Layout Autosave file location

From time to time things go wrong and it becomes necessary to try and manually locate layout autosave recovery files.

In my case, my computer overheated. I then attempted to save and shut down the computer. After the computer recovered, the file I was working on had reverted to four hours earlier and there was no recovery file. I assume that the recovery file was erased when I attempted to save but layout was unable to actually save the file. I then verified that the auto save function in layout was working (i keep it set to 5 min.)

This is where knowing the location of the recovery file comes in. I am aware that Layout erases the recovery file when you save and exit and that if layout does not display a recovery file then it has been deleted. However, if I could determine the location where layout saves these files, I could use time machine (which backs up my whole machine every hour), to go back and find the file from BEFORE i exited layout and recover it, then when i reopened layout I would find it in the recovery tab.

This would also work in the case of accidentally pressing “don’t save” when you mean to press “save” (which I have also done in the past).

So the question is, does anyone know where Layout saves the temporary autosave recovery files?

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Yes, but it may not help depending on your Time Machine settings.

Take a look at my post (#8) in this thread:

Here’s some more info:

Let me know if that doesn’t answer your questions.

M

Thanks Marc,

With your help I was able to locate where the layout files are unpacked. Unfortunately, you were right. Going back through time machine it appears that time machine does not backup all of the folders when you get that deep into the file tree.

I think that my mistake was trying to save before shutting down the computer. Now that I understand the process better, I will just force quit in the future.

Thanks again,
Adrian M. Harrison

adrian michael harrison
ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION

Address: 28131 CARPENTERIA CT.
LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA 92677
Phone: 949.322.3702
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Web: WWW.AMHarchitecture.com

Hopping on this thread… I did the unthinkable this and worked on an un-named file all morning then when I did that last little tweak and exported it to PDF… :beetle:

Where (on a PC this morning) is the location of the autosave for un-saved files?

I wouldn’t hold my breath that you’ll find an unsaved, unamed file but you could look in your App Data/Local directory.

Screenshot - 11_4_2023 , 3_03_45 PM

If you never saved the file there’s no real reason to expect the file to exist.

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A way to get to the folder Dave showed, is to paste this into the path filed in File Explorer:

%LocalAppData%\SketchUp\SketchUp 2021\LayOut\working

That’s assuming you are still using LayOut 2021.

The untitled auto saved files should also show in the welcome screen. Those are in alphabetical order, and so you may need to scroll down the list to find your untitled document.

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I was going to say that, I’ve had this problem a couple times in the past, I just started working and forgot to save, then a the program crashed but I opened the program again and found it on the welcome screen, I prayed for an hour thanking for this.

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Magic; thanks guys - I found two versions (not in the splash screen) here:

The project is one I’m dragging my feet on… my own spare room/office.

Look at the steps I gave in this post, and see if they work for either of those projects:

That’s exactly what I did to recover them thanks @Colin - for some reason they didn’t show up in the splash screen