Oh boy....misunderstanding on my part...

[Designer1]

So Ive had Chief since version 9 or so, not X9 old school 9.  So this entire 12 plus years, my understanding is whenever I got a new upgrade I just migrated Chiefs libraries forward and added new ones.  Well as time went on I wanted to delete my old versions and only keep one old version and two newer versions on the computer.  I called tech support the other day because I noticed that I didnt really have all the libraries backed up as I just kept bringing them forward to each new version and adding that new versions library.

 

I always clicked on the update libraries button to keep my libraries updated and Chief always said 'your libraries are up to date', so I felt great.  Well to find out Chief doesnt update the libaries to current you have to delete the old and install new.  So I have libraries 'up to date' for the libraries that were on there but many were from years past.  I thought all along that 'your libraries are up to date' meant they are updated to the latest version.

 

EEK!  So come to find out Ive got old school libraries Ive been working with for who knows how long. Sure Ive got a lot of new ones (as Im a self admitted symbol hoarder and have all the libraries available) but a lot of them must be ancient and I didnt know it.  So now Ive got to go one by one in the 3d library and download each one fresh and do a new install to the library.

 

I was hoping this wasnt the case but looks like this is going to take awhile to accomplish.  I wish Chief had a library manager that told users youve got X amount of outdated libraries from version X whatever that need to be updated and you dont have X amount of libraries available in the 3d library just to keep you up on what you have or dont have.

 

I thought Id just pass on this info to other Chiefers as this was new news to me.  I hope everyone else already knew this so no one else has to do the long process of updating libraries like I will be doing in the next few days.  Also, to find out some of the older libraries may have items that have been updated and are no longer available in the new library.  So its sort of like finding a needle in the haystack trying to figure out if I want to keep any items that might be useful from past libraries.

 

Ahh what a book I just wrote. 

[lbuttery]

over a decade ago I asked for counts so that we could ensure that we had "everything"

 

and for bulk downloads so we didn't have to download one-by-one

 

and that we could have a folder structure exactly like they do on CA's website

 

and probably a few other suggestions to my our library life a little nicer

 

so far .....

 

Lew

[Kbird1]

Just noticed this recently myself with the X11 Bonus Sliding Barn Door library having an extra Folder in it, in a pic someone posted I didn't have , so I downloaded and installed it to check, and sure enough I was missing the Hardware Folder, so I am like you now, slowly downloading and updating my "Up to Date" Libraries as well, as I know Chief has updated many Materials to work properly with PBR views , so I now feel like I need to redo them all "just in case".

 

M.

[Designer1]

So we don't have to do anything other then click "update libraries" for chiefs main libraries correct?  So the manual updating of the catalogues is only for bonus and manufacturer libraries?  I just want to make sure Im fully understanding this library set up, now that its take me umpteen years to finally realize it!

 

What is the best way to back up user libraries?  Do I export that into the same back up libraries that I do for bonus and manufacturer?  I just want to make sure I do that for my user library because there is no other place for me to go download my user library should it get deleted or messed up.

[Designer1]

Also, does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to install the X11 libraries?  I heard that some of the items in previous migrated libraries might be not in the new libraries, yet if you upload lets say another Dal Tile library for example how will you know which is the old vs new library?  Geesh, we really need a library manager in Chief to handle this stuff.

[Kbird1]

12 hours ago, Designer1 said:

So we don't have to do anything other then click "update libraries" for chiefs main libraries correct?  So the manual updating of the catalogues is only for bonus and manufacturer libraries?  I just want to make sure Im fully understanding this library set up, now that its take me umpteen years to finally realize it!

 

What is the best way to back up user libraries?  Do I export that into the same back up libraries that I do for bonus and manufacturer?  I just want to make sure I do that for my user library because there is no other place for me to go download my user library should it get deleted or messed up.

 

AFAIK , yes, we download the Core Libraries after installing CA , and they too are keep updated via the Update command, as I have seen that happen on a reinstall of X11 a few weeks ago. however it seems from my experience only the files installed are checked for how recent they are, ie the update command did not install the newer (X11) Sliding Barn door library and Hardware folder inside it.

 

For the User Library , right clicking and choosing export and save it in a safe place that is backed up regularly or go old school and burn it to a DVD along with ALL the downloaded X11 Libraries. this can take a while depending on the size of the library and whether it finds any missing Textures or not.

