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Author Topic: restore after a lumion library crash  (Read 12546 times)

Member52783

    Reputation: 28
restore after a lumion library crash
« on: June 23, 2012, 11:22:36 pm »
June 23, 2012, 11:22:36 pm
hi everybody,
maybe this is useful for somebody with similar problems:

1. had lot of really critical crashes today, lumion could not open my files anymore (lib.mtt = ca. 85 mb)

2. the reason, i think, was reimporting a SU model, but from a file WITH ANOTHER NAME (ALT + RELOAD), which a tried out today for the first time. i had never problems reloading the original file before that. by that, the library files of the reloaded model were corrupted.

3. while trying to save my work, i found out, that the files in SCENES contain all the lumion elements, so it could be loaded without the LIBRARY FILES again. only the imported models were missing, when corrupted and removed from the library folder.

restoring the library files (espessialy "lib.mtt") from a backup folder (manually, thank's god i did it) , the SCENE-file accepted the older, uncorrupted version (the same name) of the library-model-file BUT the colours and textures were lost, only the model itself could be restored.

Colour-Set-Save-Option is really needed !

4. summary:

as far as i can see, it is definitely usefull to save the folders SCENES and LIBRARY from time to time, to keep the "clean" files safe.
i will now write a batch for copyying every changed file in the library folder to a save place...)

in my topic before i already suggested a multiple backup for the library and scene-files to have always 5 latest versions in the folder.

ok, that's it, hopefully nobody needs this info really.....

regards stan

Re: restore after a lumion library crash
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2012, 02:01:59 am »
June 24, 2012, 02:01:59 am
restoring the library files (espessialy "lib.mtt") from a backup folder (manually, thank's god i did it) , the SCENE-file accepted the older, uncorrupted version (the same name) of the library-model-file BUT the colours and textures were lost, only the model itself could be restored.

Sounds like you did, so just checking; did you also restore the lib.txx file?

AFAIK The files contain:
1. .libmesh
2. .lib.innlibrary thumbnail of the object
3. .lib.mttall material-textures
4. .lib.txxmaterials settings such as index/linkage of textures in the mtt file and settings

I've had one model that from time to time looses its materials, still can't pinpoint when/why, but restoring the mtt and txx files has succeeded, so strange that you were unable to get a complete restore.

Nothing like having backups, part of operating any softwares, either backup tools, realtime backup or versioning tools or manually whenever critical operations are just about to be undertaken.  On the forum someone mentioned a few months back a realtime backup tool that might save you writing your own batch method.

One other thing, but occassioanlly the thumbnail .inn file can get corrupted, which if you lost things when re-importing might have happened.  To fix, just delete the .inn file, Lumion will create again next time from a new start of Lumion or you can do manual thumbnails to update the image.



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Member1210

    Reputation: 24
Re: restore after a lumion library crash
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2012, 10:53:42 am »
June 24, 2012, 10:53:42 am
Yes that was me and I am using SyncBack for that reason. It saves the 2 lumion directories on my server several times per day.

Member52783

    Reputation: 28
Re: restore after a lumion library crash
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2012, 11:40:40 am »
June 24, 2012, 11:40:40 am
hi mischa,
is your software capable of saving all files in more "generations", means f.e. 5 versions in rotation?

actually it's a mess, when a corrupted file overwrites the only one existing intact backup.

so thank's for the info anyway, i'll take a look at this prog.

in my case the problems really started first , when i reloaded a file by using ALT+RELOAD and  chose a file with A DIFFERENT NAME for it.

now i reload only the original file at the same folder, always updated from sketchup and things seem to work again.

i also split the wide-range su-file (8 km2 urban area) into the basic landscape and several groups of building, si that i can manage them maybe a bit better.


regards stan

Member52783

    Reputation: 28
Re: restore after a lumion library crash
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2012, 11:50:43 am »
June 24, 2012, 11:50:43 am
hi peterm,
thanx for the infos, it's again like with lots of other software, one has to study, how things are saved and so on, not a dream for me, but necessary.

anyway, one question:


you wrote me, that the materials and colours are saved in "3. .lib.mtt   all material-textures" file.
is it maybe possible to copy such a file and rename it for another object, to get the colour-definitions copied? if it is only a list of definitions?? does anybody know, if these colour-sets could be extracted somehow?

regards stan

Member1210

    Reputation: 24
Re: restore after a lumion library crash
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2012, 12:04:14 pm »
June 24, 2012, 12:04:14 pm
hi mischa,
is your software capable of saving all files in more "generations", means f.e. 5 versions in rotation?

actually it's a mess, when a corrupted file overwrites the only one existing intact backup.


No sorry I don t think so. I use it on several PCs, to sunc them with the server. So several versions wouldn t wok. If you wanna achieve something like that you must look for a backup software. I am sure that there is a freeware which does that.

Re: restore after a lumion library crash
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2012, 12:57:46 pm »
June 24, 2012, 12:57:46 pm
is it maybe possible to copy such a file and rename it for another object, to get the colour-definitions copied? if it is only a list of definitions?? does anybody know, if these colour-sets could be extracted somehow?

Hi Stan

Probably not, Morten and techs would need to answer that (assuming I was right in first place of what I said).  But file is likely object referenced so unique to surfaces/objects and material types and textures used, rather than being some simplified set of values (as may be more the case in the new save material presets to file).  Guessing here so leave it to the experts.

re generational backup: of course the problem with those is when at some later date one finds the backup overwritten with newer corrupted data not otherwise showing itself.  So the only as good as method, is a full verison control system with commits, rollback etc.  Some users here use various SVN's.
IMPORTANT: Please do not send private messages and emails to members of staff - unless we specifically ask you to send us sensitive information, for example License Keys.

Member52783

    Reputation: 28
Re: restore after a lumion library crash
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2012, 01:30:20 pm »
June 24, 2012, 01:30:20 pm
yes, i think of a simple batch, which copies the both folders of lumion, maybe also lumions-ini or something else important,
creating automatically always a new folder  named by date, eventually checking the date/time of files (changed-status),
so that restoring files is simply possible by copying all files back to the system folder (documents/...). this should work, i think.
thanx once again for the replies
stan