CER 2024 vs 2026 Technical Analysis | Between the Lines Blog

Civil 3D CER Format Evolution: 2024 XML vs 2026 Protocol Buffers

This document provides evidence of the dramatic format change in Autodesk’s Customer Error Reporting (CER) system between Civil 3D 2024 and 2026.

The format didn’t just change from XML to JSON—it changed to Protocol Buffers, a binary serialization format designed for high-performance data transmission.

File Structure Comparison

Civil 3D 2024 CER Folder Contents

crash_folder/
├── dmpuserinfo.xml          (20-100 KB) - Human-readable crash diagnostics
└── minidump.dmp             (100-500 KB) - Binary memory dump

Characteristics:

✅ Human-readable XML with full system diagnostics
✅ Self-documenting with element/attribute names
✅ Can be opened and read in any text editor
✅ Contains 100+ diagnostic fields
❌ Large file size (XML verbosity)
❌ Requires XML parser

Civil 3D 2026 CER Folder Contents

crash_folder/
├── 1768249393639_dialog_20260105182035.userinfo    (143 bytes)  - JSON user info
├── 1768249393639_dialog_20260105182039.analytics   (112 bytes)  - JSON analytics
├── 1768249393638_rawdata-t2.pb                     (76 bytes)   - Protocol Buffer
├── 1768249393639_rawdata-t1.pb                     (11 KB)      - Protocol Buffer
└── 1768249393639_minidump_dmp.zip                  (19 KB)      - Compressed minidump

Characteristics:

✅ Extremely small file sizes (90% reduction)
✅ Binary format for fast transmission
✅ Compressed minidump (19 KB vs 100+ KB)
❌ Not human-readable (binary Protocol Buffers)
❌ Requires .proto schema definition to decode
❌ Cannot be inspected without specialized tools

Format Analysis: Protocol Buffers

What Are Protocol Buffers?

Protocol Buffers (protobuf) is Google’s language-neutral, platform-neutral, extensible mechanism for serializing structured data. Think of it as XML, but:

3-10x smaller
20-100x faster to parse
Binary format (not human-readable)
Requires schema (.proto files) to decode

Evidence from Binary Analysis

Hex dump of rawdata-t1.pb:

000000 0a 2b 0a 22 41 49 2f 6f 73 2f 55 73 65 72 44 65  >.+."AI/os/UserDe<
000010 66 61 75 6c 74 2e 49 44 65 66 61 75 6c 74 43 6f  >fault.IDefaultCo<
000020 64 65 70 61 67 65 12 05 0a 03 34 33 37           >depage....437<

Key indicators of Protocol Buffer format:

Binary wire format with embedded field tags (0a, 12, etc.)
Length-delimited strings (visible text embedded in binary)
Key-value pairs: AI/os/UserDefault.IDefaultCodepage = 437
Efficient variable-length encoding

Embedded XML Discovery

Buried within the Protocol Buffer, we found XML data still exists:

xml

<?xml version="1.0"?><upipackage><upivalue version="1.0" type="product" requestingapp="true">
<level name="productline" id="AGS">
<level name="release" id="7.6">
<level name="master" id="Win64">
<level name="build" id="7.6.0.0"/>
</level></level></level></upivalue>

Interpretation: Autodesk still collects the XML product inventory (upipackage) internally but encapsulates it within the Protocol Buffer. This data is transmitted to Autodesk but not easily accessible to customers.

The Three File Types Explained

1. `.userinfo` – JSON User Information

File: 1768249393639_dialog_20260105182035.userinfo

Content:

json

{
  "user_email": "shaanquser@nothere.com",
  "subscription_email": "",
  "error_description": "",
  "view_test_data": 0,
  "computer_name": "LP-1234",
  "locale_id": 1033
}

Analysis:

143 bytes (vs. 20-100 KB XML)
Minimal user identification data
No system diagnostics
No graphics configuration
No product inventory details

Comparison to 2024 XML UserInfo section:

❌ No SerialNum
❌ No UserCanBeContacted
❌ No ErrorDescription (empty string)
❌ No Metrics (CalendarUptime, etc.)
❌ No open file list
✅ Has user_email, computer_name, locale_id

2. `.analytics` – JSON Dialog Analytics

File: 1768249393639_dialog_20260105182039.analytics

Content:

json

{
  "session_time": 10,
  "view_detail_button": false,
  "learn_more_button": false,
  "solution_url": false,
  "readme_url": false
}

Analysis:

112 bytes
Tracks user interaction with crash dialog
Session time: 10 seconds (user dismissed quickly)
No buttons clicked
This is UI telemetry, not crash diagnostics

3. `.pb` – Protocol Buffer Crash Data

Files:

1768249393638_rawdata-t2.pb (76 bytes)
1768249393639_rawdata-t1.pb (11 KB)

