Files and Drawings
Files and Drawings
The .gs drawing file
GoSurvey's native format. A .gs file is a single UTF-8 text file containing one JSON object —
no binary wrapper, no compression, no encryption. Saved files are pretty-printed.
One .gs file holds a complete workspace:
- CAD geometry — lines, polylines, circles, arcs, ellipses, hatches, meshes
- Annotations — text, MTEXT, dimensions
- The layer table with colours, linetypes, lineweights, and transparency
- The survey point database, including raw descriptions and label styles
- Point groups and surfaces
- Paper layouts, their page setups, and their viewports
- Text styles, plot scale, and insertion units
- PDF underlay references
Because it is plain JSON, a .gs file is diffable and greppable, which is useful when something
goes wrong.
Drawing tabs
Multiple drawings are open at once as tabs above the viewport (Drawing 1, Drawing 2, +).
Each tab is a completely independent document. Geometry, layers, survey points, paper layouts, plot scale, and undo history are all per-tab. Switching tabs switches all of it.
Tabs can be hidden with Settings → Display → Display File Tabs.
New, Open, Save
| Action | How | Behaviour |
|---|---|---|
| New | File → New | Opens an empty drawing in a new tab, named Drawing N |
| Open | File → Open | Opens a .gs in a new tab, named after the file. Does not replace what you are working on |
| Save | Ctrl+S, File → Save |
Writes to the current path. With no path yet, the Save-As dialog opens first |
| Save As | File → Save As… | New name and location; the tab is renamed to the file stem and later saves go to the new path |
There is no autosave, no backup file, and no drawing recovery. Save deliberately, and save often.
There is no recent-files list.
Closing and unsaved changes
File → Quit Application, or the window close button.
If any tab has unsaved changes, an Unsaved Changes dialog appears listing them:
The following drawings have unsaved changes:
| Button | Effect |
|---|---|
| Save All & Close | Saves every listed drawing, then exits |
| Close Without Saving | Discards the changes and exits |
| Cancel | Returns to the program |
The same prompt appears when an update is about to install, so an update can never take unsaved work with it. Cancelling the save prompt cancels the update too — the verified installer stays on disk for the next offer.
Templates
New drawings start from a startup template.
Settings → Files:
Search paths, file locations, and startup template. GoSurvey loads a workspace .gs at startup; an empty Custom path uses the bundled
resources/default-template.gsnext to the executable. Preferences are saved ingosurvey-user.jsonbeside the executable.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Startup template (.gs) — Custom .gs path | Point at your own template |
| Browse | File dialog (Windows only in this build) |
| Clear path (use bundled) | Fall back to resources/default-template.gs |
| Save startup preferences | Writes gosurvey-user.json |
The dialog reports where the bundled template resolved to, or says it could not be found.
To make your own template: set up a drawing with your standard layers, text styles, layouts,
and page setups, save it as a .gs, and point the startup template at it.
Where files live
| Path | Contents |
|---|---|
%ProgramFiles%\GoSurvey |
The installed program |
| Beside the executable | gosurvey-user.json — user preferences (display precision, angle format, startup template, update settings) |
Beside the executable — resources/ |
default-template.gs, fonts/, hatches/, icons/, layouts/, linetypes/ |
%APPDATA%\GoSurvey |
history.log — the undo history log |
Resources are resolved relative to the executable.
Version compatibility
GoSurvey opens drawings saved by any older version, converting them as it loads. The file on disk is not modified until you save.
Two cases are called out in the update dialog before you accept an update:
- If the update changes the drawing file format, you are told that drawings saved afterwards cannot be opened by the version you have now.
- In the rare case an update genuinely cannot open existing drawings, that appears as a prominent warning with an explanation, so you can back up first or decline.
Updates
GoSurvey checks for a newer version each time it opens. Nothing downloads or installs on its own.
Settings → System → Updates:
| Setting | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Check for updates on startup | On | Turn it off and GoSurvey makes no network requests at all |
| Include beta releases | Off | Turn on to receive pre-release builds |
The dialog reports the current version, and any version you have chosen to skip.
Choosing Update Now downloads the installer, verifies it against a SHA-256 published with the release, prompts you to save open drawings, then installs and reopens GoSurvey. The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows will ask for permission.
Betas are published more often and are less tested than stable releases. They are real working builds — they are also where problems get found.
Panel layouts
Separate from drawings: View → Layout ▸ Save current as… stores the arrangement of panels as a
named .ini file, and Switch to recalls one. View → Reset layout restores the built-in
arrangement.
Common problems
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Opening a drawing did not replace the current one | Open always uses a new tab, by design | Close the tab you no longer want |
| Work was lost after a crash | There is no autosave or recovery | Save often; Ctrl+S is cheap |
A .gs will not open |
It may be truncated or hand-edited into invalid JSON | Check the log for the parse error; .gs is plain JSON, so a text editor can show you where |
| New drawings do not have my layers | No startup template is configured | Settings → Files → Startup template (.gs) |
| Preferences do not stick | gosurvey-user.json could not be written |
"Error: failed to write gosurvey-user.json (check directory permissions)" — the folder beside the executable needs to be writable |
| An update prompt appeared mid-work | The startup check found a newer version | Remind Me Later, or turn the check off in Settings → System |
Related
Import and Export · Settings and Options · Getting Started · Paper Space and Layouts