multiple referenced files

[Ringos]

How do you keep your links updated in layout when you are saving as in plan view?

 

Every major change, in plan view, I save as and rename the plan. Each time I save as and renumber it, the links in layout stay linked back to the original plan I linked from. I build my layout as I go. So, now my layout has multiple referenced files. How do you keep your links updated in layout when you are "saving as" in plan view.

This causes problems because the layout views do not have the latest changes.

[DBCooper]

In your layout, go into referenced files and choose the new plan.

 

[Ringos]

I go into layout >tools> referenced plan files. There are four plans referenced. If I choose the latest and then click on one of my layouts from a previous link up it did not change. It seems like there should be a relink all layout boxes and then it let you choose what plan you want to relink them to.

[Ringos]

Ive been going through my entire layout. Right clicking on a viewport and clicking on "relink layout box." Clicking open plan, and choosing the most recent plan. Then it usually finds the same view in the new plan and saying ok.

 

That is a lot of relinking just to back up a file.

[TeaTime]

6 minutes ago, Ringos said:

I go into layout >tools> referenced plan files. There are four plans referenced.

You'll have to relink each of them.

 

3 minutes ago, Ringos said:

Ive been going through my entire layout. Right clicking on a viewport and clicking on "relink layout box."

Yeah don't waste time doing that, the Referenced Plan Files link does this for you, swapping out the links in all layout boxes to the newly linked file. 

Relinking 4 plans is a lot faster than relinking every Layout Box on your layout.

 

One suggestion you may see floating around is to avoid using Save As like this and instead keep the Layout linked to one root Plan file, only using Save As as a sort of archiving save.

But because when you do Save As it changes the active plan to that newly named plan, you need to Save the active plan, use Save As to create a copy, then re-open the original. That way you're only ever working on one plan, the name never changes, and all layout boxes remain nicely linked up.

[Ringos]

Solution:

 

When you have multiple referenced files and they are all of one plan and you want one referenced file instead. Find the most recent which should have all the changes.

 

1. Go into layout >tools> referenced plan files.

2. Double click one of the older referenced files.

3. A window will pop up allowing you to pick the new file to reference instead of that.

4. Click the most recent which should have all the changes.

5. CA changes all those links to the new file you just clicked.

6. Do that for each of the older referenced files until you only see the new file as linked.

 

 

[Ringos]

1 hour ago, TeaTime said:

One suggestion you may see floating around is to avoid using Save As like this and instead keep the Layout linked to one root Plan file, only using Save As as a sort of archiving save.

But because when you do Save As it changes the active plan to that newly named plan, you need to Save the active plan, use Save As to create a copy, then re-open the original. That way you're only ever working on one plan, the name never changes, and all layout boxes remain nicely linked up.

 

Teatime. So use the save as to back up the file but continue on with the same plan file and same layout file? Just spinning off backup in case needed?

 

[TeaTime]

Exactly.

Just remember to Save the current changes THEN do a Save As. Can't stress that enough.

Never Save As without normal Save first.

 

ex:

Day 1: Create RingosPlan.plan, send views to RingosLayout.layout

Save/Save As: RingosPlan 12-1-24.plan

Day 2: Open RingosPlan.plan, send views to RingosLayout.layout

Save/Save As: RingosPlan 12-2-24.plan

Day 3: Open RingosPlan.plan, send views to RingosLayout.layout

etc etc etc

[Ringos]

Teatime. Do you save the layout the same way with a save as?

 

Once you start saving layouts it also saves a plan with it. So, do you still save the plan or just rely on the plan saved in layout?

 

[TeaTime]

Naw I rarely have ever needed to make a copy of my layouts. you can, of course. It just doesn't come up all that often.

 

slight correction, once you send a view to a Layout the layout then gets saved with the plan's name in the same spot as the plan.

So if you start with RingosPlan.plan and then just hit Send to Layout without opening a layout first, you'll get a RingosPlan.layout.

[Ringos]

5 minutes ago, TeaTime said:

Naw I rarely have ever needed to make a copy of my layouts. you can, of course. It just doesn't come up all that often.

 

slight correction, once you send a view to a Layout the layout then gets saved with the plan's name in the same spot as the plan.

So if you start with RingosPlan.plan and then just hit Send to Layout without opening a layout first, you'll get a RingosPlan.layout.

Love it. Nice clear help. Thank you.

 

[SHCanada2]

5 hours ago, TeaTime said:

ex:

Day 1: Create RingosPlan.plan, send views to RingosLayout.layout

Save/Save As: RingosPlan 12-1-24.plan

Day 2: Open RingosPlan.plan, send views to RingosLayout.layout

Save/Save As: RingosPlan 12-2-24.plan

Day 3: Open RingosPlan.plan, send views to RingosLayout.layout

etc etc etc

and if you are as lazy as I am, I do not rename, I just copy and paste the file in the same directory and let windows make copies with the window copy name (adds copy, then copy(1) ... to the original source name). The filename has a lastmodified time on it that will give you the date/time it was last changed in case you ever want to know