I don’t know if this is a common problem, but its happened to me twice. Whenever i try to download certain SketchUp models, i get a strange file with thousands of characters, some of which are different languages, some are english and some are strange boxes. i cant post a screenshot so here is a copy-paste 噃牥楳湯慍ｰ䌉䄀爀挀䌀甀爀瘀攀̀䌊䄀琀琀爀椀戀甀琀攀䌓䄀琀琀爀椀戀甀琀攀䌀漀渀琀愀椀渀攀爀䌏䄀琀琀爀椀戀甀琀攀一愀洀攀搀Ā䌐䈀愀挀欀最爀漀甀渀搀䤀洀愀最攀䌇䌀愀洀攀爀愀Ԁ䌊䌀漀洀瀀漀渀攀渀琀䌒䌀漀洀瀀漀渀攀渀琀䈀攀栀愀瘀椀漀爀Ԁ䌔䌀漀洀 If anyone could help that would be great.
Never mind. I can just download them from the in-built 3d warehouse i was trying to do it from the web.
The SketchUp model files that you want to download are binary files (not text). They have no valid interpretation as text that makes sense.
If the browser thinks it is a text file, or the server tells that is a text file (wrong “MIME type”), it will try to interprete and display it as text, taking characters from any character set that match the bits in the binary file.
This could be a temporary problem on the server that happens only randomly or resolves itself. It may also help clearing the browser cache or trying a different browser (and check that the browser is up-to-date).
What models are you seeing this with? Can you share the URL?