copying catalog element to another part of the catalog

[anon125]

We have made a group called Our Furniture.
how do we copy elements from the various catalog pages to our group,
and how do we permanently change their dimensions when in our group?
thanks

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Rick,

If you open the Elements Manager (File/Catalogues), you can simply drag things into your own group. However, you can only drag things to your group within the same category. If it is all furniture and your 'Our Furniture' group is in the same category (Interior Furniture) then no problem but you cannot move Cabinets into Furniture or Lights into Appliances etc.

You may want to do what I do, create a group in each Category, move my new group to the top of the category and them move all the objects I have created or have customsied, into my group.  At the top of each Category then I have My Furniture, My Cabinets, My Lights, My Appliances etc. If I customise something else I just move it up into my group, so it is always at the top.

If you select an element in the catalogue, right click and choose Edit you can change the Element dimensions permanently. If you do this in Elements Manager you can shift select a few and change all at once (eg if you have several cabinets and wanted the same counter top appearance on all). I would not recommend doing this with dimensions though or you could end up with all your cabinets the same size but different names!

When you edit the dimensions AFTER you have inserted it, the change only occurs in your model not the Catalogue - the two are no longer linked. If you like something you have customised in your model you can add it to the Catalogue using File / Catalogues/ Save Element to Catalogue.

Allan

[anon125]

Thanks Allan
great help - you know no other kind!

[anon125]

BTW when i dragged an element to my furniture - it did not copy - it removed it from the main catalogue.
did i do it right?
thanks

[Allan Chesney]

That is correct. The catalogue does not normally keep multiple elements that are the same otherwise its size would grow rapidly and slow down as a result. If you really want the same object in two places in the catalogue you would have to insert it into the model and then save that copy to the model as described earlier.

Allan

[anon125]

Thanks
By Model - do you mean the plan?
and can i copy adjusted elements from one plan to another?

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Rick,

Yes by Model I meant the plan or project you are working on.

If you custonmise elements in your plan then they just stay in that project but if you have copied elements from your plan to your catalogue then they will automatically be available in all future projects. The catalogue stores everything except textures - they are in the Textures folder. That is why it is advisable to keep backup copies of it from time to time so you do not lose customised elements.

If you get a later version then you can continue to use the cutomised catalogue.

Allan

[anon125]

can i merge the newer catalogue with the old one to get the elements back that i moved to Our Furniture?
thanks

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Rick,

The only way you can merge catalogues is to export the elements you want  in a BIM file (File / Catalogues / Export BIM), then open the second catalogue and to an Import BIM. This will put everything needed, including textures into the same group and category.

Only question is: does V12 have the BIM function? Can't remember now.

If it doesn't you will just have to insert all your objects into a project, then open the second catalogue and use the 'Save to catalogue' function to save them from your project to the catalogue.

Allan

[anon125]

thanks Allan