A warning may appear when opening a project that indicates this file was saved in a newer version of Simio at some point. Depending on your version of Simio and the state of the file, this warning may appear with the title “File was opened with warnings”, “File was saved in a newer version of Simio”, or “Caution: This model has been stained!”.
► Simio Version Compatibility
► Troubleshooting Steps
► Stained Model Behavior
Important: Simio is a backwards compatible software.
Models made in older Simio versions are expected to work in newer Simio versions without issue. In other words, the newer Simio versions understand files made by the older (backward) Simio versions.
Note: When bringing a model forward into newer version of Simio, we recommend following the best practices outline in “How to Move to a Newer Version of Simio” article.
Important: Simio is NOT forwards compatible.
Models made in newer Simio versions are not guaranteed to work in older Simio. In other words, the older Simio versions can NOT understand the files made by newer (forward) Simio versions. This is mainly due to new features being added into Simio that older Simio code is not equipped to handle.
Important: Bringing a new model into an older Simio version could corrupt the model file and is highly not recommended.
If your file is corrupt, please see the article “Troubleshooting a Corrupt Simio File”.
- We strongly recommend finding the version of this project file before the file was brought back to an older version of Simio. Use the Object Save Log to view the history of when this model was saved.
- To open the Object Save Log, right-click on any object in the Navigation pane, located in the upper right side of Simio.
- The Object Save Log creates a new entry when either the version number or edition of Simio has changed when saving. Version numbers can increase without problems as objects are brought into new versions of Simio.
- The version number should never decrease. If you find an entry where the version number has decreased from the versions before, this is where the project has been stained. Note the entry prior to this save and try to find this file. You want the project file prior to opening and saving in the older version of Simio.
- If you are unable to find an unstained version of this file and plan to proceed with this version, please verify your model results. Moving to an older version of Simio could have caused compatibility issues with new features and might have caused unseen changes with your model. This might include properties becoming blank or process logic changing.
Unfortunately, once a project is stained, it will remain stained. We recommend incorporating some practices into your workflow to mitigate this from occurring in the future. We suggest saving off different file versions as you work on your project. Consider saving off a copy of your project files prior to moving to a newer version of Simio or prior to sharing the file with a collaborator. If you are working with other collaborators on a project, ensure you are using the same version of Simio.
Good to know: In Simio version 16.258 and newer, a message will appear when a model is brought into a newer version of Simio. This is to ensure a user has not accidentally opened a newer version of Simio and brought a project into this newer version. Note the version listed in the message and confirm you intended to bring this model into the newer version of Simio as once it is saved, this file should not be brought back to the previous version.
When a model is opened in a version of Simio that is older than the last version it was saved in, the project will open with a warning. If the model is saved in this older version of Simio, the project file and everything in it becomes stained.
Note: A stained model will open with a warning and have different save functionality.
In 15.243, a property was added to the project that allows the Warning functionality to be toggled off for stained models. The Suppress Warning About Opening Newer File property can be found by right-clicking the Project folder in the Navigation pane in the upper right corner of Simio and selecting “Project Properties” in the dropdown. This property only controls the Warning that appears when opening the file. The stained model saving functionality will remain the same.
If using Simio version 16.258 or newer, when you open a model in a version of Simio older than the model was saved in, the Warning will indicate the version of Simio the model has last been saved in. To continue work on this model, you must match this version noted or use a newer version of Simio. You should not use this older Simio.
In 16.258 or newer, you will no longer be able to stain any models. When a model made in a newer version of Simio is opened, all save functionality has been disabled. Since you cannot save the model, a stained version of the file cannot be created. You will still be able to navigate around the model and run the model if able, but you cannot save.
If a model has already been stained prior and is opened in 16.248 or newer, the old behavior for stained files remains the same. A version of the file can be saved by using the ‘Save As’ option.