Library Update Utility
This article provides details on the process of updating the Foundation Library through the Library Update Utility feature.
To
be able to use the Library Update Utility feature, your current library must be version 22.0729 or newer, and you must have Toolbox version 22.1.1017 or newer to have the Library Update Utility button show up in
your utilities interface. It is recommended to be updated to Toolbox version 22.1.1123 to avoid a possible update at the project level instead of in the template. Please talk to your account manager for more details if your library version is too old.
Note that Reports are not updated with this utility. Please visit the reports download section for the latest report updates.
Run Library Update Utility
1. Locate the appropriate Update Package zip file from the Foundation Library Download (All Regions) page and download it. Once the download is complete, it is recommended to place the zip file on your desktop for easier access.
2. Open Microvellum Toolbox and select "Options" from the Toolbox Setup drop-down menu.
3. Select the "Utilities" menu on the far right of
the dialog box and then select the "Library Update Utility" button.
4. A reminder will appear to back up your current library as data will be overwritten. (It is recommended to select all specification group components to update).
5. Select the browse button and navigate to the zip file you downloaded. Select OK. Note: The zip file does not need to be extracted manually.
6. Depending on the update file size, after a few minutes a
Resolving Duplicates interface will appear. If there are certain products you do not want overwritten, this interface will allow you to skip the update for this particular product, or keep it along with the updated version.
7. After the first screen in which one resolves duplicates, a progress bar indicating the stages and status of various processes will appear. After these processes have been completed, one will have the Database Management window pop up to request a transfer between the existing database and the update package's contents. Click the "Transfer" button. Another duplicate resolution screen may or may not pop up, depending on the size of the update.
8. After the update has been completed, a pop-up will appear informing you that the process has been completed.
When updating, one will be faced with a progress bar that is not indicative of the update processing, but rather, an indication that the system is prepared for the transfer. When this pop-up is on the screen, it means the Database Management window is open and ready for transfer.
9. Restart Toolbox.
In
the case of missing custom specification groups or errors in the update, a backup folder containing the old data will be saved in a subfolder among your software data. To restore this
information simply click the Library Restore Utility button and select the backup
folder to reverse the update.Library Restore Utility
As previously stated, when using the Library Update Utility, Toolbox creates a backup of your previous library data in the Microvellum Data folder. If it is necessary for you to revert your library from the updated version to the previous version for any reason (such as a custom product being lost or modified), you can restore your library to its previous version by using the Library Restore Utility tool.
The Library Restore Utility tool loads this backup copy from your Data folder, restoring your updated library to its previous state after a Library Update Utility has been run, essentially undoing the effects of the Library Update Utility.
The process for doing this is as follows:
1. In the Options menu, under the Utilities tab, select the “Library Restore Utility” button.
2. A menu will appear indicating the most recently created backup of your library. Toolbox will only restore your most recently created backup file.
3. Select “OK” and wait for your backup package to restore your library to its pre-update state. Another alert will appear when the process has been completed.
4. Restart Toolbox.
Library Update Utility
Best Practices
It is best to wrap up and complete any ongoing projects before running a library update. Occasionally, new variables are added to specification group files such as globals, wizards, and/or material pointers. When this happens, the utility will only update the template spec group files and not your project spec group files. So, when adding additional products to the existing projects, these new products will be lacking dependent variables, causing errors. This can be quickly remedied by using the revert feature in your project spec group interface. However, doing this will cause any project specific settings to also revert, requiring you to set them up again. If there are too many settings to change, it may be easier to manually update the original project global/wizard with whatever new variables that have been added. - All stock products and subassemblies will be overwritten. However, there is an opportunity to "skip" certain products and subassemblies. But, doing so will result in those becoming an older version, which can lead to errors. The best practice is to leave the vanilla stock products and subassemblies alone and save any modified custom products in a different folder with a different name. This will ensure they are protected from being overwritten.
- Do NOT rename product or subassembly categories in the database. The update will assume that this category is missing and create it again in the database causing duplicates of each product.
- No materials are deleted or removed, but new materials may be added periodically, including hardware. These new materials will be appended to your existing materials and will appear uncategorized in the user interface. You will need to categorize (move) the new materials to a folder of your choosing.
- No spec group (global or wizard) workbook files will be overwritten. The utility can append new variables as needed and can also insert new rows into existing look-up tables. Occasionally, if necessary to correct an issue, the utility may change a variable's value, but this is uncommon and should only happen to formulas that need to be updated. Hard values, such as default distances or setbacks, should never need to be updated as they are user settings. Changing them could cause problems.
- The Factory workbook may also be appended. A common update would be the addition of a new drawer system, in which case the new subassembly would be added, and the Factory (F) workbook would have the LookUpTableListOptions updated to include the new drawer option.
- If you ever have any questions about what the utility is going to do, you can unzip the update and examine the contents. Whatever is in there is what the utility is going to do. However, this is only recommended for advanced MV users and editing the contents is not recommended as it could have undesired repercussions in the future. It is a great way to see what each update is going to do.
Video Tutorials
The following videos explain the process of updating one's Foundation Library, addressing questions users may have when attempting to update their Foundation Library.
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