can't open my .fla file and it keeps saying "an error occurred trying to open blah blah blah.fla"

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

adobe animate cant open my .fla file and i dont know why ive tried turning it to a rar, fixing it and turning it back into .fla but nothings working! ive realy wanted to make this cartoon for months now, and now i cant please help!

(ps this isn't the first time this happened i tried to make an animation and the same thing happened 4 times!)

cheers - edward

[kglad]

1. start saving your fla's with an increasing version number appended so this stops happening to you.

2. if your fla is corrupted and repairing with winrar failed, there's not much else to do unless you have a working swf and a swf decompiler.

3. you could upload your fla and post a link to see if someone will download and check it for you.

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

yeah i dont know how to do any of those, can you please tell me how to?

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

and if you need the file ill show it

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

if i know how to send it to you

[kglad]

upload to a file sharing site like cc or dropbox, wetransfer, google drive, one drive etc.

to save with increasing version number appended, for project1.fla save as project1_v000, project1_v001, project1_v002 etc..  

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oHfZeH3JM5x6aVY-gOszba6K-e87ZswJ/view?usp=sharing

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

i didnt know you could do that but what if all of the files get corrupted at once?

[kglad]

then you have some major computer problem eg, a virus.

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

and how do you make copies do you just copy the file and then paste it then rename it to "project1.fla_v001" or is there a specific button i press i dont know how to do my computer.

(pause on that)

[kglad · Accepted solution]

click file file>save as.

once you understand you can use a jsfl file to automate the process.  i made and use:

var doc = fl.getDocumentDOM();
var uri = fl.getDocumentDOM().pathURI

if(!uri){
alert('SAVE YOUR FILE. \n\nAn initial file save is needed to establish your save directory and file name that will be used to append version numbers.');
} else {
var a = uri.split('_v');
if(a[a.length-1] && a[a.length-1].length==7 && a[a.length-1].substr(-4)=='.fla'){
// subsequent save
var version = findNextVersionNumberF(a[a.length-1]);
var prefix = a[0];
for(var i=1;i<a.length-1;i++){
prefix = prefix+'_v'+a[i];
}
var bool = fl.saveDocument(doc,prefix+'_v'+version+'.fla');
} else {
// first save
a = uri.split('.');
a[a.length-2] = a[a.length-2]+'_v000';
bool = fl.saveDocument(doc,a.join('.'));
}
if(!bool){
alert('SAVE ERROR.\n\nSave manually (eg, file>save as...)');
}
}

function findNextVersionNumberF(s){
var version = Number(s.split('.')[0]);
return formatF(version+1);
}
function formatF(n){
var s = String(n);
while(s.length<3){
s = '0'+s;
}
return s;
}

with win 10, this file goes in

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Animate <year>\en_US\Configuration\Commands\

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

i am so confused  where is file

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

oh wait your talking abuot adobe animate

which in that case ill be animating this the third time and i dont even know if it actually going to work if it doesnt... ill just cry and cry and hate myself for wasting hours and hours of my life for nothing, which i always do but this time i will be sentimental about it

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

ok but if this doesnt work is there another way?

[kglad]

i edited my message about automating the save process to automatically append increasing version numbers.  re-read that message.

my typical workflow is to save my fla (with a save as and assign a title, eg project1_v000) > edit the publish settings to publish project1 and then resave.  from then on i use a shortcut to my Save_As jsfl which is in the  Commands menu:

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

yeah it when i look at my command bar it stops at import motion xml, btw is this a good time to mention that i got adobe animate for free? like i dont think illegally because the youtube vids still up but for like free.

[kglad]

there's no legal animate version other than adobe's 1 or 2 week trial (requiring cc info) that automatically rolls into a paid subscription.

[EdwardDraws22477960twkv]

oh shoot, guess im a criminal