Save file, robot version and sadomasochism

[BertelliMarco1095]

Dear Sirs,

As we all know, not big inprovements where applied on robot from 2015 right now.

But every year Autodesk upgrade the saving version.

Just because a lot of users and owner of robot prefer continue using older version, can someone explain why Autodesk continues with this insanic procedure? sure it is a techical matter, maybe we are all sadomachists?

Autocad can save in older version, why robot no? just because we are few users?

I don't and I'cant understand.

Marco

[Artur.Kosakowski · Accepted solution]

Hi @BertelliMarco1095

I understand that you'd like to see more features in the newer version of Robot. I would as well but what you wrote about Robot users being treated unfairly is not true.

For  the technical part: the more object oriented the program is the more difficult it is to keep the backward file compatibility. In Robot V6 which used to save the file in a text file it was easier but still if you'd add the syntax for a new functionality in its new version it would not be correctly read in the old one with the text 'reader' not knowing it yet. The same applies to RSA - if the database format changes to accommodate new features or when it is imposed by new IT tools used e.g. to compile the program internal code then an rtd file format becomes incompatible with the older versions of the program. To have it compatible would mean to 'rebuild' old version with new features or have them lost without being read (part of data missing with no warning) or recompile it (old version of Robot) so that there is no crash while reading 'new' file binary format which just means updating it to a new version (if that would be even possible).

For the unfair treatment due to the number of users; see the same being applicable to e.g. Revit:

Backwards compatibility of Revit with earlier releases of the software

I hope it explains the situation a bit for you. Please keep the future thread titles aligned with the Community ground rules. Thank you.

If I managed to answer your question(s) press the Accept as Solution button please. This will help other users to find solution(s) much faster. Thank you.

[BertelliMarco1095]

thanks for your answer,

I'm very happy that you compare revit with robot, but honestly I think that revit 2015 and revit 2019 are very different. 

.........

M

[Romanich]

Ciao @BertelliMarco1095,

Maybe this little trick will help you to open .rtd file created in Robot 2019 in the previous Robot versions:

In Robot 2015...2018 create a new project using command Geometry > Structure > select *.rtd file type > Insert from file and indicate the .rtd file created in the newest version of the Robot.