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Open Drawing, Close Project, File Types


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#1 Tom McConnell

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Posted 11 July 2019 - 01:40 PM

When I open a drawing from outside the current project I am asked "Do you want to close the current project?".
Not once, since 2012, have I wanted to close the current project.
 
Normally I do not open projects when I am in a project, I open drawings
Couldn't the default be "spd" files     -or-     "spd" files  -and-  "spp" files?
  1. Does anyone else ever close projects when opening a separate drawing?
  2. Would most of you agree you open drawings more often than projects when you are already in a project?

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#2 Tom Rogers

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Posted 24 July 2019 - 07:02 PM

I always open projects when I move from one to the other.  Maybe it is the way I think but if I have files labeled MAIN FLOOR in all my different projects I just see the potential of having a better chance of accidentally overriding a file I did not want to.  

The only time that open a drawing is if I move something from another file to my project file or if I want to copy something to clipboard to bring it into my current file


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#3 Tom McConnell

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Posted 25 July 2019 - 11:16 AM

I always open projects when I move from one to the other.  Maybe it is the way I think but if I have files labeled MAIN FLOOR in all my different projects I just see the potential of having a better chance of accidentally overriding a file I did not want to.  

The only time that open a drawing is if I move something from another file to my project file or if I want to copy something to clipboard to bring it into my current file

 

I only work on one project at a time.

Within every project I open a drawing or two, and they remain open throughout the entire design, from an outside folder to copy and paste my common symbols, text, details etc.


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#4 Don Gibbons

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Posted 25 July 2019 - 01:15 PM

I have several instances of SoftPlan open at the same time, particularly if I want to plunder info from one to another. Very rarely do I open a drawing from another project.



#5 Keith Almond

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Posted 26 July 2019 - 06:23 PM

OKAY, YOU GOT ME STARTED:

 

I generally don't open more than one instance of Softplan at a time - and when I have, I end up closing the wrong one anyway. It just doesn't work for me that way.

 

If I want to view/use a drawing from a different project or a standard detail, I bring them into the the current project on a drawing by drawing basis.

 

Like Tom I have NEVER wanted to close the current project, just open another drawing within the current project.

 

If I want to open a new project, I close the one I'm working on, and then open another one.

 

At the risk of opening a can of worms, I don't understand why Softplan would ever think you wanted to close the current project because you opened another DRAWING, and since it won't let you open another PROJECT without closing the current one, the question seems pretty superfluous anyway.

 

NO, I don't want to close the CURRENT project ... EVER.

 

RANT OVER ...


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#6 John Pepper

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Posted 29 July 2019 - 08:49 AM

SoftPlan is Project based.  As changes are made to individual drawings a lot of information is updated throughout the project live, such as 3d, annotations, Softlist reports and schedules. 

Some of the information used to display drawings as drawn is can now be stored and updated on the project level.  In order for everything to work well together users are strongly encouraged to open up a project and work on only drawings within that project.   SoftPlan does provide a way for people to open up drawings in other projects to view them.  However it asks if you want to switch to that project because that is the recommended work flow.  If you insist on not switching to the project it displays the drawing name (outside of the project folder) in italics so that you have a hint as to why the changes made are not reflected throughout the project.  It is strongly recommended that if you need to open up drawings in other projects, just open up another copy of SoftPlan and open the project directly.  This ensures continuity throughout the project and still lets you view and compare differences.


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#7 Dave Pazyniak

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Posted 29 July 2019 - 01:16 PM

Thanks, John.  That helps me understand what Softplan wants me to do.  So if I drew a pergola on another project, and copying it into my current project will save me some design time, what is the proper way to get the drawing items into my current project?  I have been opening a drawing within my current project...

 

1. Open another project and copy it to the softplan clipboard, then paste into the new one? (assuming the clipboard is available between softplan sessions)

2. Import the drawing from the old project?

 

I have run into several problems when another user and I share a project and work on saved project revisions (which we then have shared).  In at least one case we somehow got 2 project files in one folder, and I think that contributed to some of our issues.  When is the project file created?



#8 Steve Haarmann

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Posted 29 July 2019 - 01:23 PM

I do this all the time.

I may open a detail drawing from another project within my new project..

This drawing tab will be in italics meaning that it is not in the current project.

I then do a 'save as' and save it into the current project.

 

If I only want a portion of that drawing can either do as above and erase what is not needed or I can copy to sp clipboard and paste what is needed into a new drawing.

I have never had an issue with this procedure.


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#9 John Pepper

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Posted 29 July 2019 - 01:57 PM

Dave, for what you are trying to do, Copy and Paste from the clipboard should work fine.  The open drawing and saving into the current project method should also work.  In the end it is best that the drawings that you work on be in the project's folder and part of the project.

 

 

When are projects created?:  At the time you start a new project (standard case).  If you are in the file open dialog and you encounter a folder with SoftPlan drawings and no project file, a project file will be created with the same name of the folder that contains it.  I'm unsure how you would get 2 different project names in the same folder.  We would have to see the specific project on a ticket to get a hint of whats going on there.  I can definitely see that the synchronization system could get confused if 2 different project files were actively in use in the same folder.



#10 Dave Pazyniak

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Posted 30 July 2019 - 09:45 AM

Ticket 45140 have been working on it for a couple days with Grant.  Difficult to duplicate issue...



#11 Keith Almond

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Posted 30 July 2019 - 10:28 AM

The only reason I bring drawing In from elsewhere is the same as Steve above. It's normally a standard detail, and I do a save as within the current project. I too have never had a problem with this procedure. It's just frustrating to be asked if I want to close the current project ALL the time.


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#12 John Pepper

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Posted 30 July 2019 - 12:04 PM

The question wasn't introduced for no reason.  There was a large amount of confusion and strain on support when users had multiple main floors open and didn't understand why their changes were not being reflected as expected.  In earlier versions of SoftPlan there was no project file and so the way users switched "implied" projects was to open a different drawing in a different folder.  Of course you could only have one drawing open at a time at that point so that was the normal work flow.  So the question encourages people to use the pathway that will give them the desired results most of the time, reinforces the concept of the Project for users coming from earlier versions and still allows you to step outside the preferred workflow by simply pushing the No button.  The support issues and confusion it helps\helped solve vastly outweighed the frustration of pushing "No" once in a while. We do appreciate knowing that it is a source of annoyance.


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#13 Keith Almond

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Posted 01 August 2019 - 06:43 PM

Thank you for the explanation, John. I'll stop moaning about it now!


Keith

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