Importing folders and files

Previous: Importing into Topicscape

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This is the most common way of building Topicscapes. To add nested folders to an existing Topicscape, you can just drag the top level folder in, and drop it on the topic that you want to be its parent. Topicscape will build the equivalent structure and display it in 3D.

To make a new Topicscape from nested folders, use the File menu, Import item.

Import folders, where the folders contain shortcuts pointing to files that no longer exist, gives detailed information about what was missing.

Re-importing folders that were exported, round trip

This applies only to folders that were produced when an entire Topicscape is exported to folders or text file:

• On re-importing to make a new Topicscape the current topic will always be the Home topic. That's the very first topic, when you made the original Topicscape, not the current topic at the time of export.
• The history list will be empty (it is not exported).
• If you have renamed the 3DT file or the Home topic since you made the Topicscape, then you export it and re-import it, you will find that the new Topicscape's folder and 3DT file names will not match the name of the original. Of course, you can rename them once the re-import is complete.
• The files are not touched when exporting to text, so keep in mind that when you re-import, they will all be referenced in their original position. In other words they will be "Link" occurrences.

Import folders (both to make a new Topicscape and a floating topic) can handle the shortcuts previously written by the function to "Export an entire Topicscape", converting them back to the appropriate Topicscape associations.

File-path lengths on import

Topicscape tries to preserve the structure of imported folders. But it is also able to adjust, on the fly, items that would normally have too long a path within Windows' limits. If it does that it will produce a report to show you the original and adjusted paths. Beyond a certain length, Topicscape can do nothing and then it will tell you where the problems were in the report.

If Windows can display the file but not allow access to it, Topicscape will make an occurrence, but its file will be missing. The occurrence will show up in the Topic Center in black text (as is usual for missing files). It will have a description added: "The file or folder is missing because its path was longer than Windows allows". There are various causes of such over-length paths in Windows but the most common is that a structure is copied and then a folder's name is lengthened. Provided this folder itself is within Window's limits the change will take effect, but can cause files or folders deeper in the structure to become inaccessible.

For more on this, please see File names and paths when exporting to folders.

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