Observable Fields (partial decode from string inspection):

From rawdata-t2.pb:

AI/os/ComputerName = LC-11665
SP/DUMP_FILE = (empty)
CD/CanContact = 1

From rawdata-t1.pb:

AI/os/UserDefault.IDefaultCodepage = 437
SP/UPI_RELEASE = 7.6
AI/os/KernelMinorVersion = 0
AI/os/ProductType = 1
AP/exception/address = 0x00007FFEF661782A
AI/os/UserDefault.IDefaultLanguage = 0409
AI/os/KernelBuildNum = 26100
SP/UPI_FULL_XML = (contains embedded XML upipackage)

Field Naming Convention:

AI/ = Application Information
SP/ = System Properties
AP/ = Application Properties
CD/ = Crash Dialog

What We Can’t See Without .proto Schema:

Complete field list
Data types for each field
Nested message structures
Graphics configuration
Memory pressure data
Exception details beyond address

Critical Data Loss Analysis

What Civil 3D 2024 XML Provided (That 2026 Does Not)

1. Graphics Configuration – LOST

2024 XML Had:

xml

<DxDiagInfo>
  <GraphicsDeviceInfo>
    <Manufacturer><![CDATA[Intel Corporation]]></Manufacturer>
    <ChipType><![CDATA[Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics]]></ChipType>
    <VendorID><![CDATA[0x8086]]></VendorID>
    <DeviceID><![CDATA[0xA7A0]]></DeviceID>
    <GraphicsHWMemory><![CDATA[16315 MB]]></GraphicsHWMemory>
    <DriverFileVersion><![CDATA[32.00.0101.6881]]></DriverFileVersion>
    <DriverDate><![CDATA[6/3/2025 4:00:00 PM]]></DriverDate>
  </GraphicsDeviceInfo>
</DxDiagInfo>

<OpenGLInfo Renderer="Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics/PCIe/SSE2" 
            Vendor="Intel Corporation" 
            Version="4.6.0 NVIDIA 573.44"/>

2026 Has: Unknown (buried in binary Protocol Buffer)

Impact: Cannot diagnose hybrid GPU issues without decoding Protocol Buffer with proper schema.

2. Complete Product Inventory – PARTIALLY LOST ️

2024 XML Had:

xml

<upipackage>
  <upivalue requestingapp="true" type="product" version="1.0">
    <level id="CIV3D" name="productline">
      <level id="2024" name="release">
        <level id="13.6.2053.0" name="build"/>
      </level>
    </level>
  </upivalue>
  <!-- Multiple additional products listed -->
</upipackage>

2026 Has:

Embedded XML within Protocol Buffer (SP/UPI_FULL_XML field)
Observable in hex dump: AGS (AutoCAD Graphics System) version 7.6.0.0
Likely still transmitted to Autodesk but not accessible to customers

Impact: Product inventory data exists but requires Protocol Buffer decoding.

3. Memory Pressure Data – UNKNOWN STATUS ⚠️

2024 XML Had:

xml

<ProcessInfo AvailPageFile="1BE15D000" 
             AvailPhysicalMem="3522A1000" 
             AvailVirtualMem="7FEE0DE88000"/>

2026 Has: Unknown (may be in Protocol Buffer)

4. Session Metrics – LOST ❌

2024 XML Had:

xml

<Metrics CalendarUptime="628177000000000" 
         RequiredSend="0" 
         WaitDur="25000"/>
<ProductInformation session_start_count="16" 
                    session_clean_close_count="2"/>

2026 Has: Only dialog session time (10 seconds in analytics file)

Impact: Cannot identify chronic crashers or calculate clean close ratios.

5. System Information – PARTIALLY AVAILABLE ⚠️

2024 XML Had:

xml

<OSInfo BuildNumber="26100" 
        MajorVersion="10" 
        MinorVersion="0" 
        KernelBuildNum="26100"/>
        
<DxDiagInfo>
  <SystemInformation>
    <SystemManufacturer>Dell Inc.</SystemManufacturer>
    <SystemModel>Precision 5680</SystemModel>
    <Processor>13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-13700H</Processor>
    <SystemMemory>32768MB RAM</SystemMemory>
  </SystemInformation>
</DxDiagInfo>

2026 Has:

AI/os/KernelBuildNum = 26100 (visible in Protocol Buffer)
Other fields unknown without schema

File Size Comparison

2024 XML Format

File	Size	Purpose
dmpuserinfo.xml	20-100 KB	Complete diagnostics
minidump.dmp	100-500 KB	Memory dump
Total	120-600 KB

2026 Protocol Buffer Format

File	Size	Purpose
.userinfo	143 bytes	Basic user info
.analytics	112 bytes	Dialog telemetry
rawdata-t2.pb	76 bytes	Crash metadata
rawdata-t1.pb	11 KB	System diagnostics
minidump_dmp.zip	19 KB	Compressed memory dump
Total	~30 KB

