How Do I Edit the Catalog?

To edit the catalog manually, first open the catalog in a spreadsheet editor like Microsoft Excel or Google Spreadsheets, then manually edit its contents.

You can open the catalog directly from Compfire by running the command:
Compfire > Edit > Open Catalog…

This will open the catalog spreadsheet in your default spreadsheet editor.

You can also open the catalog spreadsheet directly from your file system. The catalog spreadsheet is located in Compfire's Library folder:
Compfire > Edit > Open Library…

This will open the folder that contains your Compfire Library.

You can add, remove, or change any text data in the cells, and then save the spreadsheet. At spreadsheet save, the change should apply immediately to new operations in Compfire.

Learn more about Open Catalog.

ITEM Cell Must Match Component Definition

Please note that the contents of the Catalog spreadsheet's ITEM colum cell must remain identical to the corresponding Component Definition in Sketchup.

If you edit either the ITEM cell, or the component Definition, you will need to also edit the other, and reforge the item. The Catalog Item name, and the Forged Component Definition, works like a links in a chain. They must be identical. Their identity enables Compfire to link together the component with the item data row.

If the ITEM cell and the as-forged component definition name are not identical, then Compfire will be unable to link the Sketchup component to the Catalog item metadata. You will end up with an orphan Catalog row and an orphan Sketchup component. Compfire will not work as intended.

Any other cells may be edited independently of forging.

Automatically Update Catalog from Sketchup

When you edit Item properties in Sketchup, and then Export Library, Compfire will automatically push exported Items' metadata changes to the the catalog.

Please note that when Exporting, the catalog spreadsheet file needs to be closed. Otherwise, Compfire cannot edit the catalog.

Add and Edit Item Metadata Anytime

Adding item metadata at Forge is optional. The only metadata required is the ITEM data. You can always add metadata later.

Some users prefer to add metadata in the Sketchup Staging model, and pushing it to the catalog via Export Library.

Other users prefer to export items with little or no metadata, and instead add metadata directly in the catalog spreadsheet.

Adding and editing metadata in the Catalog spreadsheet often affords a clearer overview of catalog context. It can be faster. Most spreadsheet editors, such as Microsoft Excel and Google Spreadsheets, offer word replacing, multi-row translation, cell comparison, and other powerful features that afford more advanced data management than Sketchup user dialogs do.

Often, a combined approach makes sense.

How do I Create Useful Item metadata?

The provided Starter Library is is a great way to begin. Do some trial and error, and see what happens. Begin with editing a small number of items – a dozen or so – and familiarize yourself with how you can make Compfire work for you.

Once you understand the basic principles and notice how Compfire can do the work for you, you may start cataloguing also larger component collections.

Learn how to make metadata work for you in the catalog column breakdown.