User Library Organization

[Joe_Carrick]

A good place to start in organizing the User Library is to copy and then paste shortcut the Chief Core Library.  This will set up a folder structure that not only has shortcuts to everything in the Core Library but also provides the folders where you can add additonal items.  Then if you find one of the shortcut items that needs to be modified you can copy/paste it to the correct User Library Folder and modify it there.

 

The shortcuts require almost no overhead and it's a great way to get everything in one place.

[facer_03]

Joe,

You have identified an important file management tool (or process) required in using Chief!

"EFFECTIVE" creation of user folders that "links" to the existing Library folder structure of Chief.

 

Could you provide some screencaptures of what you are proposing.

 

Ray

[Joe_Carrick]

Ray, just try this:

 

1.  Select the Core Library

2.  Right Click and select copy

3.  Select the User Library

4.  Right Click and select paste shortcut

 

You now have a duplicate folder structure in the User Library and a every item in that is simply a shortcut to the Symbols in the Core Library.  You can add any additional Symbols that you have to those folders.  Move your existing User Library Items to those folders or add addition folders within that folder structure.

 

Interestingly, everything in the User Library (even those that are just shortcuts to the Core Library) have "Components" which can be edited.  That's something you can't do directly in the Core Library.  If you find one of those items has some settings (Stretch Planes, etc) that are not correct you can go to the Core Library and copy/paste to the User Library and then Left Click and Open the Symbol dbx to make changes.

[mm407p]

Joseph

I do a very similar procedure - slight variations.

 

1. I export the whole core library to the desktop than import it back into Chief under a new name - Say Core  - 1

 

2. Then I remove all items from the new library once imported.

 

(The reason I do this is that I want the new library only for the items that I may take from the core library and change colors, textures etc, if I retained the existing items I would have the problem of duplicity - not knowing which items I have changed - this means that if I altered any blocks they are all in a new library and the structure of the library is the same as the Core structure library finding and storing items in similar sub directory - helping the brain to remember what went where  - and 'no duplicity'.)

3. If you export out the core library structure with no items - it will fail - (this is if you want to move the library core structure from one computer to another) you must retain one item in each sub directory fro this to work

Hope that makes some sense