Publisher File Export Issue

[EPriuli]

Hi Guys, 

I was finishing a datasheet to export it, luckily the file has been saved properly, but I'm facing issues to export the file and it's returning a strange error, it looks like the file got corrupted in any way. 
Any clue if is there any way to save it again and export the file, i have tried in many ways, changing the file name, changing the saving location, opening in Designer and saving, but not luck at all exporting it. 

Many thanks in advance. 

[Catshill]

Could be as simple as having opened an earlier copy of the same pdf? It happens to me all the time.

[Oufti]

@EPriuli: Welcome on these forums.  

It could be that you have not allowed Affinity to write in that Downloads folder.

Have a look in your system settings Security & Privacy, as explained here:

Or there (for Big Sur and above):

 

[EPriuli]

Hi Oufti.

Thank you for the suggestion, actually I have all three programs allowed to save in internal and external disk, I've been using in this way for more than 3 years, I believe it's a kind of file corruption.  

[Lee_T]

Hi EPriulu, 

Does this occur in the release version for you?

Lee

[EPriuli]

15 hours ago, Catshill said:

Could be as simple as having opened an earlier copy of the same pdf? It happens to me all the time.

Yep, you're right I have already faced the same issue, but this time I have changed names, opened in Designer, saved in another location, it's a really weird issue, I have no idea how to solve it this time. 

Thanks any way Catshill! 😉👍🏼

[EPriuli]

Just now, Lee_T said:

Hi EPriulu, 

Does this occur in the release version for you?

Lee

No @Lee_T in the Beta version. 

1 minute ago, Lee_T said:

Hi EPriulu, 

Does this occur in the release version for you?

Lee

 

[EPriuli]

here is the version @Lee_T

[Lee_T]

Ok, thanks, issues for the beta belong in the Beta section of the forum 

i'll move this post.

Lee

[EPriuli]

1 minute ago, Lee_T said:

Ok, thanks, issues for the beta belong in the Beta section of the forum 

i'll move this post.

Lee

Ok, Thank you, Im gonna check this in that forum! 

[EPriuli]

@Lee_T the file open normally, Im able to edit, but I'm not able to export it in any of the available formats.  

[EPriuli]

1 minute ago, EPriuli said:

@Lee_T the file open normally, Im able to edit, but I'm not able to export it in any of the available formats.  

Any clue how to solve it? Many thanks in advance! 

[EPriuli]

Asking to export the screen freeze in this way, "Generating Preview" and "Estimated File Size: Calculating... (25%)" 

[Jon P]

Hi @EPriuli,

Are you able to upload the document for us to investigate? Does this error only happen in the current beta and not retail version?

Thanks

[EPriuli]

44 minutes ago, Jon P said:

Hi @EPriuli,

Are you able to upload the document for us to investigate? Does this error only happen in the current beta and not retail version?

Thanks

Sure Jon, Im attaching it on here. I'm not using the Retail Version anymore after adopt the Beta program. 

IPT.006.01.23.DDS-AERO_EN.afpub

[Pauls]

If i remove the afphoto files it exports for me - can we get a copy of the afphoto file used i this document please.

[Hangman]

Hi @EPriuli,

I very much suspect Page 2 in your document (or the document itself) may have an element of corruption as there are a number of odd things happening but the issue appears to relate directly to the layer position of the bar code on Page 2.

If you hide all the images and then show them one by one Page 2 will preview and export up until you show the main DDS Aero Aerosol image, top left of the page but even after completely resaving and replacing all the images the problem still exists when the images are all shown together...

If however, you move the barcode layer so it appears above the DDS Aero Aerosol image then Page 2 and the entire document will both preview and export.

Barcode Layer on Page 2 Moved Above the DDS Aero Aerosol Image Layer

 

Something else to be aware of which I assume is not intentional, is that all the text on the left of Page 2 is outlined.

[EPriuli]

On 11/9/2023 at 10:33 PM, Catshill said:

Could be as simple as having opened an earlier copy of the same pdf? It happens to me all the time.

 

20 hours ago, Hangman said:

Hi @EPriuli,

I very much suspect Page 2 in your document (or the document itself) may have an element of corruption as there are a number of odd things happening but the issue appears to relate directly to the layer position of the bar code on Page 2.

If you hide all the images and then show them one by one Page 2 will preview and export up until you show the main DDS Aero Aerosol image, top left of the page but even after completely resaving and replacing all the images the problem still exists when the images are all shown together...

If however, you move the barcode layer so it appears above the DDS Aero Aerosol image then Page 2 and the entire document will both preview and export.

Barcode Layer on Page 2 Moved Above the DDS Aero Aerosol Image Layer

 

Something else to be aware of which I assume is not intentional, is that all the text on the left of Page 2 is outlined.

On 11/10/2023 at 2:34 PM, Lee_T said:

Hi EPriulu, 

Does this occur in the release version for you?

