ALG File Corruption?

Greetings- I am bumping into an ALG corruption issue. OS: Windows XP x64 SP2 MicroStation XM 08.09.04.88 InRoads 08.09.03.06 We are designing a freeway to freeway TI and have an ALG file that contains our various roadway alignments, as well as alignments representing barrier, roadway widths, and so on. A few weeks ago, a user came to me and asked why the file was saying it was only partially loaded. When I investigated, I went to open the ALG and got a message indicating "Unexpected file reading error, file partially loaded." I have attached a screenshot of the error (partial_error.jpg). The file contained only half the alignments it once did, and was actually quite a bit smaller in filesize too. I got a backup from IT and hoped that was the last I'd seen of it. Hoped, but to no avail. The error came up again today, and I am struggling to restore alignments from previous backup files - I'm thinking the work done today at least is most likely gone. My most current ALG file is attached - partial.alg - and will give the error when loaded. It has only six alignments out of the dozens the file once had. In my attempts to recover data, I was copying files from differently named ALGs to try and construct an ALG that represents as closely as possible my original alignment. I noticed some of the alignment descriptions contained weird (non-letter) characters, stuff I certainly had not typed in. I managed to save a copy of one such ALG containing these descriptions; it is called maybe_corrupt.alg. This file has nearly all of the alignments it is supposed to (it is a backup copy of my work as of Tuesday, 4/6). If one tries to go in and rename some of its alignments, or copy alignments to/from it, it will make for a quick exit out of MicroStation. Is there a good way I might try to repair a corrupt ALG file? Can anyone at Bentley Civil let me know what might be amiss with these files? Any advice is appreciated.
maybe_corrupt.alg
Parents
  • Richard, Piotr-

    Thank you both very much for yuor quick replies!

    So it sounds like some steps I can take to investigate a misbehaving ALG file are:

    -Look for bad geometry names,  geometry descriptions, point names, or styles and delete them if found.

    -You both identifed alignments that looked bad to you.  What jumped out about them for you?  It appears I can use the horizontal element tools to investigate such alignments and delete/recreate odd-looking elements.

    -What other steps might there be?  Was there anything else either of you did?

    Thanks again very much,

    Jeff

Reply
  • Richard, Piotr-

    Thank you both very much for yuor quick replies!

    So it sounds like some steps I can take to investigate a misbehaving ALG file are:

    -Look for bad geometry names,  geometry descriptions, point names, or styles and delete them if found.

    -You both identifed alignments that looked bad to you.  What jumped out about them for you?  It appears I can use the horizontal element tools to investigate such alignments and delete/recreate odd-looking elements.

    -What other steps might there be?  Was there anything else either of you did?

    Thanks again very much,

    Jeff

Children
  • I have seen file corruption when dealing with alpha-numeric text (i.e. point / alignment names, styles, descriptions), but it has been quite along time since I have seen these problems.  Most of the time it would occur in importing textual data and the string length is too long and the software did not handle it correctly!  I am unaware of any issues like this in the latest versions of the software (maybe even as far back as the XM versions)

    But I would do any of the following:

    Display all of the data in an empty design file and fit the view. If you see graphics that are way out of place, then use the tooltips to identify which alignment those graphics below to. The use Review Horizontal Alignment or Check Integrity to determine what might be wrong! (In this case the 0,0 coordinates popped out)

    Create a report and look at the following:

    • Point / alignment names (In this case there was obvious trashy characters)
    • Point / alignment styles (In this case there was obvious trash becasue the stlyes were all the same "new..." except the ones that were bad!)
    • Point / alignment descriptions

    R. W. Bradshaw



  • Jeff,

    I exported your file to LandXML. and checked in notepad++. See attached screen - this is what you and Richard already mentioned - weird characters: ETX (End of Text), EOT (End of Transmission) or BEL (Bell code).

    Regards,

    Piotr

     

  • Looks like Notepad++ in that image.

    After Excel, its the next best tool for InRoads users.


    Charles (Chuck) Rheault
    CADD Manager

    MDOT State Highway Administration

    • MicroStation user since IGDS, InRoads user since TDP.
    • AutoCAD, Land Desktop and Civil 3D, off and on since 1996