[Issue] Pixelmator Pro + AutoDesk SketchBook File Extension Conflict

Is something not working like it should? Let us know.
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2022-04-12 12:01:18

SketchBook supports Autodesk Pixlr files, which use the same extension — .pxd — as Pixelmator Pro files. This causes macOS to be unable to recognize Pixelmator Pro’s PXD files as Pixelmator Pro files when these are in binary, rather than package format. If you try to open Pixelmator Pro files on a device that has the Autodesk SketchBook app installed, or has some of its internal files left over, you’ll see the “Autodesk SketchBook App Detected” alert.

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Since SketchBook is no longer supported by Autodesk, we assume that most users have moved their workflows to other apps and would be fine removing SketchBook, if it fixes these compatibility issues. If you still use SketchBook and would prefer to keep it around, instead of saving Pixelmator Pro files in binary format, we’ll use the package format. However, the package format isn’t natively supported by many cloud storage providers, in which case Pixelmator Pro files are interpreted to be folders. Package files do, however, work perfectly with iCloud.

In short, there are some compatibility issues with the SketchBook app and Pixelmator Pro files — you can remove the app and these should be cleared up, or keep the app, and we’ll save Pixelmator Pro files in package format.

If, after you remove Autodesk SketchBook from your Mac, you still have issues opening files in Pixelmator Pro, feel free to reach out to our support team at support@pixelmator.com.
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2022-04-18 17:58:19

FYI - I had to reboot twice. I also ran CleanMyMac and forced maintenance scripts.
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2022-04-22 14:49:08

by nohl 2022-04-18 14:58:19 FYI - I had to reboot twice. I also ran CleanMyMac and forced maintenance scripts.
A reboot of the machine is definitely a recommended thing to do. It may not be necessary in all cases but could be worth giving a shot if issues persist after deleting SketchBook. Good point, nohl. :pray:
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2022-06-15 00:47:39

I have no intention of deleting SketchBook, it's a great app.
You say "If you still use SketchBook and would prefer to keep it around, instead of saving Pixelmator Pro files in binary format, we’ll use the package format. "
And how do I do that ? Could you explain ?
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2022-06-15 12:04:20

Hi Jean-Luc, as I mentioned to you over email, if you click Keep SketchBook in the dialog that pops up to warn you about this extension conflict, Pixelmator Pro will automatically switch to saving PXD files in package format. You can also disable binary PXD file saving manually by running this command flag in Terminal (make sure you Quit Pixelmator Pro before doing this and restart your Mac afterwards):
defaults write com.pixelmatorteam.pixelmator.x preferredBinaryNativeDocumentType -bool false
In case you need to turn it back on, you can do so by running the same flag with "true" instead of "false" at the end.

Switching Pixelmator Pro to use package format instead of binary will let you open newly created project files without a problem. However, PXD files you created before making the switch would need to be converted from binary format to package format before you're able to open them. Here's how you can repackage a binary PXD file:

1. On your Mac, locate the PXD file in Finder.
​2. Control-click the file, choose Rename, and change the file extension from .pxd to .zip.
3. If an alert pops up saying that you're about to change the file extension, choose "Use .zip".
4. Double-click the resulting .zip file to extract it.
5. If the extraction result is a folder, rename it and add the extension ".pxd"
The resulting PXD file should now be openable in Pixelmator Pro without any issues.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions!
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2022-06-18 22:48:35

I started having this issue suddenly a week ago. I don't have Sketchbook, never did. All of a sudden PMP is saving files as pixlr instead of pxd and cannot reopen them. When I open old PMP files I cannot edit them or duplicate and get the following error.

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2022-06-20 11:52:35

Hi almico, have you used any other Autodesk apps on your Mac besides Sketchbook? Since macOS knows to refer to the .pxd file type as an Autodesk Pixlr file, that means there should be an Autodesk app, or leftover files from one, on your computer.

You can also try the steps I outlined in my previous reply to fix this without having to delete any apps you'd prefer to keep, if you're okay with losing some compatibility with third-party cloud services for your PXD files.
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2022-06-20 12:23:23

I can't find anything. The only this I can think of is that I save my PMP files to iCloud. iCloud is synced with my phone. I had AutoCAD installed on my phone. I have since deleted AutoCAD but no improvement. I even resynced iCloud but nothing.

The really weird thing is I have installed nothing new on my MAC or phone in months. This issue only started a week ago.

I ran the script in terminal and am now saving files where I can use them. Can't figure out how to recover old files though.
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2022-06-21 08:52:29

"AutoCAD" has what to do with that extension conflict? It´s about Autodesk´s Sketchbook.app. Or does AutoCAD use the same file extension?
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2022-07-06 16:00:16

For anyone searching a solution, here's what worked for me:

1. Restart Mac in "Safe Mode"
2. Open Pixelmator Pro, then open any image
3. Restart Mac in normal mode

Voilà! It works!

Wrote about it here in more depth including instructions on Safe Mode
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2022-07-30 08:35:33

thanks
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2022-09-23 08:51:18

Quick heads-up for those who have Sketchbook installed and used the Terminal flag method detailed above - in the new Pixelmator Pro 3.0 templates browser, you'll likely be experiencing errors opening any templates other than the blank Default one, as they are essentially all binary PXD files. We are working on a solution for this as we speak. For those affected, drop us a line at support@pixelmator.com and we'll share a build with the fix as soon as one is available.

Edit: As of Pixelmator Pro 3.0.1, this file extension conflict has been fixed.