LayOut crashing when opening certain files

[colin]

LayOut 2020.2 has a new issue that we are aware of and working on fixing, where it fails to cope with a document that is missing some of the linked elements in the document, and that leads to a crash. Previous versions were able to cope ok, which means that you may have been working on documents that had missing linked files without knowing about it.

The problem is being worked on, and should be fixed in an upcoming update to LayOut. For the moment the only solution is to open the document in an older version of LayOut. If the document is a 2019 or earlier one, and you still have LayOut 2019 installed, work on the document in that version. If you still have the installer for SketchUp 2020.1, your options are different on Mac and Windows:

On Mac you can go into Applications and rename the SketchUp 2020 folder, to SketchUp 2020.2 for example. That will allow you to work in 2020.2 on any other documents that don’t cause LayOut to crash. Then, run the SketchUp 2020.1 installer, which will create a fresh SketchUp 2020 folder in Applications. Use the copy of LayOut in that new folder when working on documents that show the issue.

On Windows there can only be one version of SketchUp 2020. To reinstall SketchUp 2020.1.1, first use the Add & Remove Programs control panel to uninstall the existing SketchUp 2020.2 version, then run the SketchUp 2020.1.1 installer.

In both cases your extensions, custom materials, components, and templates, will still be there.

If you don’t still have the 2020.1 Mac installer, or 2020.1.1 Windows installer, you can download them from these links:

Mac 2020.1: https://bit.ly/sumac20_1

Windows 2020.1.1: https://bit.ly/suwin20_1_1

[MichaelSiggers]

Hi @colin

This is useful information. Thank you.

What would be an example of a Missing Linked element? Could that be a link to a Sketchup Model for example?

Only a query so that I’m aware of what to look for if I get any issues.

Kind regards

Mike

[colin]

LayOut files are funny things. They are a zip file, inside of which are some XML files, and a lot of document files. Of those some are entirely just embedded. Like when you paste an image from the clipboard, or copy and paste some geometry from a SketchUp model.

Other files, basically anything that was inserted, is also included in the package, but, it has an external original file. If you were to move files around the place the embedded one would make the page look correct, but in the references list it would show the original file as being missing. If you really lost the original SKP, you could extract the embedded one, and relink it again, to get back the lost file.

I think (but am guessing) that 2020.2 does something when opening the LayOut file, to check the state of the original external file, and when it is missing it causes the crash. Earlier versions of LayOut didn’t crash in that situation, they just showed the embedded version and listed the file as missing in the references list.

[ilbertsan]

When can we estimate a fix for this issue ?? Days, weeks or months ??

I mean, I have a big project produced in v2019 that I can not open and and edit. And I have a lot of current projects that i work on in 2020.2

If this is a quick fix and a release is eta soon, I dont want to reinstall a previous version of sketchup due to all current projects…

Best regards

Johnny

[colin]

The links to the previous version that I gave are still 2020, all of your files will open ok.

I can’t tell you the date for the next update.

[isnyder]

Nothing like starting Friday the 13th off with a file that shuts down LayOut immediately… I thought my only option was to spend another day recreating the file! It’s definitely frustrating when you can’t even open the automatic backup file!

But I am grateful to have fount this post, it did the job! Thank you @colin!!

[colin]

Happy that it worked, and sorry that it was needed!