Forward/Backward compatible versions??

[Bigfellaphil]

Hello,

I've had an issue on Friday where I was doing a job for a client, they specified that I needed to use Chief Architect, which was fine by me as I have versions x2, x3, x4, x5 and now x6... Without thinking I completed the job using x6 sent it over to the client and they contacted me saying they have an older version of Chief and can't open the file? I noticed there is a checkbox which you can tick if you think you might be opening your plan up in an older version of Chief, surely this should be automatic and all versions should work with each other? I understand some materials might not show but the plan should be able to be viewed... Why aren't versions forward compatible?

Now my problem is I'm not sure if they can open it or not, as I started off working in Chief x6 without the box ticked, I then went back into the plan ticked the box saved it and re-sent the plan to the client, however by this time they had already left the office so now I still don't know if they're able to open it, does anyone else here know if the box needs to be ticked from the beginning or if it can just be ticked after the plan is complete?? I'm worried as the deadline for the job is today, and although I sent it last Friday 3 days before the deadline, the client may hold it against me if he can't open the plan when he gets back to the office today?

Thanks,


Phil

[Glenn Woodward]

Phil,

I know of no such checkbox that allows you to open a plan in an older version of Chief.
There is a checkbox to allow opening in selected Home Designer Products - but that is something different.

You can't open a X6 plan in an earlier version.

Best thing is to get them to get the Demo or Client Viewer for X6.

[David J. Potter]

The check box in "General Plan Defaults dialog" is for sharing X6 plans with compatible Home Designer software titles (no such titles currently exist, in that they have not yet been released to the public.

X5 plan files can be made compatible with (shared with, edited by etc) Home Designer 2014 titles.
In a similar way X4 plan files can be shared with Home Designer 2012 titles, X3 with HD version 10, X2 with HD Version 9 etc by way of the check box in General Plan Defaults.

No such two-way sharing exists or is possible between newer and older versions of Chief Premier, this has never been so nor are there any plans for this to be done that I know of. Sorry.

DJP

[Bigfellaphil]

Oh right, I assumed that was the checkbox?? I really can't understand why this is the case, surely Chief uses the exact same file types in all versions so why can't the make them compatible with each other?!

Thanks for clarifying that though, it's given me a heads up so I could re-do the plan in x5 I guess? I think they want to be able to edit the plan if necessary so not sure if the x6 viewer would be an option, I could mention that they can view it while I re-do the the plan in x5 maybe?

[lbuttery]

this has been discussed many times

Chief with its 3D model and ALL the INTER-CONNECTING pieces is just way to complex
to create older versions from a newer version

there would be such a loss of data as to make the model unusable and/or unreliable with gaping holes and orphaned objects

even Word and Excel etc warn about loss of data and formatting and they are "simple" apps
compared to Chief

bottom line - the plans would be an abysmal mess

Newer versions of Chief can read/edit older versions
while there may an occasional issue - for the most part it works very well

Lew

[kiwideziner]

did you start from scratch in X6 ? or have you got a X5 early backup somewhere??

[Bigfellaphil]

Cheers Lew, I guess your right..... That was the exact example I was thinking about (word & excel) I thought if they could do it why not Chief? but like you say they're are simple apps compared to Chief.....

Kiwi, I started from scratch, I didn't even think about it, I just thought 'I can use x6 for this job' I have had an idea that might speed me up when I start the x5 version.... What if I export the x6 version to PDF then import that to x5, scale it then trace over it, does everyone here agree it is probably the quickest way to re-do the plan??

[David J. Potter]

PDF is the way to go, you can export to DWG or DXF of course but I prefer PDF.

DJP

[Bigfellaphil]

Brilliant cheers David, I'll crack on with it when I get home... Thanks everyone on here for your input too, much appreciated