# The attribute dictionaries of layers lost, when I import a skp file

**URL:** <https://forums.sketchup.com/t/the-attribute-dictionaries-of-layers-lost-when-i-import-a-skp-file/206909>\
**Category:** Ruby API\
**Tags:** sketchup\
**Created:** [August 31, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/the-attribute-dictionaries-of-layers-lost-when-i-import-a-skp-file/206909 "2022-08-31T01:38:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![javalitterboy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/javalitterboy/32/170896_2.png) [@javalitterboy](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/javalitterboy)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/the-attribute-dictionaries-of-layers-lost-when-i-import-a-skp-file/206909/1 "2022-08-31T01:38:48Z")

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When I import a skp file, the attribute dictionaries of layers in the skp file.

```ruby
layer = Sketchup.active_model.layers.add 'test_layer'
layer.set_attribute 'Test', 'attr', 'is_me'
Sketchup.active_model.entities.to_a[0].layer = layer
puts "layer attr : #{layer.get_attribute('Test', 'attr')}"

file_path = 'test.skp'
Sketchup.active_model.save(file_path)
Sketchup.file_new

Sketchup.active_model.definitions.load file_path
layer = Sketchup.active_model.layers['test_layer']
puts "layer attr : #{layer.get_attribute('Test', 'attr')}"

# output
# layer attr : is_me
# layer attr : 

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DanRathbun](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/danrathbun/32/500_2.png) [@DanRathbun](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DanRathbun)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 6:40am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/the-attribute-dictionaries-of-layers-lost-when-i-import-a-skp-file/206909/2 "2022-08-31T06:40:44Z")

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This might be by design since you loaded the saved model as a component instead of importing it.

What happens when you use [`Model#import`](https://ruby.sketchup.com/Sketchup/Model.html#import-instance_method) ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![javalitterboy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/javalitterboy/32/170896_2.png) [@javalitterboy](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/javalitterboy)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:12am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/the-attribute-dictionaries-of-layers-lost-when-i-import-a-skp-file/206909/3 "2022-09-06T03:12:37Z")

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> [@DanRathbun](#):
>
> What happens when you use [`Model#import`](https://ruby.sketchup.com/Sketchup/Model.html#import-instance_method)?

Same.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DanRathbun](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/danrathbun/32/500_2.png) [@DanRathbun](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DanRathbun)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/the-attribute-dictionaries-of-layers-lost-when-i-import-a-skp-file/206909/4 "2022-09-06T15:17:16Z")

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Okay, well then open an issue in the API tracker at GitHub.