Layout cannot open file

Zilonx · 24 Sept 2009, 09:24

The 30+MB Layout file was saved well, as was the backup file. But booth do not open - Layout 2 or 2.1 just crashes when opening the files. The backup do not render all objects, and the text disappears. Is there a way to retrieve just the texts of the file? Maybe with some kind of editor? This situation is just a nightmare.

Thanks for any help.

Gaieus · 24 Sept 2009, 09:39

Hi Zilonx,

I hope you find some good solution (maybe with the help of the SU Folks here if you can send your file to them...)

However if not, try the following:
Rename your *.layout file to */.zip (as it is actually a compressed just "renamed" folder).

Now if you enter into this zp file, you will see a pages folder inside with xml files. This is pretty much useless unless you can extract the data somehow (a lay person like me couldn't possibly).

But there is another folder called ref where you can find your skp file as well as any other, inserted content and if you are lucky and inserted your text from some external resources (typically one or more RTF files), it/they should be there.

I am sure the SU folks could even do something with the xml data if you are in big trouble.

Zilonx · 24 Sept 2009, 11:51

Hi Gaieus, very thanks for the tip - I was navigating on the file without notice that this is a zip file. So.. the trouble is that I inserted all text by hand on the Layout... (I know what stup* thing I done...) I still cannot find any info about my text on the Xml files.

Any tips anyone?

Very thanks again.

Gaieus · 24 Sept 2009, 11:55

To me, those xml files look extremely coded (that's why I said I couldn't do anything with them).

Zilonx · 24 Sept 2009, 12:50

I think the text isn't there anymore - I searched the Xml files, and found some text, but not the big ones. All the Xml is Ascii, and if there was any text, this must appear some sort. But, nothing's there.

The problem is related with the "hybrid" rendering of the sketches - the quality improvement of the drawing is great, but LO have trouble with this feature.

Sketchup people, where's my text???????

bjanzen · 24 Sept 2009, 13:57

Send the file to Help->Contact Us (file a bug) and attach the file, and I'll fix. Here's how I do it: I usually start by saving different versions, doing a binary tree of eliminating 1/2 the items / layers / pages, etc... to get down to where the trouble lies. Once you have the exact source of the problem, then, as others mentioned, unzip the file, then look at the xml elements, and fix / remove / change.

b

Zilonx · 24 Sept 2009, 15:25

Interesting, but there are no text in the Xml files (including the pageX.xml) - three hours of work simply vanished. If I cannot find the text searching on the Xml files, where is it? Can I send a 30+MB file?

What happened: after about three hours working on the file, an imported image disappeared from screen - I assumed was some memory error (this is a 32 bit app...), and saved/restarted Windows. After that, the file do not open anymore. Interesting too, the autobackup shows it is from three hours back, but I saved the work several times this period.

bjanzen · 24 Sept 2009, 17:34

If it's not in the pageX.xml file, nested inside some rtf tags, then it could be in a shared layer, which would be in document.xml.

If you have a LOT of text to put in, you can insert RTF, just as you can models or images.

b

bjanzen · 24 Sept 2009, 17:59

Zilonx, since that file is huge, just delete the models and images in /ref and zip up the rest and we'll take a look.

b

Gaieus · 25 Sept 2009, 08:09

Thanks Barry for chiming in - I was really hoping that someone more knowledgeable than me will eventually provide more help.

Zilonx · 27 Sept 2009, 06:33

Thanks guys. Some info about this problem:

1- There are no text saved at all, on any of Xml files;
2- The problem isn't only about the text - some imported images disappears too, and the LO shows a red "X" on screen over those objects;
3- If I have some 4 or 5 objects from one or more big sketchup models, and some images and text, the problem occurs when activating the "hybrid" rendering on those objects - then some bitmap images "disappears" from screen - next time to try open the file, and LO shows this message then exit: "Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library - Runtime Error! - Program: (empty) - This application requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. Please contact the application's support team for more information". Even the debug window do not shows up.

The system is a XP64 still Sp2, with several GB of Ram, and LO never uses more that 1.5 GB.