# How can I check version of SketchUp file? **URL:** \ **Category:** SketchUp\ **Tags:** sketchup, version\ **Created:** [February 21, 2017, 4:45am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607 "2017-02-21T04:45:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dein](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/dein/32/28943_2.png) [@Dein](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Dein)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:45am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/1 "2017-02-21T04:45:18Z")
In my office, most of people use sketchup8, but I have only sketchup pro2017. Every time I need to save my work downgraded as version8 so others can also use it. But sometimes I forget which file is version 8 or pro 2017. **Is there any other way to find out which what version sketchup file is,** **without open the file and just save it as version 8 again?** I could see the warning message that was like ‘Your version : sketchup pro2017 File version : sketchup8 If you save this work with the current version, you won’t be able to open it in previous version.’ but I checked ‘Do not show this message again’ by mistake. I would be grateful If you let me to know **how to check version of sketchup file or** **how to show the warning message again**. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![ViggoPaulman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/viggopaulman/32/261002_2.png) [@ViggoPaulman](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ViggoPaulman)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 10:10am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/2 "2017-02-21T10:10:30Z")
> [@Dein](#): > > I checked ‘Do not show this message again’ by mistake. > [@Dein](#): > > How to show the warning message again? I scoured the settings. Indeed there doesn’t seem to be a setting to bring back the popup warning? Can someone else confirm this? And regarding determining the version of the file without opening it, I don’t think there’s any alternative. It’s just like other 3D programs. Unless you open it, you can’t say which version it was drawn in. ---
**Author:** ![SketchUp3D\_de](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/sketchup3d_de/32/167_2.png) [@SketchUp3D\_de](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/SketchUp3D_de)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 10:40am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/3 "2017-02-21T10:40:07Z")
> [@Dein](#): > > how to check version of sketchup file you can check the file version by opening with a [text editor](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/) in the file header. > [@Dein](#): > > how to show the warning message again. try if enabling “Window \> Preferences \> General \> Automatically Check Models for Problems” brings the warning message back. ---
**Author:** ![ViggoPaulman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/viggopaulman/32/261002_2.png) [@ViggoPaulman](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ViggoPaulman)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 10:57am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/4 "2017-02-21T10:57:51Z")
> [@sketch3d\_de](#): > > you can check the file version by opening with a text editor at the beginning of the second line. Nice! I don’t know why but I found this funny and amusing. 😃 As if everything we do, is actually Chinese conspiracy, not SketchUp. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/a/9/a913a9478391c3f61b533f90b6f5d738a2eb1db1.png) ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbitdesigncompany](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/whiterabbitdesigncompany/32/84739_2.png) [@whiterabbitdesigncompany](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/whiterabbitdesigncompany)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2017, 2:41am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/5 "2017-02-22T02:41:41Z")
I sometimes have this situation, I know it’s not what you want but my method for this is that I will usually save the file and add su8 in the file name. “modelxyz su8.skp” vs “modelxyz su17.skp”. This way I can save both versions and know which is which in the browser. ---
**Author:** ![SketchUp3D\_de](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/sketchup3d_de/32/167_2.png) [@SketchUp3D\_de](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/SketchUp3D_de)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2017, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/6 "2017-02-22T10:23:05Z")
> [@whiterabbitdesigncompany](#): > > …save the file and add su8 in the file name. which requires an explicit “Save as…” whereas a simple save command (“Ctrl+S”) saves to the file format of the used version. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbitdesigncompany](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/whiterabbitdesigncompany/32/84739_2.png) [@whiterabbitdesigncompany](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/whiterabbitdesigncompany)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/7 "2017-02-22T20:09:01Z")
