4/30/2014

Sharing Project to BIM Server, Manual Backups, and Project List

In an email, I was asked about placing ArchiCAD Projects on the BIM Server that had been begun as solo PLN files.  Who should do this?  Is that something that I need to do, or is it something that any of us can do?  This brings up a couple of things I’ve wanted to go over with you all.

First, I am trying to maintain a spreadsheet that lists all of our Projects which are being done in ArchiCAD.  It is kept on a server that is Read-Only to most ArchiCAD Users, so I would ask that each of you, if you are working in a solo ArchiCAD PLN file, please send me a quick email with the file’s Project Name and Number, which version of ArchiCAD it is in, and its Category (Architecture, Interiors, Proposal, etc), so that I can add it to the list.  See a partial screenshot of the list below (Project Names are hidden here):



Second, if you are working on a Project by yourself, simply using a PLN save in the Project Directory on the F: drive is perfectly fine, but when the time comes that the file needs to be accessed by more than one person at a time, you can either let me know and I’ll be happy to Share your Project onto the BIM Server so that it can be accessed by multiple users as a Teamwork Project, or you are welcome to Share solo Projects to the BIM Server yourself, following the steps outlined below:

Go to the main Floor Plan View in the View Map portion of the Navigator.  Then center the Floor Plan on screen.


ArchiCAD is going to remember the state of View Map, Layout Book, and Publisher Sets – it is going to keep each folder either open or closed as it is when the file is Shared to the BIM Server, so next collapse or expand the View Map, Layout Book, and Publisher Sets as you’d like them to be once it is a Teamwork Project on the BIM Server (see the screenshots below, and the one above – I like to keep the main Floor Plans expanded in the View Map, the Architectural Subset expanded in the Layout Book, and the Layouts to PDF Publisher Set active).  Incidentally, ArchiCAD is going to keep everything in the Project Map expanded, so you can ignore that one.



Also, ArchiCAD is going to remember which windows you leave open.  You only want the Floor Plan window to open.  This will minimize the number of Model Views that ArchiCAD needs to generate when you open the file.  So, with the main Floor Plan window active, go to the Window menu, and if you have more windows displaying at the bottom of the menu other than just the Floor Plan (like the 3D Window, a Schedule, and A4.01 in the screenshot below), click Close All Background Windows.  These steps are also recommended routine daily practice in ArchiCAD prior to saving and closing, in order to minimize the number of background Views needing to be updated.


Now you can Share your Project to the BIM Server by selecting Teamwork à Project à Share:


Next, be sure win-bim-2 is selected for the Server, verify the Project Number and Project Name (double check the spelling too), and pick a Category (usually either Architectural or Interiors Studio, or maybe Proposals if it is a PWS Project Number).


Then click Backup options…, change .BIMProject to Run every 1 Day(s) and uncheck the option to Regularly create .PLN backups.


Then click OK, and then Share.


Again, I am happy to Share your Project to the BIM Server if you would rather not.

Once ArchiCAD has placed your Project on the BIM Server and Joined you to the Project, then you can save your first Manual Backup by clicking File > Save As > Browse to the Manual Backup folder in the Project’s directory at F:\Proj\xx-xxxx\Drawings\!ArchiCAD Documents\1 Project Model\Manual Backup and save your Manual Backup PLN in the format: Date, Project Number, Project Name (2014-04-30 14-0000 Test Project.pln, and you can delete the ArchiCAD-added indication of who has saved the Backup when you save a PLN from a Teamwork file, the [win-bim-2-brian.spears] that it automatically adds to the Project Name).

Alternatively, you can simply Cut the PLN you had been using from the Project Model folder in the directory and Paste it into the Manual Backup folder and insert the date in the file name.


Thank you for following these procedures as we continually attempt to keep Project structure and logic consistent across all our ArchiCAD Projects.