i have numerous libraries to replace using sketches built in tools but wheneever i try and do it nothing happens. Has anyone else seen this? This is the case if a library is unavailable or available.
Version 2025.3.3 (221254)
Hello @james.dellar, and welcome to the forum! Happy to help.
We’ve seen inconsistencies in some of these Library replacements before and, if you could be kind enough to let us access your documents by sending them to our support email, I would like to have the opportunity to reproduce these issues. We’d lilke to check if there’s something we can fix in this process.
Could you send the documents to productsupport@sketch.com? See below what we’ll need.
Assuming you’re replacing the links of a document of one Library with another (correct me if I’m wrong), we would need:
- The URL (or local copy) of the old Library.
- The URL (or local copy) of the new Library.
- The URL (or local copy) of the document you want to replace the Library linked.
If you’re having this issue with several Libraries, there’s no need to send them all; just the samples I described above, provided these are not working for you.
If these documents are part of your workspace, you’ll need to activate Support Access, as we can’t see your documents by default. Alternatively, local copies of these documents can do the job just fine, just attach them to your email (or share them through a Cloud service link if these are large ones).
Hope we can get to the bottom of this issue!
HI Abstract is now sunseting so this is where i am finding difficulty as the replace tools are referencing library items from closed merges. I have contacted CS
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I’m taking a look at the email you sent, thanks!
Happy to jump on a call if required as well @JorgeF
hey James, I’ve sent you an email with my findings, including a video. It all seems related on how Abstract generates new versions of the Libraries, tying the components to each one. Let me know if my troubleshooting helps and I’ll post an explanation on how to solve it here. Hope it helps!
Hi @JorgeF thanks for sending over your thoughts. I have shared them below incase anyone else is facing the abstract issue that i’m facing.
Abstract is sunsetting on Jan 31st so I need to get all files out before then otherwise its read only.
I’ve spent some time investigating this issue, and I think I figured it out.
I’ve uploaded a video with the steps you’ll have to follow. Allow me to explain my findings.
It looks like the components in this document (Auction alternative) point to the exact version of the Library that was the Main branch when you added each component. Therefore, the Library Replacement tool is showing old Libraries that are no longer the final ones, and therefore is showing them as Unavailable. The reason is simple: our tool is looking for specific internal document IDs within the components. Turns out, Abstract does not generate different IDs for the same Library across branches, since it just makes copies of the same. That way, it shows a different, older Library version than the expected one.
The way to go is a bit tedious, I have to admit: you have to use the tool repeatedly until all the components are replaced. Each time you do it, a different version of the same Library will appear under the ‘Unavailable’ section. I obviously don’t know which old Libraries or new targets will be targeted each time, so you’ll have to be precise about which new Libraries will be targeted every round.
Abstract is a very complex tool, and the migration will require some fine-tuning, for sure.
@james.dellar did it help in the end? Hope so!
It did help thanks - Wow what a long road ahead to transition files over. Ideally Abstract offer a compression that would flatten a library instead of being used 1000000 times.
I have however found a way of…
- selecting an element in the design
- seeing the name of the library
- Copy the name of the symbol (As still using names referenced in the library)
- Filter by name and instance type
- Select all
- Replace libary for selection from the nav.
This seems to be the quickest at the minute but you’re right type and colour styles would be a hastle.
Could someone at sketch reach out to abstract and. get a document out or something that could help clear up how they would hande it. Lots of customers that need to transition and will be coming across the same issues.
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