My understanding was that the original post’s situation was that the models were to be **shared** with others who do not have the same SU version as they are using (SU 2017) and are sharing with others who are using older versions (SU8 etc.) To save the models that are being generated in SU 2017 so that the legacy users of SU8 can use them they would have to use the **“save as”** command to save in a chosen legacy format. (say SU 8 for example). If they were to simply “save” …it would save to the SU version being used, but the file needs to be usable in legacy formats too so that they are usable for the rest of the team running older software. The issue was that having saved in both formats, (SU 2017 version and a SU8 version) how do you tell which is which version if they have the same file name as there is no indication (until you attempt to open the file) which SU version it is, (or have to open the file in a text editor.) I was suggesting that the inclusion of the SU version in the file name when saving was a possible solution so that the saved file version is more easily identifiable in a file browser in a shared environment avoiding those other steps to figure it out. It’s been my solution when working in a group environment (dropbox/shared drive) to label files this way so those with different SU versions can more easily identify which file is compatible with their software. It’s easy to set up a keyboard shortcut for “save as” too (eg: alt+s). ---
**Author:** ![SketchUp3D\_de](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/sketchup3d_de/32/167_2.png) [@SketchUp3D\_de](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/SketchUp3D_de)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2017, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/8 "2017-02-23T10:16:06Z")
if you wanna keep both file format versions saving with an additional extension as e.g. “xyz.8.skp” seems to be obvious but is of course a feasible workaround. The plugin “[Save Copy As Previous Version](http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33441)” might be an alternative way for this procedure too, at least if it runs with recent SU versions. ---
**Author:** ![AAcevedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@AAcevedo](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/AAcevedo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/9 "2020-07-27T17:15:13Z")
My apologies for opening up a topic over 3 years old, but I have a similar issue with accessing a model’s version number for the purposes of downsaving, though I need to access that version number through a script. I can see the data I need in Model Info \> File \> Version, sitting there and mocking me, but I just don’t see a way to access it through the Sketchup API. It’s possible that access come from a more fundamental ruby “File” class, but I can’t find anything in the documentation… #developers ---
**Author:** ![dezmo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/dezmo/32/51058_2.png) [@dezmo](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/dezmo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/10 "2020-07-27T21:03:07Z")
As far as I know there is no method for that in the API… but: [https://extensions.sketchup.com/extension/39811dd4-8f44-4aed-bd20-c83f196c55b1/eneroth-open-newer-version](https://extensions.sketchup.com/extension/39811dd4-8f44-4aed-bd20-c83f196c55b1/eneroth-open-newer-version) She heve a Source code available at GitHub with a trick used to get the saved file version. Check the `open_newer.rb` file. BTW if you are asking it in the right category easier to find devs… 🙂 > **[Ruby API](https://forums.sketchup.com/c/developers/ruby-api/13)** > > Creating Extensions for SketchUp uses the Ruby API. Whether you’re creating plugins, extensions or add-ons (synonyms for the same thing) then you’ll need to know some Ruby. Post here if you’re creating an Extension and have any questions. ---
**Author:** ![AAcevedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@AAcevedo](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/AAcevedo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/11 "2020-07-28T18:13:00Z")
Thanks Dezmo - I’ll check out Eneroth’s source code and see what tricks she’s used (wouldn’t be the first time I’ve borrowed from her 🙂). ---
**Author:** ![slbaumgartner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/slbaumgartner/32/7302_2.png) [@slbaumgartner](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/slbaumgartner)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/12 "2020-07-28T18:51:02Z")
Although the file format is proprietary and undocumented, if you examine a sample with a byte editor you will find that the version is given in plain ASCII near the start of the file. ---
**Author:** ![TIG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/tig/32/198_2.png) [@TIG](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/TIG)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/how-can-i-check-version-of-sketchup-file/39607/13 "2020-07-28T19:11:43Z")
This was debated some years ago at SketchUcation… Here’s a snippet… The `if` test allows for v8 and v17 etc ```ruby skp_path="" ### fill in as needed e.g. "C:/Users/TIG/Desktop/Test.skp" vv=File.open(skp_path,'rb'){|f|f.read}.unpack('m*').pack('m').gsub(/SketchUpModel/,'').to_i.to_s if vv[0].chr=='1' v=vv[0].chr+vv[1].chr else v=vv[0].chr end puts v ```