Problem opening old file with KiCAD 5.1.0

[GyrosGeier]

So I suspect we need an import workaround.

[Seth_h]

Please have a look at the instructions here:

https://kicad.org/help/upgrading/

[marcpic]

Hi,
sorry for my english…
I created the file with 2013-07-07 version and when I open it with 5.1.0 version I get this alert…
the same problem is also present on other projects…
The file I can not upload it because I am a new user… but I shared here: diginterface V3.kicad_pcb

[eelik]

Seth gave the instructions above, read it.

[davidsrsb]

Edited thread title.
There was a bug opening V3 projects, but there was a fix. This needs to be raised as a new bug. KiCad should always be able to import old versions

[Jean_Pierre]

Hello. The solution for this problem is here :

Italian Convert versions older than Ver 4.x

Ciao Ho fatto unsemplice script in perl per convertire dai vecchi formati dei PCB ai nuovi ver 4. …Per non farlo a “mano”. Se ti interessa… Devi scaricarti Perl, per l’SO che ti interessa,(99 su 100 in linux c’e’ gia’) Devi metterre lo script nella cartella di un progetto Kicad, fatti le copie, non vorrei mai farti dei guai, Lo lanci dalla finestra del dos o console. Parti col kicad 4 e dovresti aprire normalmente il PCB. #!/usr/bin/env perl use warnings; use strict; #use diagnostics; …

It’s a Perl script to convert from the old PCB format.

[davidsrsb]

This appears to be a V3 to V5 import, so not applicable

[Rene_Poschl]

The pcb format did not really change from v4 to v5. This means the same process to get a pcb file from version 2013 to version 4 will still work to get the same file to version 5 directly.

[marcpic]

I don’t understand I’m really confused… some projects work regularly, others do not: and they have all been done with the same version of KiCad

[Rene_Poschl]

For some reason someone back then thought it is a good idea to translate layer names inside the file format. I would assume this was tied to the language of kicad itself. Meaning it is not only dependent on the kicad version that was used to create the file but possibly also the language selected for it while creating the file.

[marcpic]

but I had the same problem with V4: I installed V5 thinking to solve…
v3 to v4 the same problem
v3 to v5 the same problem

[Rene_Poschl]

That is what i was meaning with the post you answered to. KiCad 5 and KiCad 4 need the same process to open a v3 project (created in a different language than english).

Did you try the process described by the answer of @Seth_h?

[Jean_Pierre]

For me work, see picture

[davidsrsb]

@Rene_Poschl

For some reason someone back then thought it is a good idea to translate layer names inside the file format.

Did this make problems when a KiCad 3 Polish file was read by a KiCad 3 Spanish PC?
What a bizarre thing to do.

[marcpic]

ok… having the projects in my old PC with the old version of KiCAD : I could set the old KiCAD in English language and save again and solve?

[marcpic]

argghhhhhh more confused! yes it’s ok!

[Rene_Poschl]

The layers had layer numbers back then. Which leaves me to assume that kicad back then did not really use the layer name for anything other than showing it in the layer lists inside of kicad.
I then wonder why the system to transfer such an old file forward relies on the layer name.

[marcpic]

I changed the language and now not even open in the old KiCAD… the same problem…

[Jean_Pierre]

It’s simple, the old version of Kicad
named the technical layers in the local languages (French, Italian, English, etc …) The person who made the script in Perl had a Kicad file made with the Italian version. Which corresponded with your file. So, you are lucky. For other languages, for example in French, you will need to modify the Perl file.

[Rene_Poschl]

Check who you answered. I am not the owner of any such old files