Transfer Drawing Files Between Computers (Local Data)

• Transferring Files Between Computers With Local Data: Why So Difficult?
• How to Transfer Files Between Computers When You Have Local Data
  • Step 1: Saving Your Drawing and All Necessary Files to a Zip File on Computer 1
  • Step 2: Dragging the Zip File to an External Medium
  • Step 3: Transporting the Zip File to Computer 2
  • Step 4: Updating Your Files & Continuing to Work
    • Assigning Your Land F/X Project to Your Drawing
    • Transferring Your CTB File (If Applicable)
  • Step 5: Saving Your Changes and Transporting Your Drawing Back to Computer 1 (or Even to Computer 3!)
• What Does the Support Tool Actually Do?

If you ever work remotely, you'll often need to transfer your drawings between your office computer and a laptop or home computer. As you may know by now, our software requires separate files for your projects, Preference Sets, CTB files, etc. As a result, transferring a drawing file you've created using our software is slightly more complex than, say, transferring a word processing file – if you have Local Data, that is.

Transferring Files Between Computers With Local Data: Why So Difficult?

Chances are, you've transferred a file from one computer to another, worked on it, saved it, transferred it back to the original computer, worked on it some more, and so on. With a simple file like a word processing document, this process is seamless and straightforward.

A CAD drawing and its associated Land F/X project and data add a few wrinkles to this process. When you move one of these projects between computers, you're actually moving several files. (We'll get into the details below.)

If any of these files is modified – or is not present – you'll inevitably run into problems when you try to design or plot.

To help you maintain your sanity, we're happy to offer a quick and easy way to ensure that all of your data and settings are with you each time want to open and make changes to your CAD designs you've created using our software.

How to Transfer Your Files Between Computers When You Have Local Data

Our Support tool compresses all the files required by your drawing (including the drawing itself) into a single zip file. You can then move this file to an external medium such as a thumb drive, or even email it to yourself. We've made this process simple and intuitive.

Complete the steps outlined below each time you want to transport your drawing between any two computers, including your office computer, home computer, or laptop.

In the steps below, we'll refer to the computer on which you're currently working as Computer 1 (whether it's your office computer, home computer, or laptop). We'll refer to the other computer as Computer 2. The steps will be the same on either computer.

Step 1: Saving Your Drawing and All Necessary Files to a Zip File on Computer 1

On Computer 1, open the drawing you want to save. Make sure the correct project is open. If you've configured a Preference Set and/or a CTB file, make sure these items are active.

Open our Support tool:

F/X Admin ribbon, Support flyout

You'll now be prompted: Copy the DWG to the Desktop, so it can be uploaded to the Technical Support team?

 

 

Click Yes to copy the drawing file and all associated data to the desktop.

You might receive a message that This drawing contains custom objects that are not supported in previous versions. If so, just click Close to continue.

You'll see a message that a zip file of your drawing named LandFX Export.zip has been saved on the desktop.

 

 

This zip file also includes your project data, Preference Set, CTB file, and any attached Xrefs.

Step 2: Dragging the Zip File to an External Medium

Locate the file LandFX Export.zip on the desktop of Computer 1.

 

 

Drag this file to an external medium, such as a thumb drive. You can also use a file sharing website such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

Remove your external medium from the computer.

If you're using an academic license on a school computer, you may want to delete the zip file from the desktop once you're sure you've moved it to the external medium successfully.

Step 3: Transporting Your Drawing to Computer 2 & Continuing to Work

You now have everything you need on your external medium. Insert it into Computer 2. Open the zip file LandFX Export.zip directly from the external medium. 

Rather than moving the drawing file onto Computer 2, we recommend working on it directly from your external medium. When it's time to save, you'll repeat these steps and will thus create a saved copy on the desktop. When working on your home computer, you can keep this latest saved copy as a backup. When working on a school computer, you likely won't want to save a copy to that computer anyway.

Once you've opened the zip file, you'll see all the files it contains. These include:

• Your CAD drawing (saved as a DWG file)
• Any DWG files you've attached to your drawing as external references (Xrefs)
• The Land F/X project and Preference Set you had active when you last saved the drawing (both saved as LFX files)
• Any CTB settings you've configured (saved as a CTB file)

Our Support tool saves all these items into the LandFX Export zip file, automating what would otherwise be a tedious process of moving multiple files back and forth. For more detailed information on this automated process, please see What Does the Support Tool Actually Do? below.

Step 4: Updating Your Files & Continuing to Work

Assigning Your Project to the Drawing

Open your drawing (from the external medium). Use our Restore feature – available in the Projects dialog box – to restore your project. 

To re-assign the project to the drawing, open the project with the drawing still open. You can now work on your drawing and save it as you would normally (but still on the external medium).

Transferring Your CTB File (If Applicable)

If you've transported a CTB plotting file with your drawing, copy that file into the folder that's currently designated as the Plot and Publish folder.

To locate this folder path, open the CAD Options dialog box by typing OP in the CAD command line and pressing Enter. Select the Files tab, then scroll to and expand the Plot and Publish Log File Location entry. The folder listed in this location (shown below) is the folder where you want to drag your CTB file.

Step 5: Saving Your Changes and Transporting Your Files Back to Computer 1 (or Even to Computer 3!)

When you're ready to save your drawing and transport it back to Computer 1 – or even another computer – simply repeat this process, starting at Step 1, where you use our Support tool to create a zip file. (For the sake of these instructions, of course, the computer you're currently on will become Computer 1.)

Once you've completed this process a few times, it will become clockwork. (And trust us – it's a lot simpler than the alternative, which would be to save all these files manually. For details, keep reading.)

What Does the Support Tool Actually Do?

Our Support tool automates the bulk of what would otherwise be a tedious process. We originally developed it as a simple tool for anyone who is having issues with a drawing and needs to send it to our technical support team for diagnosis. The Support tool packages the drawing file, along with the associated project and Preference Set, into a single easy-to-send zip file. In fact, if you're ever having trouble with one of your drawings and need to contact tech support, it's highly likely that we'll ask you to use the Support tool to send us your drawing via a technical support ticket.

If you're just trying to transport your drawing file between computers, you won't need to bother with sending us a tech support ticket. However, the Support tool provides the quickest and most effective way to package your drawing file for easy transport – all by automating the following processes at a single mouse click:

• Saving your DWG file
• Backing up and saving your project
• Saving any applicable CTB files and Preference Sets

All these files are saved into the zip file on your desktop, allowing you to easily transport it using the How To steps above or, if you need to, send it to us using our technical support system.