Packaging Plans

[Designer1]

A frustrating thing Im coming across when dealing with old plans is when I open them up and find that chiefs libraries have been updated since the plans completion.  Then when you go inside to view the plan half the textures are missing and its just appearing as paint colors.

 

Is there a way that once Im completed with a plan to package it so that every texture used in the plan remains with the plan?  That way in a year if I go back into the plan it doesnt look crazy and barren with no textures anywhere?

 

I know we can export plans etc but Im just looking for once Im completed with a plan it takes all used chief textures and keeps them in the plan regardless of chiefs updating libraries.

 

Hopefully theres a way!

 

Thank you!

[DavidJPotter]

The only way I know of that might work is to save all of your "Old Plans" using the original version they were created in using the "File - Back Up entire Plan" tool when you are finished with the plan along with all "Associated texture files" so that when you reopen the file in later versions all of its material textures would then (and Only then) be there to re-associate in the the new version. Texture associations are name and physical location sensitive in Chief and older version locations and names may no longer exist in present time on your PC or Mac, thus the error messages. Symbols are also a similar circumstance and must simply replace the old symbols, no longer supported must be deleted and replaced with up to date ones in the current application. I have plans that I created in Version 4 (not x4), I also have versions 7 through 22 (X!2) on my PC so I know what I am talking about, sorry.

 

DJP

[Designer1]

Thanks so much for that David.  Yes you have been on Chief a lot longer then I have.  I started with version 9. 

 

Ok I will try this method out, it has got to be better then what im experiencing right now.  Its so frustrating to show some of the prior chief designs only to have half the design ruined because you only see color not textures. Then to go hunt for textures that are similar to the product that was no longer available is time consuming and frustrating.

 

By chance when you save "back up entire plan" does that save within the chief file or somewhere else?  Im just wondering if it makes the chief files excessively large if I was to do that for all my current and future plans? 

[glennw]

Chad,

When you use Backup Entire Plan, you get 3 choices of how you want to save the data.

Read up in the help file and try it out to see what happens.

Using the zip option is usually a good one for what you want to do.

[Doug_N]

Great points guys,  I was facing the same problem and couldn't figure it out.  I assumed that I did something wrong with the upgrade.

[Designer1]

Thanks Glen Ill read about the different file types.

[Designer1]

Does anyone know if the back up entire plan option #3 is for zipping option #1?  Im thinking if the files become really large using option #1 thats the option for zipping?  A bit unsure so I wanted to ask about it before starting this process.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Ridge_Runner]

It will work for either - #1 or #2.

[Designer1]

Great, thank you Mike!

[Designer1]

Can someone explain to me how export the entire plan with materials helps maintain all your textures? 

 

I just completed my first back up entire plan plus referenced files.  When I opened it up on my desktop I looked into the file and nothing was familiar that was even used in the plan.  It also didnt have any textures that were used widely in the plan like wood floors or kitchen cabinets.  I then went back into the plan and purged any textures that werent used and backup entire plan again but the same unused textures were in there and yet no commonly used textures in there either??

 

Im puzzled how this helps save your plan should you get newer versions of chief that dont have the same textures if you dont even see them in the backed up plan file??

 

Thanks!

[Kbird1]

If you Use no# 1 and check the zipfile option , ALL the textures, pdfs, images etc are in the Zipfile , then when needed you would unzip the File and open the Plan from within the Folder made when the ZipFile is extracted. 

 

Chief always looks in the current folder 1st for textures etc, it will then look in the Textures Folder ( in Data Folder) if not found in the Current folder. 

 

M.

[rgardner]

5 hours ago, Designer1 said:

Can someone explain to me how export the entire plan with materials helps maintain all your textures? 

 

I just completed my first back up entire plan plus referenced files.  When I opened it up on my desktop I looked into the file and nothing was familiar that was even used in the plan.  It also didnt have any textures that were used widely in the plan like wood floors or kitchen cabinets.  I then went back into the plan and purged any textures that werent used and backup entire plan again but the same unused textures were in there and yet no commonly used textures in there either??

 

Im puzzled how this helps save your plan should you get newer versions of chief that dont have the same textures if you dont even see them in the backed up plan file??

 

Thanks!

It will maintain textures that are set as defaults for items even if you have "painted" another color or texture on the item.

[Designer1]

Thank you both for the clarification!