Changes don't save after export

[OrtoDogge]

The issue occured after a couple of weeks of using. When exporting .col or .dff format the changes simply don't save. You can import the file back and it will be unchanged. If you export in any other format or save the file as .blend, it saves the changes normally.

[Psycrow101]

Please describe step by step how to reproduce the problem. What version of Blender are you using? What changes are you making?

[OrtoDogge]

Thanks. I used version 3.6.9 on Windows 7 and Windows 10 and version 4.1 on Windows 10. Bug occured in all cases.

I edited the DFF and COL files for Vice City. In the beginning everything worked perfectly, but after a couple of days changes stopped saving. The issue concerns all changes: moving vertexes, merging vertexes, dissolving edges, any change, even the smallest one.

It happens regularly after I change a model for long enough time. I don't use key frames and modifiers, I only drag vertexes manually, so I have no idea why it happens. Also, I can save file as .blend or export as any other format except for .dff or .col, that's how I knew that the issue is with the plugin.

Nothing else to add, unfortunately, the bug is really out of nowhere.

[Psycrow101]

Can you provide the .blend project file?

[OrtoDogge]

Sure, here it is! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fNd8IOiBfoIhMGvmomhDaRJ6z_tUaJam/view?usp=sharing

I dissolved some edges in the right back corner of the building. The progress is saved in the .blend file. But when I export it as .col file edges appear again.

If for some reason you won't get the glitch the first time, please kindly try again just to make sure. Because on very rare occasions files are exported as they are supposed to.

Thanks again for helping, I appreciate it very much!

[whoozle]

As a part of investigation I've added the following bit to the exporter (to update exported object with the result of triangulation) and those extra edges appeared right after export.

         bmesh.ops.triangulate(bm, faces=bm.faces[:])
 
+        if bm.is_wrapped:
+            bmesh.update_edit_mesh(mesh)
+        else:
+            bm.to_mesh(mesh)
+            mesh.update()
+

However, triangulating it from blender menu or adding triangulate modifier to the mesh properties doesn't have the same effect :confused:

[whoozle]

Ah, sorry, found the angle you can see them after triangular modifier was set And It's definitely a product of triangulation, you can't select or edit them because it's generated via modifier.

There's quite large polygon behind the front wall

Delete this vertex to see it

I reckon it was triangulated along the long edge like this and it's unlikely a problem with exporter itself, but I'm no expert sorry, we need second opinion :smile:

[OrtoDogge]

Thanks, but the issue occurs with any sort of editing, not necessarily after dissolving edges. You can drag vertexes, delete faces etc. the changes still don't save, unfortunately. :(

[Psycrow101]

I can't reproduce this issue. Are there any messages in the console? Have you tried exporting in another version of Blender?

[OrtoDogge]

Sorry to hear that. Yes, I tried on multiple versions, including 4.1. No, there are no messages, everything goes exactly as it's supposed to, but when I import the model back it has no recent changes. I even formatted my computer and installed a new Windows, issue is still present. I have no idea what it could be.

Another detail I noticed: the issue doesn't occur immediately. I need to work on a model for some time before the issue appears. But after it appears, it doesn't go away. This model will always be bugged, even if I start new project and import it there. So weird.