Display Options Combinations cannot be imported

Written by László Nagy

In ArchiCAD 8.1, one of the new features is Display Options Combinations. You can set your Display Options and save them under a name. These Display Options Combinations cannot be directly exported from and imported into ArchiCAD like Layer Combinations can. When a new Project is started, and one uses Default Settings, Display Options Combinations data is read from an XML file. This is located in the 'DisplayOptionPreferences.xml' file inside the Defaults folder within the ArchiCAD 8.1 folder. When one quits ArchiCAD, the current state of Display Options Combinations are saved into another XML file. These files are located at the following location:
"C:\Documents and Settings\ \Application Data\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD 8.1.0 INT R1\DisplayOptionPreferences.xml" on Windows
and "HD:Users: :Library:Preferences:Graphisoft:AC 8.1.0 v1:DisplayOptionPreferences.xml" on Mac.

Within the XML file, one Display Option Combination consists of a block of lines giving specific values to the various field of the Display Options Dialog. One set looks like the below block of text:
...

Approval
0
0
0
1
1
3
5
1
1
1
1
0
0
2
2
1
3
1
2

...

Each combination starts with and ends with . The following table shows which values of the XML file correspond to which fields in the Dialog: <

Field in Display Options Dialog	Field in XML file	Value in Display Options Dialog	Possible values	Value in XML file
Wall & Beam Intersections	*	On Off	0, 1	0 1
Walls		Reference Line Contour Lines	0, 1	1 0
Roof Pivot Lines		Show Hide	0, 1	1 0
Fill Handles		Show Hide	0, 1	1 0
Text	**	Text Text with Handles Greek Greek with Handles Text Text with Handles Greek Greek with Handles	1, 3 5, 48	1 3 1 3 5 5 48 48
Figures		With Handles Without Handles Placeholders	0, 1, 2	1 0 2
Section Depth		Show Hide	0, 1	1 0
Detail Boundary		Show Hide	0, 1	1 0
Mark-Up Items		Show Hide	0, 1	1 0
Beams		Entire Beam Reference Line Contour Lines	0, 1, 2	0 1 2
Line Weight		True Weight Hairlines	0, 1	1 0
Construction Fills		Empty No Fills Uniform Solid Solid Bitmap Pattern Vectorial Hatching	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5	1 4 5 0 2 3
Polygon Fills		Solid Bitmap Pattern Vectorial Hatching	0, 2, 3	0 2 3
Doors & Windows		Show with Dim. Show on Plan Hide on Plan Reflected Ceiling	-1, 0, 1, 2	2 1 0 -1
Zone Polygons		Hide Color Over the Fills Under the Fills	1, 2, 3	1 2 3
Zone Stamps		Show Hide	0, 1	1 0
Section Marker		As in Settings Normal Key Plan	0, 1, 2	2 0 1

* The value between and must be the same as between and
** The values of and , plus and work together in the displayed combination.

If you already started a Project, there is currently no way to import existing Display Options Combinations to that file. However, if you want to use your already defined Display Options Combinations in future Projects, there is a way to do it. When you start a New Project, you have 3 choices you can make about what settings to use. These are:

1. Use Latest Settings. In this case, Display Options Combinations will be read from the file at "C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD 8.1.0 INT R1\DisplayOptionPreferences.xml"
2. Use a Template. The combinations will be read from the file.
3. Use Default Settings. In this case, Display Options Combinations will be read from the file DisplayOptionPreferences.xml in the Defaults folder within the ArchiCAD folder.

If you want all your new Projects created with New & Reset or the above 3rd choice, you may do the following:

1. Open the Project file that contains the Display Options Combinations you want to use.
2. Exit ArchiCAD 8.1. This is needed because ArchiCAD saves Display Options Combinations only before the program is quit. The file at "C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD 8.1.0 INT R1\DisplayOptionPreferences.xml" (see path on Mac as above) will be overwritten and contain the data you need.
3. Find this DisplayOptionPreferences.xml file in 2.) above and replace with it the DisplayOptionPreferences.xml file located in the Defaults folder of ArchiCAD 8.1.
4. Start ArchiCAD 8.1, Create a New Project, and Use Default Settings. Alternately, use New & Reset within ArchiCAD 8.1.

You may also create your Display Options Combinations and then save your Project File as a Template File. This way you will have them readily available for new Projects.

Page last updated: Thursday, June 10, 2004