I have an issue: my *.layout file no longer opens. I was working on it yesterday and was able to export it to *.pdf without any problem. Today, I needed to make some modifications, but when I tried to reopen it, I got a message saying that a more recent version of the file had been saved.
I tried opening the more recent version, but it just opened a new blank, untitled file. So, I attempted to open the original file instead of the recent version, but I received the message: *"Unable to open the document .layout."
Iâm using macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, and whatâs strange is that when I preview the document without opening it, the file appears correctly.
There was something wrong in the file. I managed to rebuild it, but there may be missing items, watch out for that.
It appears to be a LayOut 2024 file, you could update your forum profile, anyone trying to help would have used LayOut 2022 first.
The embedded SketchUp model, SCI Choiseul - Version 1.2 et 1.3_268.skp, has problems. As soon as you get this file open in LayOut, go into Document Setup⌠References, and relink the SKP to your latest working SketchUp model.
Hereâs the recovered LayOut file:
I think you are using an older version of SketchUp 2024. You could update to the latest one, or even try SketchUp 2025. You can get those here:
Thank you very much for your feedback. You are absolutely right, I completely forgot to update my profile. Iâll do that right away and take the opportunity to upgrade to the 2025 version of SketchUp and LayOut.
I was able to open the file without any issues and relink it to my most recent SKP model. Nothing seems to be missing, but I will take a closer look.
Thanks again, your help is truly valuable. Wishing you a wonderful day !
Hello, itâs me again. Iâm reaching out because the problem has returned.
After your response, I was able to open the document, link the SketchUp model reference, and for the few days following your reply, I had no issuesâI was able to edit, open, close, export and save my LayOut file without any problem⌠but today, itâs not working anymore.
Iâm experiencing exactly the same issue: either the file wonât open at all, or when I try to retrieve the last saved version, nothing opens.
Six days ago, I switched to the 2025 version. Iâm attaching the LayOut file and the SketchUp reference file.
I donât understand where the problem is coming from. Thanks for your help.
There is something wrong with the SKP inside the LayOut document. The one in there has a name of SCI Choiseul - Version 1.2 et 1.3_268, and the separate SKP you gave is named SCI Choiseul - Version 1.2 et 1.3.skp. Not sure if the _268. was added by you or by LayOut.
Either way, I replaced the bad SKP with the good one, and then saved a new LayOut file:
Thank you very much. Itâs strange, I went to check in ~/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 2025/LayOut/working, and it seems that my different LayOut files for this client are linked to the file âSCI Choiseul Version 1.2 et 1.3_268â. However, this is not a backup that I created myself; itâs something that SketchUp did on its own. What is also strange is that I had properly linked the LayOut file to my SketchUp file âSCI Choiseul Version 1.2 et 1.3â, and yet LayOut later modified this reference.
Iâm encountering the same issue with another document, âAGCT.layoutâ, but not with the others. This document was working perfectly until 3:35 PM, and I donât know why it stopped working since then, as nothing has changed.
Is there something I can do on my own to avoid bothering you again ?
When I reopen the LayOut file you sent, the software asks me if I want to update these references. Maybe a conflict is occurring between two versions of the SKP file, but I donât know how to reset LayOutâs cache.
I have asked the LayOut team if they could make it possible for users to relink bad files, rather than completely fail to open the file.
For those update questions, I think you can let it update them. That will link in the latest version of the files.
There are a few ways to get a SketchUp model into LayOut. I would expect Send to LayOut, or File/Insert, to keep the model name intact. If you ever get the model there by doing a copy in SketchUp and a paste in LayOut, then I can imagine there being a change to the name.
I saw one of your crashes - and youâre grabbing that skp for the LO document from another /Volume? Is that a network volume or one local to your machine? If itâs networked, have you noticed latency?
I havenât experienced any latency, but itâs true that one of the four disks failed and wonât be replaced until next week. So the NAS is currently running on three disks instead of fourâŚ
I donât see a connection between the two, especially since this issue only affects some LayOut files, even though they are all linked to the same SKP file. But maybe youâre right, and thereâs something to investigate in that direction.
Thanks again for your feedback. That would indeed be a good improvement.
As for my workflow, it has always been the same: I save my SKP file, send it to LayOut, and keep the automatic reference update enabled. I duplicate my LayOut pages, right-click on my 3D model, and change the scene. I repeat this process for each page in my LayOut file.
When working simultaneously on LayOut and SKP, I make my modifications in the SKP file, save it, switch back to my LayOut file, right-click, and update the model reference.
