THE OUTPUT DIRECTORY

The Output Directory is also referred to as the "destination folder".

This setting will be used for all files generated by archive creation and extraction.  The setting remains in place until you change it.

(Application packers work with files "in place"; for them, the Output button is disabled.)

On the main window, click OUTPUT button.

    OUTPUT DIRECTORY CHOICES

   Assign a folder

Places all generated files in the folder you specify. 

   Type or paste a path, or browse to select a folder.

   ATA accepts absolute or relative paths

   If the folder does not exist, ATA will attempt to create it when the procedure runs.
If the folder cannot be created (possibly due to a nonexistent or non-writable drive letter), ATA alerts you that the process will abort.

   .\archives    This is a directory example in a new installation of ATA, illustrating a relative path.  If you accept this example without editing, ATA creates a new Archives subfolder inside the application folder, and places generated files there.

   Use the directory of each file loaded  (default)

Places the generated files in the same folder(s) as the source files.

   Use Relative Paths for portable drives so Output Directory settings will continue to work if the drive letter changes.
Manually edit the address field to configure a relative path.

   For simple "drive-letter portability", you can delete the Drive Letter and colon.  A backslash at the start of the path represents the root directory.  This kind of path will work as long as the folder structure doesn't change.

K:\Reports\July  becomes    \Reports\July

   For true relative paths, use the "dot alias" to represent directory levels, relative to the ArcThemALL!.exe folder.  If the folder structure changes (for example, putting the contents of this drive into a sub-folder on a different drive), this type of path will continue to work. 
(For a brief explanation, see Microsoft MSDN Library.)

ArcThemALL! exe path:

K:\_PDQ\_Omega\Tools\_ATA\ArcThemALL!.exe

Destination folder:

K:\_PDQ\_Omega\Projects\Manifesto\Graphics

Destination folder, configured as relative path:

           ..\..\Projects\Manifesto\Graphics

   You might like to try one of these tools that calculate relative paths:

Onesimus Prime's ReplaceAbsolutePath

Crownixx's  GetRelativePath

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