 

10 hours ago, Designer1 said:

Also, does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to install the X11 libraries?  I heard that some of the items in previous migrated libraries might be not in the new libraries, yet if you upload lets say another Dal Tile library for example how will you know which is the old vs new library?  Geesh, we really need a library manager in Chief to handle this stuff.

 

This is true , just found that out yesterday backing up my User Library , the X11 Certainteed Library no longer has the Fiber Cement Folder , so I had to reinstall the X10 library as well , so I had all the included textures, for some Materials I had made for a particular Job, using the Certainteed Files. It does appear the X11 Library is now smarter than it used to be and doesn't make two folders if you accidentally install a library twice or like me install a X10 and X11 File , everything goes in 1 Folder now.

 

** see below**   Not sure you can tell what is new and old if you do that though? , might be best to install older versions first , then the X11 file so it overwrites any older Files already in the Folder.

 

*** Just ran a test and the X11 Certainteed Library deleted the X10 one and replaced it , so I had to reinstall the x10 library , save the Fiber Cement Siding Folder to my User Library and then update to X11 again. This is actually not a choice...I just discovered the Updated Command ,deleted the 10 library and installed the X11 Library again...minus the Fiber Cement Folder again. So it would seem you will indeed get the new version of all installed folder now, whether you want them or not, if you use the Update Command.

 

 

PS even Libraries I downloaded this weekend were just updated , so the 3D Library doesn't appear to have the latest versions of all files.

 

M.

 

 

[Designer1]

I finished dowloading all the available X11 libraries from the 3d library.  At this point it appears when you upload the newest update some libraries duplicate while others, like viking just replace.  Im leery about just deleting everything and replacing it as I dont want to miss out on library content I might want...like someone mentioned the certainteed library in X10 is better then X11. 

 

My question is how do we know what libraries will duplicate vs replace until we upload it and then its too late to evaluate which library content you want to keep.  This is more work trying to figure this all out given I have so many old libraries, then designing an entire house.

[Kbird1]

30 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

I finished dowloading all the available X11 libraries from the 3d library.  At this point it appears when you upload the newest update some libraries duplicate while others, like viking just replace.  Im leery about just deleting everything and replacing it as I dont want to miss out on library content I might want...like someone mentioned the certainteed library in X10 is better then X11. 

 

My question is how do we know what libraries will duplicate vs replace until we upload it and then its too late to evaluate which library content you want to keep.  This is more work trying to figure this all out given I have so many old libraries, then designing an entire house.

 

I reported my findings above to HQ and was told that libraries should not duplicate , as the agreement with Manufacturers means we should only ever have the latest Library installed with current Products.

 

In fact they could not reproduce the duplicate issue, and after showing them pics of my Library with the duplicates, I was told that I must have changed the Name for the .calbiz file when I downloaded it,(or afterwards) for example putting spaces in the name or adding a more descriptive/full name,

 

eg. FederalBrace  vs   Federal Brace.calibz     or Emser   vs     Emser Tile.calibz

 

At this point , I think the name changing my explain it , at least in my case, as I find alot of the time the File Names are not very descriptive and not being in the US , not all of the Names mean anything to me Brand wise like Emser.

 

This name change technique can actually be helpful in the case of items disappearing like the Certainteed Fiber Cement Siding Folder, as it worked for me to install both the X10 and X11 Library , I renamed the X10 library file with _X10 at the end and it installed into a different Certainteed Folder but unfortunately no obvious Version No# in the label for easy identification , so I have made a request for them to allow old libraries to be installed into a subfolder of the Current version, so we can access them too if needed.

 

I'll let you know if I hear more...

 

Mick.

 

[Designer1]

Thanks for the addtional information Mick.  I was on the phone with Cameron in Tech support yesterday and he noted that the Pentaltek was duplicating but the Viking was not.  So not sure why, I will test this out in my library and see what happens.

 

Can I ask, when you go to import lets say the certainteed X10 library, how do you go about importing it with a changed name within X11?  I want to make sure the name is changed enough so that it works out the way it did for you. 

 

Thanks!

