Cannot open GS project-FILE SIZE!!

JagonApps

Ok, so I have been working on this puzzle game for a while now and it is almost ready to go, with all the correct images etc.
I have 40 levels currently, and will have 100 by the end - all taking up one scene.
The project has got slower and slower to pen and operate, and now eventually after adding in 20 more scenes, it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO OPEN. It took about 10 minutes to open after opening the gamesalad main menu (which was quick to open) then when I tried to open a scene- nothing. I would just show the loading symbol for ever.
I have a mid-2011 low end mac mini, with upgraded RAM to the max (8GB). When using GS, I have no other programs open, and my RAM is still being fully used.

Please help with how I can open up my project again!

Cheers

SnapFireStudios

@JagonApps - No problem, let me know what you think of my offer.
- Thomas

Socks

Have you been saving copies of the project as you work on it or have you done all your work in just the one project file ?

JagonApps

Oh, saving copies, like 7 of them - but I may have just been using the same file just saving the copies but not using them

tatiang

Try this:

Make a copy of your project — just in case something goes wrong.
Right-Click the project file in the Mac OS Desktop
Select “Show Package Contents”
Locate the .gsuser file
Rename that file to something else… like broken.gsuser
Try opening the file again.

You might also need to delete the .gsuser file if renaming it doesn't help.

Socks

Oh, saving copies, like 7 of them - but I may have just been using the same file just saving the copies but not using them

I'm not 100% sure quite what that all means, have you saved copies of your project as you progress ? If you have you might be able to go back one stage and work from there.

JagonApps

@tatiang thanks for the reply, I tried that and when i renamed it there was no difference, and when i deleted it, it would not even try and open
@Socks sorry, yes I have saved, about 13 versions, but this slowness has been happening progressively, and I know with a 80mb-100mb game with GS it is not surprising to be slow, but surely not this slow?

JagonApps

@Socks, actually even tho it has been getting slower, it is only in the last version where it has been getting crazy slow, as I have been adding levels going from 40mb to 100mb and 4 scenes to 40...but still.....

SnapFireStudios

@JagonApps - This does seem a bit extreme.. Are you completely sure that you're not trying to open the file on a Windows '95?
- Thomas

JagonApps

@SnapFireStudios, Hhaha, nope, 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM...its not amazing specs, but it should do????

beefy_clyro

How big is that gsuser file?

JagonApps

@beefy-clyro 44.9mb, the whole project according to Finder is 99.3mb (about 15 more mb than GS thinks it is)

beefy_clyro

44.9mb!!! Thats huge and will be why it takes so long to open! Thats the 2nd one i've seen in the last couple of weeks that is really big! My whole last project .gsuser file was 2.9mb and my current project, not far off finishing is just under 1mb.
I'm not sure what bloats that. Out of interest, how many attributes do you have for game attributes? Do you use lots of self attributes?

SnapFireStudios

Also, have ou used any external modifiers, like the DBA products?
- Thomas

JagonApps

@beefy_clyro Ah ok, well I have 260 game attributes, most of those storing best time attributes but not actually being used yet,
and as it is a puzzle game with 25 identical boxes per level, with 100 levels (but just 60 so far) each with 12 self.attributes...
@SnapFireStudios Yes, I have used DBA's GS Project Merger about twice on the project, but only to implement a couple simple templates.

Cheers

beefy_clyro

260 game attributes .. May of been better doing that in a table!

I have no idea what bloats that .gsuser file, when opened it just contains lots of attribute data. I've never gotten any of mine that high! I do know that file, the bigger it is, the longer it takes to load up. You should be able to delete it and open it quickly (it will recreate a new file when you save next). If yours wont open at that point, I dont know im afraid.

SnapFireStudios

@JagonApps - Even though the game is huge and with lots of attributes, it still sounds like something has gone wrong and it has jumped to being even slower recently.

If you'd like to PM me the file, i'll try to open it, and maybe have more success.. just pulling at straws now..
- Thomas

JagonApps

@beefy_clyro Yere, my coding wasn't the most efficient, thanks anyways I did try it again and I did get it to load, but no quicker than the other way, although it did change the file size to 40mb or something!

@SnapFireStudios Ok, I think I will do that, thank you!

cheers to both of you for your help!

JagonApps

@SnapFireStudios Thank you very much for all your help, I'll try what you recommended! Which for anyone interested was trying to condense the scene levels onto one scene.
@beefy_clyro Thank you also for your help again, I will try your method again in the future I am sure!

Cheers

Max