How to migrate Monolith Libraries when opening older projects in Archicad 29

Issue description

You are opening a project created in an earlier version of Archicad using the Monolith Library. When opening it in Archicad 29, some required library parts may be missing.

Archicad 29 no longer includes Migration Libraries by default. While it uses the Global Library system by default, it still supports the Monolith Library system.

Solution

Step 1: Preparation

1. Download the Archicad Monolith Migration Library here. 

2. Ensure the Migration Library downloaded matches the original Archicad language version used to create the project. Using a mismatched library (for example, loading an INT library for a USA project) may result in missing or incorrect library parts.

3. Locate the downloaded file and double-click it to start the installation process. Follow the installation wizard to install the Monolith Migration Library.

Step 2: Migrating libraries

The steps below depend on whether the project has already been opened and saved in Archicad 29. Choose the option that best applies to your situation.

Option 1: The file has not yet been opened and saved in Archicad 29

1. Ensure that Step 1: Preparation has been completed.
2. Launch Archicad 29.
3. Navigate to File > Open and browse to the project file you want to migrate.
4. In the Migration Assistant dialog, select Migrate Archicad Libraries.
   
5. Archicad will load the project and begin migrating the libraries automatically.
6. Once the process is complete, the Migration Libraries will be listed in the Library Manager.
7. Proceed to Step 3.

Option 2: The file has already been opened and saved in Archicad 29

1. Ensure that Step 1: Preparation has been completed.
2. Open the Archicad 29 project that contains the incomplete migration.
3. The Migration Assistant dialog will not appear because the file has already been saved in Archicad 29. Allow Archicad to finish loading the project.
4. Open the Library Manager.
5. Click Migrate Libraries. After the Monolith Migration Library loads, click Reload & Apply, then click OK. 
   

Option 3: (Not recommended): Load libraries from a previous Archicad installation

It is technically possible to load the Monolith Library directly from an older Archicad installation. However, this approach is not recommended.

• If the older version of Archicad is removed from your system, the project will lose access to the library files, which can lead to missing library parts and additional errors.
• This can cause issues when working with others. If other users do not have the same Archicad version installed, they will not be able to load the required libraries.
• Even if they do have that version installed, Archicad may not locate the library correctly, especially when working across different operating systems.

For a stable, more future-proof, and supported workflow, use the options above instead.

Step 3: Library verification

1. Open the Library Manager.
2. Confirm that the Archicad Migration Libraries are loaded from the following path: 
   ~/Graphisoft/Archicad Monolith Migration Libraries USA/Archicad Migration Libraries 
   
3. Check the Warnings section of the Library Manager for any remaining library issues and resolve them as needed. Refer to the following guide for troubleshooting instructions:
   • Troubleshooting library issues 
   • Note: You may see a duplicate library part named Tolerance.GSM. This is expected behavior and not a bug. The part is now built into Archicad 29 and was previously included in Monolith Libraries. The warning can be safely ignored.