Lifespan of Layout Files

[tack]

When re visiting a layout file created in 2017, using Sketchup/Layout 2017, opened in Layout version 21.1.278. I found several imported PDF’s failed to open, leaving broken references and voided windows in the document. Embedded Sketchup viewports are fine, as are Layout elements.

When replacing the imported files, Layout was slow to respond, unstable and crashed often. Tools functioned in lurching uncontrollable movements with long pauses between erratic jumps. Updating this file was slow, frustrating and wasted hours.

This makes me wonder how ephemeral the work we are creating in Sketchup/Layout is. On another project I am currently using 93 year old diazo blueprints to confirm as built conditions. Layout files for this project have not survived in useable condition for the start of construction.

Is something amiss, or is this progress?

[JimD]

@tack

This makes me wonder how ephemeral the work we are creating in Sketchup/Layout is. On another project I am currently using 93 year old diazo blueprints to confirm as built conditions.

For the near term:

This might be useful info in troubleshooting some of the recent issues that are reported in Layout 2021.

I’d be curious to see if the same thing happens in every version of 2021 they’ve released… and for that matter… what are results if you take this back by one year and try opening your 2017 file in SU 2020.

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For the long term:

This topic has come up before…

How to preserve Sketchup creations & keep them viewable indefinitely?

I have hundreds of Sketchup creations from over the years, and have decided to move them to a long-term data archive. I’d like them to all be viewable even 50+ years from now, and long after that. I understand that compatibility between different Sketchup versions is… dare I say… sketchy. So what would be the best way to preserve these files for as long as possible? At the bare minimum, I’d like them to be viewable. They are mostly 2 dimensional layouts. Even better - I’d like to be able to s…

General considerations in preserving data - with SketchUp/Layout Specific questions for discussion

Continuing the discussion from How to preserve Sketchup creations & keep them viewable indefinitely?: I started this as a reply to the above linked thread, but as I wrote, I went off on a few tangents (stream of consciousness - that’s how my mind works!), so I thought it better to start a new thread. I’m also not happy about the title I’ve given, so suggestions - especially shorter ones - are welcome! This caused me to do a bit of research. Long ago (at least 10 years) I’d heard that WORM (Wr…

[DaveR]

@tack

I found several imported PDF’s failed to open, leaving broken references and voided windows in the document.

Did you copy and paste the PDF’s into LO? In older versions of LayOut, copying from some other application and pasting into LayOut created a reference to a temporary file that will be lost when the operating system deletes it. The way to avoid that was to manually select the reference in References and unlink it so it becomes embedded.

I don’t remember if the change was with 2020 or 2021 but now when you copy and paste the reference is automatically embedded.

Probably the best practice anyway is to not copy and paste but instead always use FIle>Insert and insert content that is kept in a non-temporary folder linked to the project.

[tack]

Good to know that, thanks