Merging Topicscapes

How can I merge two Topicscapes?

There are several options in 3D Topicscape Pro.

The easiest is probably to export the smaller of the Topicscapes to files and folders, then open the other and decide on a suitable target topic for the merge. After that, drag the top level folder made during the export and drop it on the appropriate topic in the larger Topicscape.

When you export a Topicscape, it reproduces the hierarchy of topics as a hierarchy of folders. It places the occurrence files in their corresponding folder. Many aspects of the structure that are possible in Topicscape are not possible in Windows, and it overcomes these with shortcuts, special file types that Topicscape recognizes on re-import and a file called a manifest file. With these, it can convert the folders back to the proper Topicscape structure.

Path-length problems

If you have a Topicscape with very deep hierarchies, long topic names and occurrence names, you may run into Windows' limits on length of path (259 characters). Often that can be overcome by exporting directly to the root of a partition (like D:) so that you don't have an extra, say, 39 characters (like "C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\Desktop") on the front of everything you export. Topicscape checks the potential path length, warns you of the problem and produces a report.

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

Other options

There are other options, involving exporting to structured text or FreeMind, and re-importing as a red floating topic, dropping that on the appropriate place, and these can overcome length problems, but if you can use the folder export method, it is clearer what is happening. Having folders also gives you the option to re-organize as you go, if that is needed.

Pro version only

Broad and growing options for import and export are a copuple of the many extended features of the Pro version of 3D Topicscape. The above cannot be done using Lite or the Student Edition.