Expert: Kevin Stohlmeyer - 6/25/2008

Question
QUESTION: We are having a problem with a particular file corrupting. It is a fairly complex file (about 22 megs) that at seemingly random times, upon saving, opens with this error:

Can't open the illustration. The illustration ended unexpectedly.

Offendiong operator: ""
Context:

U
0 0 Xd
6 () XW
%u
%u

The file will open, but a large chunk of it is gone. It can be opened as a pdf, and everything is there, but most everything has been converted to a clipping mask. Is there any way to either prevent the corruption, or convert the clipping masks back to normal elements? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!


ANSWER: Hi Anthony,

I need to know your operating system, what version of IL you are using, total RAM and available RAM with this file.

Thanks

Kevin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well, here's the deal: the same thing is happening to three of us, but only on this one particular file. We're all running CS2 v12.0.1, but we each have a different level of RAM. One of us has 4Gb, one has 2Gb, and I have 1Gb. All of us are experiencing the same problem. I don't know what our available RAM is, but we are running Windows XP.

I suspect it's a single element that is causing this. The reason I say that is I have split the drawing into three pieces. It's an aircraft cockpit, and I separated it into the overhead, the instrument panel, and the pedestal. So long as I'm not working on the overhead, the error doesn't happen. Does that help?

Answer
Hi Anthony,

Well I checked last night on your offending commands and congrats you've found a new one according to Adobe.

You are heading down the right path and are doing exactly what I would recommend. I would keep breaking apart the drawing until you find the offending component. It could be a symbol or text dingbat if you are using that, or a compound path with some error. I would continue taking apart the overhead and try to find the piece.

Sorry I couldn't help more.

Thanks

Kevin