[Kbird1]

17 minutes ago, Designer1 said:

Thanks for the addtional information Mick.  I was on the phone with Cameron in Tech support yesterday and he noted that the Pentaltek was duplicating but the Viking was not.  So not sure why, I will test this out in my library and see what happens.

 

Can I ask, when you go to import lets say the certainteed X10 library, how do you go about importing it with a changed name within X11?  I want to make sure the name is changed enough so that it works out the way it did for you. 

 

Thanks!

 

didnt do anything different as far as the import, all I did was rename the x10 library to certainTeed_X10.calibz.   ie I added the _X10 as note above.

 

 

 

[MarkMc]

I was skeptical that catalogs don't update. I had quickly checked in windows explorer for modification dates of libraries which indicated that they did update. I didn't manage to check much further but in the course of answering about the Silestone catalog I found that my X10 library is different than the X11. AND installing a new one in either gave made no change to it. Further, I save all library files on my computer before installing them. The newest Silestone catalog I have was downloaded August of 2016 which means that the X11 catalog updated itself. So I'd be double checking the information with support before redoing all the catalogs (unless like Mick you  have renamed them).

[Kbird1]

1 hour ago, MarkMc said:

So I'd be double checking the information with support before redoing all the catalogs

 

The Info I have so far has come from Brian Beck , and I have followed up with him for more info..... at the moment you can install older Libraries by renaming the .calibz before installing , this may in fact be the Issue with the Sliding Barn Door Library I noticed last month, in that case though the Library was not auto-replaced with the newer one, unlike the Certainteed Library on Monday where I had reinstalled the X10 library to get the Fiber Cement Library back....the whole Folder was replaced in that case.

 

M.

 

 

[Designer1]

Yikes, all this updating libraries and loosing old textures is making me nervous about not wanting to do anything with them. In another post I have called "Standing Seam" the great metal roofing textures have been changed, specifically the Standing Seam metal roofing with a less realistic (in my opinion) texture.  I cant remember what version the old textures were in.  I might try and call tech support and ask if they can send the old metal roofing textures, as I like them better.

 

Mick, I looked in both my X10 and X11 Certainteed libraries and they are identical??  Where was this fiber cement texture library located in the certainteed folder, I dont see it anywhere??

 

A chief library manager is clearly needed in this software, to help us keep the textures updated, or the old ones saved and to know what we have and dont have in the library.  Back when the libraries were small (which Im not complaining, I like the bigger library varieties) it was easier to keep track of what libraries we had. Now that theres thousands of items its much harder to track whats what.

[Kbird1]

9 hours ago, Designer1 said:

Yikes, all this updating libraries and loosing old textures is making me nervous about not wanting to do anything with them. In another post I have called "Standing Seam" the great metal roofing textures have been changed, specifically the Standing Seam metal roofing with a less realistic (in my opinion) texture.  I cant remember what version the old textures were in.  I might try and call tech support and ask if they can send the old metal roofing textures, as I like them better.

 

Mick, I looked in both my X10 and X11 Certainteed libraries and they are identical??  Where was this fiber cement texture library located in the certainteed folder, I dont see it anywhere??

 

A chief library manager is clearly needed in this software, to help us keep the textures updated, or the old ones saved and to know what we have and dont have in the library.  Back when the libraries were small (which Im not complaining, I like the bigger library varieties) it was easier to keep track of what libraries we had. Now that theres thousands of items its much harder to track whats what.

 

See your other thread.....there is a download for you....

 

https://chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com/topic/22023-standing-seam/?do=findComment&comment=180306

 

There is a Siding Folder and in it is the Fiber Cement Siding Folder in X10 ..... in X11 , they only have the Vinyl Siding ( no longer selling F.C.?)

 

 

I was told to NOT change the name of the Library files we download from the Online 3D library , as if you do they will NOT Auto Update it seems, so it is possible that in my need to give files more descriptive names I may have unintentionally broken AutoUpdate...I didn't think it mattered as the Folder imported into the CA Library is still the same File/folder Chief Exported the Library from, but I have been told renaming can cause this issue. 

 

On the other Hand , with this knowledge I can now install older Libraries such as the X10 Certainteed Library alongside the X11 Library by renaming the X10 Library 1st....

 

 

 

 

[Designer1]

Thanks Mick I will check my other post out.