Saving Project Files and Data Dialogs

When a project is closed using the Project menu's Close command or another method, or you are saving changes to your project with theSavecommand, you will be presented with a series of dialogs to ensure your data is preserved as you require, and the necessary items are reloaded on exit. If new data has been added to the project, you will also be given a choice as to how they are stored on disk (either as a separate file or within the current project file).

There are up to three stages to the close-down process;

A Save Project File dialog is shown allowing you to save the modifications made to the current project file. If you elect not to save the listed file (by default, it will be selected for saving); clicking OK will close the project without saving any changes to the project or project files.
If you elect to save the project file, a subsequent Save Data / Set Auto Reload dialog is shown allowing you to select any of the project files associated with the project (if no changes have been made to the items listed, their default setting will be 'don't save', and if you wish them to be loaded into memory automatically the next time the project is started, you can choose to do so on a file-by-file basis.
If new data has been created in memory, they will be automatically selected for saving. Clicking OK in the second dialog shows the third dialog - Save New 3D Object - allowing you to save the new file(s) to either the project file, or an external .dm file.

Save / Auto Reload

All data objects in memory can be saved, if required. You can also elect whether an object is loaded automatically the next time the project is opened, using the Save Data / Set Auto Reload dialog.

The Save Changes dialog allows you to configure, on a file-by-file basis, both of the above points before saving the project file. The resulting, saved project file will be appended with the information supplied so that when it is reloaded, only those objects previously specified will be reloaded, and if standalone Datamine files are associated with the project.

Field Details:

After electing to save the project file, and clicking OK, the following fields are available:

Object: lists the name of the project object.

Save: select this check box to save the selected object to a Datamine (.dm) file on saving. If no file name is currently associated with the selected object (e.g. it may have been created in the current session, but after the last project save), a dialog will be displayed allowing you to specify a file name and location.

Auto Reload: select this check box if you wish the selected object to be loaded into memory the next time the project is loaded. This is a particularly useful function if your project contains several large (in data terms) objects that may not all be required for the next phase of your project.

You can use the check boxes at the top of the Save Data/Set Auto Reload dialog's table to globally select or deselect all listed objects.

Select OK to save/update your file (either as a Datamine file or within the project file) or No to close the application without saving the listed files. Alternatively, select Cancel to return to your application without saving your data, and keeping the current project open.

Save New 3D Object

When saving changes to a project, it is important to decide on how you wish new object data to be stored:

will new objects in memory be saved as Datamine (.dm) files?
will new object data be stored within the current project file?

There are advantages and disadvantages to either method; if you store a file as a separate Datamine (.dm) file, you will be able to utilize this data in other projects. An association will be made between your current project file and the new data file, but this file will need to exist, in the same location if it is to be loaded successfully by the project, the next time is loaded. This option is ideal when you have data that is relevant to more than one project. Any edits to the external Datamine file will then be reflected in both projects when this data is loaded into memory.

The other alternative - saving the data within the current project file - means that the data is archived along with all project settings, keeping the project self-contained and easily portable/distributable. You will not be able to edit the data file's contents without first loading the project into your application, and as such, this data cannot be shared between projects. However, for files that are likely to be relevant to one project only, this option is a useful one.

	Related Topics
	Loading Data Loading and Saving Filtered Data Data Structure Project File