Lee

Hi @Hangman thanks a lot for your help, I got it solved! 😉🙌🏼 Just curious to know, how did you get this insight, not using Preflight, right? 
Do you still need the Photo files to investigate or can we close the topic? Let me know. 

[Hangman]

10 minutes ago, EPriuli said:

Hi @Hangman thanks a lot for your help, I got it solved! 😉🙌🏼 Just curious to know, how did you get this insight, not using Preflight, right? 
Do you still need the Photo files to investigate or can we close the topic? Let me know. 

All the photos were embedded in your document so I copied them into Affinity Photo, mirroring their size, dpi and colour space and then resaved them using the same file formats and then replaced the original images on Page 2 and then turned every layer off on Page 2, turning them back on one by one to find which layer was preventing Page 2 from both previewing and exporting.

I also recreated the two missing (linked) SVG files Bacteria.svg and Virus.svg and embedded them so I could rule those out as possible causes.

That's when things got a little weird because individually none of the original or replaced photo layers were causing an issue it was only when both DDS Aero Aerosol image layer was combined with the Barcode layer, i.e., both layers were visible in the layers panel that the preview and export failed.

First I replaced the Barcode layer by copying it from one of the other pages where it exported without issue and I just so happened to paste it at the top of the layer stack. I then turned off the original Barcode Layer and all of a sudden Page 2 both previewed and exported. After a bit of experimentation, I came to the conclusion that a combination of those two layers appeared to be causing the problem so I moved the Barcode layer in your original file so it appeared just above the DDS Aero Aerosol image layer and all still exports, but as soon as you move the Barcode layer below the DDS Aero Aerosol image layer it fails to preview or export.

I still have absolutely no idea why though, it makes little sense but the initial goal was to find a workaround for you.

@Pauls may still want a copy of the original image files so he can take a more in-depth look. I'm sure he will confirm if that is the case...

[Pauls]

I'd still like the original afphoto as removing that fixed the export for me. Although it could be some other sort of corruption and there's potentially a load of fixes

[EPriuli]

Hi @Hangman and @Pauls here is the file, I found just the DDS Aero (dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto) as afphoto embed in the original .afpub file.
The afphoto file is attached, let me know if I still can help in any way. 

As a good practice, is better don't use .afphoto or afdesign files embed direct into .afpub projects? Would be better convert it into a Webp, Jpeg or Svg before embed? 

Thank you guys amazing support! 

 

dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto

[Pauls]

I don't think there's a definite better way to be honest unless the file is becoming HUGE then you may look to optimise that way

[Hangman]

Hi @EPriuli,

Thanks for the file...

Opening your Affinity Photo File, resaving it and replacing it in your Publisher document still exhibits the same issue when the barcode layer sits below the .afphoto layer on Page 2.

The issue is definitely being caused by the barcode on Page 2. If you unnest the rounded rectangle from the barcode and position the rounded rectangle layer beneath the barcode layer or simply turn the rounded rectangle layer off, even when it appears below the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer, then Page 2 previews exports without issue.

When the rounded rectangle layer is nested as a mask layer Page 2 will no longer preview or export.

Creating a new rounded rectangle, deleting the original and then nesting the new one as a layer mask to the barcode causes the same preview and export issue but what is odd is that:

• This only happens on Page two and only when the barcode sits below the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer
• The barcodes on the other four pages which are identical don't exhibit the issue
• Moving the barcode layer beneath the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer on Page 1 results in a delayed preview vs when the barcode layer sits above the .afphoto layer but it does still preview, it just takes longer than when the barcode sits above the .afphoto layer

[EPriuli]

9 minutes ago, Hangman said:

Hi @EPriuli,

Thanks for the file...

Opening your Affinity Photo File, resaving it and replacing it in your Publisher document still exhibits the same issue when the barcode layer sits below the .afphoto layer on Page 2.

The issue is definitely being caused by the barcode on Page 2. If you unnest the rounded rectangle from the barcode and position the rounded rectangle layer beneath the barcode layer or simply turn the rounded rectangle layer off, even when it appears below the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer, then Page 2 previews exports without issue.

When the rounded rectangle layer is nested Page 2 will no longer preview or export.

@Hangman thanks for the clarification, actually I just delete the barcode from page 2, copy the same barcode from page 4 and it works great I got export the file normally. 
Many thanks for the spotlight to solve this weird issue, i appreciated so much your help! ❤️

I wish you a pleasant week ahead. 

Cheers,
Eduardo. 

[Hangman]

5 minutes ago, EPriuli said:

actually I just delete the barcode from page 2, copy the same barcode from page 4 and it works great I got export the file normally. 

Though in doing so where was the barcode layer positioned in relation to the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer was it above or below that layer?

Are you able to export your barcode as an SVG file rather than a bitmap file and replace it? I suspect that will 'fix' the issue, whatever the issue actually is.

I'm hoping @Pauls will be able to pinpoint the exact cause and confirm whether this is a potential bug or file corruption of some sort.