something in this that could be used for versioning. i've been trying to formulate a way forward for this for a while.

but with regard to your archiving issue: are you using plotmaker 2 or 3? (your archiCAD version and machine specs could be quite helpful in your signature there . . .)

with the plotmaker 3 layout book file, there is the option to save your plotmaker data cache into a folder, (see attached screenshot). if you backup this folder with your layout book (LBK), this may be a way of achieving what you're after.

~/archiben
datacache.jpg
b e n f r o s t
b f [a t ] p l a n b a r c h i t e c t u r e [d o t] n z
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Anonymous
Not applicable
I'm very new to ArchiCAD, but reading through this discussion it seems like an editable version of the set should be available in addition to a PDF set. We do quite a bit of repeat business with some of our clients who years after one phase is complete, a second one is started or and addition is needed. An editable archive version may make the PlotMaker set up easier the second time around.
Link
Graphisoft Partner
Graphisoft Partner
Why not just make a copy of it and in PM's Navigator, just select 'Break All'? Just like we've been doing since AC BC? 😉

Sure you'll get a big file, but it'll have everything you need!

Cheers,
Link.