Hi Michael,

He's b-a-c-k.

The next chapter; please read the entire post.

After the last post, I had to deal with some lingering thoughts (yours and mine) regarding hardware and software.
1. Computer crashed:
MOI is the only app to crash (only twice to date and likely my fault).

2. Hard drive might be failing:
This computer is 18 months old.
Disk Utility>Repair Disk and the extended system analysis booted from the installation disk found no issues.

Software precautionary measures.
1. Operating system:
10.6.4 reinstalled using disks original to the computer.
OS upgraded to 10.6.8 using combo file downloaded from Apple Computer support.

2. MOI app:
MoI v3 beta Jul-20-2012 was removed and the computer scoured for older versions. No older MOI apps on the computer.
MoI v3 beta Jul-20-2012 was again downloaded today from the MOI site and installed.

After doing all that, did MOI open the problem files?

No, they could not be opened on this computer (10.6.8) These same files were posted on this thread (post #1) and found to be openable on your computer.

So, I did a test using the issues computer (10.6.8) and another computer (OS 10.7):
1. On 10.6.8, a desktop folder containing files not openable on 10.6.8 was created.
2. The 10.6.8 test folder was moved (unmodified) on to the 10.7 desktop.
3. On 10.7, MOI opened all items.

On 10.7, two new MOI3D items (.3dm), one created on 10.7 and one created on 10.6.8 and the file saved to 10.7, were added to the desktop folder (originally from 10.6.8) on 10.7.

On 10.6.8, only the two new items were imported from the 10.7 desktop folder directly into the 10.6.8 desktop folder created earlier, as noted above.

HARD TO BELIEVE:
10.6.8 MOI opened the two new items (.3dm) in the desktop folder normally. Again, the original 10.6.8 file could not be opened on 10.6.8. Saving the file to 10.7 seems to have altered the file allowing it to be opened on 10.6.8.

STILL HARDER TO BELIEVE:
10.6.8 desktop folder contains files that originally could not be opened on 10.6.8 and, as noted, the two new items imported from 10.7.

Now, the original items in the 10.6.8 desktop folder OPENED NORMALLY. Why?

The identical items on 10.6.8 located several layers down in the directory DO NOT OPEN.

Did 10.7 repair the 10.6.8 files?

Finally, some probably think the solution is to upgrade to 10.7. If it were possible, I would, however, several costly apps have to be upgraded to work with 10.7. Upgrading is not financially possible.

Leonard

Hi Leonard, well that is pretty mysterious stuff...

Maybe there's some bug in MoI relating to the names of the directories that you happen to be opening the files from, do any of the directory names happen to have accented or non-English characters of any sort in them?

Do you get any different results in you place the files in a directory with a very simple and plain name?

Also in your previous message from a while ago the screenshots you were showing very clearly showed a dialog from an older beta release - are you still getting that same expiration message pop up again now?

I'm referring to this previous message here:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=5275.33

The screenshots you showed were these:





Are you still seeing this same thing now as well? Because if you are it means that the old beta is still on your system somewhere and it's still what is being launched.

Or are you no longer seeing these pop ups that you previously reported?

What happens exactly when it does not work, are any messages displayed or just nothing happens or what?

- Michael

Hi Michael,

>Maybe there's some bug in MoI relating to the names of the directories that you happen
>to be opening the files from, do any of the directory names happen to have accented
>or non-English characters of any sort in them?

YES!!!!! An asterisk preceding the name of a file in the directory stack! That is what caused it. The files open normally now.

This is something I have done for many, 15+ years, to keep a file at the top of the directory and no other app has ever been sensitive to that labeling. It should be noted that the mac will stop naming attempts that use unacceptable characters as will some apps.

Now I know. An expensive "Now I know".

I think we can close out this thread...

Thanks for your help and my apologies if I put you through the wringer.

Leonard

Hi Leonard, well I'm really glad that solves the mystery!

For the next v3 beta I'll see if I can fix that up or at the very least pop up a message saying that a file path with a * in it will not work properly when you try to use one.

In Windows the * character is not allowed for file names, because of the history of using a * for a "wild card" pattern in command line operations (like saying: del ab* means delete any files starting with the text "ab" and anything allowed after that), and the Windows OS itself handles prohibiting it in the system UI.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Yes, that seems to have solved it and MOI has been at work since (see pic). I found MOI does not like my using ">" in lieu of "to", e.g., "From ai>MOI". No more characters other than english. Lesson learned.

The pop up message will be helpful for us jockeys.

Leonard

Hi Leonard, yup it looks like the following characters are illegal in Windows:    " * : < > ? \ / |

So for the moment anyway avoid using those in any part of a file name and then you should be ok.

- Michael

Hi Leonard, ok so I've been able to fix things up so that files with any of these characters:   " * <> ? |   which were not working in file names before should work ok in the next beta.

Sorry it took so long to pinpoint what the problem was!

- Michael

Hi Michael, I didn't think you would take that route, i.e., to make those characters workable. You do good work.

My takeaway: its helped my problem-solving skills. In the case of this and the last problem, they were right under my nose!

Kudos to you for coming back each time with questions; that led straight to the central issue in both cases.

Cheers.

Leonard