Opening a file chrashes Publisher 2.0.3

[Roman_R]

Well this is strange, I have been working on a project. A book with chapters. So, each chapter is a seperate file. Today I tried to open a file with one of the chapters, which was fine last week. While opening the file chrashes the Publisher. I tried with a different chapter, same thing happens. Files (that are relatively small 2,4 MB) wouldn't open and they chrash Publisher. The book file behaves the same. I am in little of a panic here. The situation that is different from last week, when everything worked fine is, that I have modified a linked .afpub document with several artboards. This .afpub document is a linked resource in all the chapters that now crash Publisher. However, the latest chapter, which was opened, while I had been modified the linked resource, is fine. I have already put a lot of work to this project, so I hope there is a way to recover my files.
Kind regards, Roman
MacBook Pro 13" M1, Ventura 13.0.1

[carl123]

25 minutes ago, Roman_R said:

This .afpub document is a linked resource in all the chapters that now crash Publisher.

You can try renaming the linked file or the folder it is in (so it is not found) then open the files/chapters again

[Roman_R]

A huge Thank you! That has solved it. Have some work to relink it, but far less than recreate it.

[carl123]

Don't forget to do backups, not all files are recoverable

[dkasai]

This seems to be a general problem with the new version 2.0.3: Affinity Publisher crashes if you change a linked document (I tested it with linked afdesign-documents). Before the new version, it used to work quite smoothly: I could place as many child-documents (Affinity Designer/Photo) within my parent-document (Publisher) as I wish, and changing these original documents would automatically trigger updates in the embedding Publisher-document.

Now I have to rename the linked document every time I update it (otherwise Publisher would crash), then open the parent document again, and place the child document again (renewing the links in the Ressource manager leads to crashing, too.).

This breaks my whole workflow, which relied heavily on linking (for reducing file size), as described here: https://affinity.help/publisher/en-US.lproj/index.html?page=pages/Media/embeddingVsLinking.html?title=Embedding vs linking 

It seems to be a version-related problem with the Resource manager. A solution for this problem would highly be appreciated.

[dkasai]

The same problem is reported here: 

I posted over there, and have included two test files that show the problem. 

[Roman_R]

So, it is a linked document issue, the funny part is (at least in may case), that if parent file is opened while modifying and saving the linked document, everything works fine.

[dkasai]

Same for me - when keeping the parent file open, it works fine.

[stokerg]

Hi @Roman_R,

Do you happen to have the original files that where crashing?  If so, could you upload them to our Dropbox here and i'll see if i can replicate the crash with your files.

@dkasaiI downloaded your files from your other post and i don't get a crash at all.  Are you still able to replicate the crash?  If so, could you attach the full crash report from Publisher?

[Roman_R]

Hello @stokerg, I have uploaded the files. Due to legal circumstances, I haven't uploaded the fonts.
Kind regards.

[dkasai]

Hi @stokerg,
Publisher still crashes, when I open the "test-linking.afpub" file.
I have included the Crash-Report from my Macbook.

Best regards!

CrashReport-Mac-Publisher.rtf

[stokerg]

4 hours ago, Roman_R said:

Hello @stokerg, I have uploaded the files. Due to legal circumstances, I haven't uploaded the fonts.

Thanks  

Can you let me know the exact workflow that causes a crash?  I've been able to open the files you uploaded without issue.  I even modified the .afdesign file and it updated fine in Publisher.

2 minutes ago, dkasai said:

I have included the Crash-Report from my Macbook.

 

Thank you.  Can you also let me know your exact workflow that causes the crash, as so far i still can't get your files to crash Publisher  

[dkasai]

In this case, I just downloaded the test files and double-clicked on the "test-linking-afpub"-file -> then Publisher loads, but doesn't finish opening the file, but instead crashes.

Originally, I created the test files by

• creating a Publisher and a Designer file
• then embedding the Designer file within the Publisher file (File > Place)
• then changing something within the Designer file (while Publisher is closed)
• after that, Publisher crashed when opening the afpub file 

[stokerg]

7 minutes ago, dkasai said:

• creating a Publisher and a Designer file
• then embedding the Designer file within the Publisher file (File > Place)
• then changing something within the Designer file (while Publisher is closed)
• after that, Publisher crashed when opening the afpub file 

Thanks, i still don't get a crash with your files or when following the same steps and creating my own files.  So there must be something i'm missing.  As you can replicate it, would you mind making a screen recording of the issue and posting it here?  To record your screen on Mac, see here.  This will help ensure i'm trying to replicate it correctly and also allow me to the show the QA team that there is an issue, even tho i can't replicate it.

[dkasai]

Hi @stokerg,
I attached a video showing how I download the test files, and then Publisher crashing when I open the afpub file.

Unfortunately (or luckily), I can't replicate the error by repeating the original creation process. When I now do the same as described above (creating two files, changing, and opening in Publisher) the program doesn't crash anymore.

But there's a new error: Publisher doesn't reflect the changes I made in the afdesign file. So when opening the afpub file (with the embedded afdesign file), I don't see the changes, that I made in the afdesign file - although the option "Automatically update linked resources when modified externally" is turned on).
Shall I attach a video of this process?

[Roman_R]

Hello @stokerg,
I have described the workflow in my original post. The parent file I uploaded is one chapter of a Book I am working on. The two linked .affpub files are created in Designers's Persona within the Publisher. (I adore the StudioLink, btw) So, I updated the linked file by adding some Artboards in Designer's Persona and saved the child file. The chapters (.affpub files) of the book that I had open on update, had updated imediately, without issues. Then I tried to open the other chapters (with the same child file) which were closed, when updating the child file. This action caused the crash. I double-clicked them in Finder and tried File>Open, same result. So, the advice I got, here on the Forum, to break the connection between the parent and the child file was the right one. However, I tried to replicate the chrash today with copies oh the files (just in case, the Book isn't finished, yet), and everything worked fine, no chrashes, no issues. The difference is that I have copies of the files in the same folder, in the initial file structre the child files were in sub folder. Maybe, I sould go and try that.

[Roman_R]

Oh, the difference is also, that now I have latest MacOs 13.1, while the issue was under 13.0.1.