Wish: WIP should automatically save rh7 as backup

Serengeti (Rhino 8 BETA)
1

from the latest newsletter:

  • The Rhino 8 file format could change. To be safe, Save As Rhino 7 often.

my Wish:
The WIP version should have an option to always save rh8wip and rh7.
For example those two files should always be saved in parallel, at the same location:
NiceBottel_01.3dm (rh8wip)
NiceBottel_01rh7.3dm (rh7)(and of course the rh7 is a save small version)
:+1: :-1:
??

4 Likes
2

Yeah, maybe prompt to save as V7 for the first time you save a file with a checkbox to remember the setting. Leaving it unchecked, you can decide when you also want to save a backup so it doesn’t take up too much disk space.

3

@Tom_P, can you not make a button for it (or set up an alias)? In V7, I frequently needed to dump something back to V5 to work on:

-Save Version=5 Browse

image

4

If you want to save 2 copies at once, you’ll have to specify the file name twice:

-Save Version=6 Browse
-Save Version=5 SaveSmall=Yes Browse
5

yes thanks.
a macro is a workarround.

but still does not name the file and chooses the correct folder automatically.
this could be achieved with a script i know.
I might code and post one later …

6

The more I think about this…maybe @brian could chime and clarify what would happen if the format changes? I understand the need for flexibility to alter the file format, but saving as V7 means we lose any V8 functionality (i.e. RH-65165) and saving as V8 means we could end up with orphaned files that can’t be opened once that WIP build expires.

  • What kind of advanced warning will there be before a format change?
  • If the current file format is deprecated, could McNeel preserve the deprecated import code as an “Import_3dmV8Alpha” plugin on the forum so users could rescue files from the old format?
7

I’m not sure why that warning was put in the newsletter. In my opinion, it added unnecessary panic in this thread.

The reality is that Rhino 8 file formats do change, and we ALWAYS make sure Rhino 8 can read it. Saving as Rhino 7 is an excellent way to lose data.

From my perspective, please disregard this warning in the newsletter. I think it’s 100% incorrect.

1 Like