Version 2011 produces .FIG file unreadable by version 2006

After modifying a .FIG file using GUIDE in version 2011b, the file is unreadable by version 2006a (segmentation violation in m_interpreter.dll). It appears that GUIDE has no provision to save files in older formats. Is there another way to solve this problem? This is a serious limitation, and is making me rethink the use of Matlab at all beyond tinkering.

Answer 1

[Paulo Silva]

Try exporting the GUI using GUIDE in matlab 2011b, go to File, Export, it produces just one m file that you can run without the need of the fig file.

[Walter Roberson]

This might, however, include code that is incompatible with 2006a.

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

This is expected: a .fig file is a Matlab .mat file with a different file extension, and there have been a number of new object types added after 2006a that 2006a would not be able to read.

You could try using

FigData = load('YourFigureName.fig','-mat');
save('YourNewFigureName.fig','-struct','-v7')

2006b, the version after your target, introduced the latest save file version, -v7.3, so try saving with -v7 . If there are objects it still might not work.

Answer 3

[Matt Fig]

You also could try:

hgsave(fhandle,'filename','-v6')

Then opening the file in 2006a with HGLOAD.