Backup > Archive Complete Directory (File Menu)

This plug-in automatically "archives" a complete directory with all contained subdirectories and drawing files.

This means that a new version of the current drawing is created where all external references have been replaced by references to internal blocks and bitmaps. Such a drawing is then independent of possible libraries and bitmaps, and may be passed on without the need to include any library.

The conversion of external blocks to internal blocks makes necessary an adaptation of the blocks' names. For each library, a new folder of the form ~x~ will be created, where x is a running number. Within this folder, the blocks' names and the hierarchical structure remains basically intact. To ensure uniqueness, each block name is followed by a number. This name conversion is secure as long as it is only executed once. We strongly recommend not to modify an archived drawing by inserting new external references and then archiving it again. This may cause hidden and unrecoverable name conflicts that make the drawing file unusable. When editing a drawing, be sure to always use the original non-archived drawing!

After choosing the command, the "File Selection" dialog is displayed once to select the source directory and once more to select the destination directory. The source and destination directories may not be subdirectories of each other. When selecting the destination directory, you can also specify that the drawing is saved compressed by choosing the corresponding file type.

If files with identical names already exist in the destination directory, they will be overwritten without warning!