Hello everybody (anybody),
I am having trouble opening a Layout file that I have been working on for quite sometime - same goes for its auto backup and a copy made on its last opening day Jan 14th. Those files crash each time I try to open. I have read a lot of the articles here and tried some of the tricks - renaming to a .zip file and trying to take out some of the last ping images that I had added - but to no avail. When I open it as a .zip it seems to separate the drawing into a .zip and the remainder of elements (pings, sketchup source drawings etc) into a folder - I can get into that folder and eliminate some of the later pings that I put in but then I cannot marry the .zip back to that folder and change it back to a .Layout. And of course that may not even be the problem. I have the file on DropBox but am not seeing where I can link it here on this page - the file is to large to upload.
I would sooo appreciate a little help with this problem - I’m convinced that it is not that big of a problem because this file and all the rest of my drawings always work so well - I just did something screwy on the 14th. Please tell me how I go about sharing this file. I will search around and see if I can find it as well.
Thank you so much
Sherry
If you upload the file here, or to DropBox and share the link, @colin might be able to work some magic on it.
Who do I share the link with Dave - now I’m really feeling like a dummy.
Upload it here directly by sharing the link in a reply or send it in a DM to @colin. I’d be willing to take a look at it but I don’t have the magic wand that Colin has so I probably won’t have any luck opening it either.
The file is to big to share here - that’s what it tells me when I try. I tried to paste @colin’s link in my dropbox to share but it tells me that one of the email address’s I dropped are invalid.
Get the link to the file from Drop Box and paste it here.
Ok I did it! lol Almost had a heart attack from the stress of figuring it out but I got it.
Thank you so much for helping!!!
Are you still using SketchUp/LayOut 2020 as indicated in your profile?
Yes I am - it is the subscription version.
But you haven’t updated to 2021?
I was able to open your LO file in 2021
There are a number of embedded references that have no path which implies to me that you’ve been copying and pasting between some other application and LayOut.Here is the References list.
I did purge unused references and shortened the list some but still a bunch of embedded ones. I suspect they are the troublesome things.
I also notice some issues with SketchUp files that might be causing problems. For example in the SketchUp file called B & E G Aug 6th… Incorrect tag usage.
and lots of unused stuff to purge. About 25% file size reduction. The other .skp files could use similar treatment.
Hopefully Colin has some more ideas.
Thank you for taking the time to look at this Dave. It appears that you were able to get the file open is that correct? I see the files that are missing references - that indeed need to be linked because they are being used in the drawing - and last used were showing up on the drawing. However I had a blackout in my area the night before (with the computer on and the drawing open) and when I went to work on the drawing found some things were missing in the drawing so I began to take them off of previous versions of the drawing and paste them into current version of the drawing - however after doing this to a couple of detail I found if I double clicked on the area where the drawing was previously located the previous drawing came back. It all sounds nutty but then shortly after that (and I can’t remember the reason) I had to shut down the computer and when I went to open the file that is when I was not able to open. No idea if the blackout - inappropriate method of shutting down - had anything to do with the files losing their reference or not. That is the long and short of where this problem seemed to begin.
And no I haven’t updated to the 2021 version simply because I actually thought that when you were on subscription that it updated on it’s own. If I update would that make it possible to open my file and the go clean it up?
Ok - downloading the 2021 version now.
It sounds like sort of a “perfect storm” of problems.
One of the problems with pasting from somewhere else is that Copy creates a temporary file which is used as the reference and at some point such as a power failure, shut down, or a system clean, that temporary file will be deleted. It’s always best to use FIle>Insert to add files from some non-temporary file location so you always have a reference to fall back on. Currently LayOut automatically embeds pasted files but that is a fairly new thing. Even so, it’s a good idea to have the references outside of the LayOut file.
Were you able to open your file in LO2021?
Hello Dave. Your an angel!! It’s like I have been knocked out of a stupor. Yes I did download the 2021 version - however that would not open because my Mac IOs version was so out of date. So I have spent all my time since our last conversation updating all my devices, relinking them etc etc. Sometimes we get so busy with everything in life we have a tendency to lose discipline - and I can see that I’ve been distracted for quite a while - things have been a bit complicated in this world these day haven’t they?? So yes it was a perfect storm - I did get the file open and I have gone through it and see the files that need to be linked again. I will insert them into the drawings rather than the copy and paste method. I actually have gotten much more diligent about inserting because I have seen items disappearing from older drawing that I no longer am actively using but that I go back to use for reference or for details in the plans. I rarely purge the drawings because I have never been confident that what will be purged isn’t something that I need in the drawings - apparently Sketchup knows! I know its time to hit the books again and get my workflow discipline in shape. The more I use Sketchup the more I am amazed by the program, how much more I need to learn and organize, and Sketchup’s capabilities!! and am even more amazed that I was actually able to create models and working drawing with the little knowledge that I had a half dozen years ago - scary huh! Each set gets better but I’m sure you going through my file you were dumbfounded by my lack of organization and workflow - but hey I’m trying!!
Thanks again so so much for your help and jolting me out of my stupor. I will start spending more time here trying to pick up some of the tricks of the trade and get my s^%$t together.
Thank you Thank you Thank you
I’m glad you were able to open the file finally and are starting to get it reworked.
If a component or material or style is being used in the model space it won’t be purged but if it’s been deleted, Purge Unused will get rid of them. Of course you should go through the model and make sure you don’t need those things but then you should get rid of them. If you aren’t using them they aren’t helping you out.
I think this is a huge thing and not just for Sketchup and LayOut. Developing the discipline is the key.
Getting better is working in the right direction. And at least you’re trying. I wasn’t dumbfounded because I see this all too often. It’s really cool that SketchUp is easy enough that users can get stuck in early on without needing a long training course but like anything, there are things you can do and things you should do and they aren’t always the same.
Good luck and don’t be a stranger around here.