Back Up and Restore Projects, Templates, and Preference Sets

• Why Back Up?
• Backing Up Projects, Templates, and Preference Sets
  • Backing Up Projects
  • Backing Up Templates
  • Sharing Land F/X Project Data With Co-Workers or with a Consultant, Client, or Other Outside Office
  • Backing Up Preference Sets
• Backing Up Your Projects While Updating
• Restoring Projects, Templates, and Preference Sets
  • Restoring from the Land F/X Portal (Cloud Data Only)
  • Restoring While Working in CAD
  • Restoring a Template
• Backing Up Your Details
• Troubleshooting

The core technology behind our software is the ability to associate additional data with an object in your drawing. This capability enables the software to make a simple block act as a tree, a sprinkler, or a detail reference. All this additional data is stored in a database, external to the to drawing. It's imperative that you recognize the importance of this data and that you back it up with the same vigor with which you back up your drawings.

 

The Land F/X Projects dialog box includes two important features, Backup and Restore, that work together to organize and access your projects and templates.

• Backup: Create a backup copy of your project on your computer, an external drive, or the Land F/X server. This tool provides a safeguard against losing data from your projects, such as your plant palette. It also allows you to archive your projects at specific milestones, divide your work into phases, and create variations of the same project.

 

• Restore: Download, import, and reactivate projects once you have backed them up. The Restore feature allows you to access your projects when you move computers or re-install our software. If you have created various versions of your project using Backup, the Restore tool allows you to open those versions.

Preference Sets are backed up from the General Preferences. However, your Preference Sets are saved in the same format as your projects: LFX files. To restore your Preference Sets, follow the same steps for restoring a project. For more information on Preference Sets, including how to back them up, see our Preference Sets documentation.

The relationship – and differences – between a CAD drawing (DWG file) and a Land F/X project (LFX file) can create some initial confusion. We've provided a guide to CAD drawings and Land F/X Projects.

Why Back Up?

Backing up your work is always a good idea, but it's especially important when using our software. Learn more about the importance of backing up your project data.

Backing Up Projects, Templates, and Preference Sets

Important: These steps must be completed from a workstation configured to run Land F/X.

 

 

Backing Up a Project

A Land F/X project is stored as a LFX file. This file contains all data you've added to the project, including:

• Plants
• Irrigation equipment
• Site amenities
• Hardscape items
• Reference Notes and detail reference data

 

When working remotely on a drawing that is associated with a project, you'll need to bring that project's .lfx file with you just as you bring the .dwg file. If not, you'll be unable to access the project data.

We understand that the distinction between a CAD drawing and Land F/X project can cause confusion. For more information, see our CAD drawings and Land F/X Projects documentation.

 

 

To back up a project, open our Projects tool:

 

 

 

 

 

The Land F/X Projects dialog box will open.

 

 

 

 

The Backup Project dialog box will open. Here, you have several options for backing up your project data.

 

 

 

6. Delete project: Delete the project from your database. (This option will only be available after you've selected the export method.)

 

 

Once you've selected your desired option, click OK to back up your project. A .lfx file containing the most recent data from the project will be saved in your selected location.

Our software performs periodic backups of your projects, organized by date. If you choose to back up your projects, pay careful attention to the filenames you give the different versions, as well as the way in which you organize them. This will help you find the correct version quickly when you need it.

 

Backing Up a Template

To archive and restore templates, use the same procedures as Backing Up a project, but select a template rather than a project from the list.

 

 

Sharing Land F/X Project Data With Co-Workers or with a Consultant, Client, or Other Outside Office

If you don't have a central office server, and your office doesn't have Cloud Data, you may need a way to share your projects with co-workers. You can do this by using Backup and Restore. Simply back up the latest version of your project, save it to a folder that also contains the associated DWG, and share that folder with your co-worker via a flash drive, Dropbox, or whichever method you choose. Your co-worker can then Restore to access the project when that DWG is open, which will associate the DWG with the latest version of the project.

 

 

Then, if your co-worker makes any changes to the project (adds plants, for example), he or she can then use Backup to share the project back with you. You'll Restore, and voilá! You now have the latest version of the project.

Need to share your Land F/X project data or other Land F/X–related items with a client, consultant, or outside office? Instructions

 

 

Backing Up Your Preference Sets

All six Preferences screens include a Preference Set backup utility, which you can choose to use instead of the following steps. More information

Backing Up Your Projects While Updating

Our Backup tool is also tied to a checkbox in the Update dialog box. Open our Update tool:

 

Any of the F/X ribbons (example, F/X Admin), Update flyout

 

 

 

 

 

If you are not running the current version of our software, the Update Land F/X dialog box will open.

 

 

 

Restoring a Project, Template, or Preference Set

Think of Backup as exporting, or saving, a project or Preference Set, and Restore as subsequently importing it. Restore also allows you to activate projects that have been made inactive.

 

Because templates and Preference Sets, like projects, are stored as .lfx files, you can restore a template or Preference Set using the same steps as restoring a project. Learn more about Project Templates and Preference Sets.

You can also restore your Preference Sets directly from any of the six Preferences screens. Learn more

Note: Preference Sets are not tied to a specific CAD drawing or Land F/X project. When you save (Backup) a Preference Set, you are making it available for use with any project, in any drawing.

 

 

 

Restoring from the Land F/X Portal (Cloud Data Only)

We make it easy to restore projects and Preference Sets from the Land F/X Portal, provided you are using our Cloud Data service. Find out how

 

 

 

Restoring While Working in CAD

To restore a project or Preference Set while working in CAD, open our Projects tool:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Restore Project dialog box will open. Select one of the following options:

 

Remember: Each time you move your drawing, along with your project, between computers, you'll need to Backup and Restore your project to ensure you are working with the latest version.

You can also copy and paste your projects and from their physical location and insert them into, for example, the folder on your flash drive where you store the corresponding .dwg file. However, the Backup and Restore functions achieve the same task while ensuring you are continuing to work with the exact project you currently have open.

 

Restoring a Template

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backing Up Your Details

Note that our Backup feature does not back up your details. To keep your details safe (which we highly recommend), follow our instructions to Back Up Your Details.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Error executing data request – Data too long for column

 

Issue: You want to advance a project into a new phase (e.g., permitting to construction)

 

Issue: You saw a "You can not modify templates or deactivated projects" error message when attempting to restore a project