Size Reduction: 75-95% smaller (30 KB vs 120-600 KB)

What This Means for IT Administrators

The Reality

You cannot parse 2026 crash reports without:

Protocol Buffer .proto schema definitions (not published by Autodesk)
Specialized protobuf decoding tools
Knowledge of Autodesk’s internal field naming conventions

Comparison to Previous Analysis

Aspect	Assumption (JSON)	Reality (Protocol Buffers)
Format	JSON (text)	Binary protobuf
Human Readable	Yes	No
Parsing	Native JSON libraries	Requires .proto schema
Field Discovery	Easy (read the JSON)	Impossible without schema
Custom Tools	Simple scripts	Specialized protobuf tools
Documentation	Field names visible	Field names encoded as numbers

What You Can Still Access

Only these files are customer-readable:

.userinfo (JSON) – User email, computer name, locale
.analytics (JSON) – Dialog interaction telemetry
minidump.dmp (inside zip) – Binary memory dump (unchanged)

Everything else requires Autodesk’s internal Protocol Buffer schemas.

The Protocol Buffer Advantage (For Autodesk)

Why Autodesk Switched to Protocol Buffers

Performance: 20-100x faster parsing than XML
Bandwidth: 75-95% size reduction crucial for millions of crash reports
Schema Evolution: Can add fields without breaking old parsers
Type Safety: Enforced data types prevent malformed data
Multi-Language: Protobuf generates code for C++, C#, Python, Java, etc.
Proprietary: Binary format obscures internal data structures

Why It’s Problematic for Customers

No Documentation: .proto schemas not published
Binary Format: Cannot inspect with text editor
Parsing Complexity: Requires protobuf compiler and generated code
Field Discovery: Cannot see what fields exist

Embedded XML: The Irony

The Protocol Buffer contains embedded XML for the UPI package:

Hex offset 0x110-0x3E8 contains:
<?xml version="1.0"?><upipackage>...</upipackage>

What This Means:

Autodesk still generates the XML product inventory
It’s encapsulated within the Protocol Buffer for transmission
Customers cannot easily extract it without hex editing
The XML data exists but is deliberately inaccessible

The Irony:

We had XML → customers could parse it
Autodesk adds Protocol Buffer wrapper → customers cannot parse it
The XML data still exists inside, just hidden

Decoding Strategy (Advanced)

Theoretical Approach to Decode Protocol Buffers

Without .proto schema, you can attempt:

String Extraction:

bash

strings rawdata-t1.pb | grep -E "^[A-Z]{2}/"

Results: Field paths like AI/os/KernelBuildNum, SP/UPI_RELEASE

Protobuf Wire Format Inspection:

Use protoc --decode_raw to see structure
Manually map field numbers to meanings
Time-consuming and incomplete

Embedded XML Extraction:

bash

strings rawdata-t1.pb | grep "<?xml" -A 1000

Results: Can extract the upipackage XML

Practical Limitations

Even with these techniques:

❌ Cannot reliably extract all fields
❌ Cannot determine data types
❌ Cannot decode nested structures
❌ No graphics configuration accessible
❌ No memory pressure data visible

Bottom Line: Without Autodesk’s .proto schemas, comprehensive parsing is impossible.

Recommendations for CAD Administrators

Immediate Actions

Archive 2024 XML Crash Reports
- Keep your XML parsers running as long as possible
- Archive all XML crash data – it’s the last accessible diagnostic data
Implement Preventive Monitoring
- Use asset management to track GPU configurations
- Deploy group policy for GPU assignments proactively
- Don’t wait for crashes to reveal problems
Accept the New Reality
- Protocol Buffer format is designed for Autodesk’s infrastructure, not yours.
- Customer parsing was never officially supported but was super helpful in determining issues since you may never hear from Autodesk on a crash.

Technical Specification: Protocol Buffer Fields

Observable Field Paths (from string analysis)

System Information:

AI/os/ComputerName – Computer name
AI/os/KernelBuildNum – Windows build number
AI/os/KernelMinorVersion – OS minor version
AI/os/ProductType – Windows product type
AI/os/UserDefault.IDefaultCodepage – Code page (437, 1252, etc.)
AI/os/UserDefault.IDefaultLanguage – Locale ID (0409 = en-US)

Product Information:

SP/UPI_RELEASE – UPI version
SP/UPI_FULL_XML – Complete XML product inventory (embedded)
SP/DUMP_FILE – Dump file status

Crash Information:

AP/exception/address – Exception memory address
CD/CanContact – Can contact user flag

Field Naming Convention Analysis

Prefix Meanings (inferred):

AI/ – Application Information (system data)
AP/ – Application Properties (crash data)
SP/ – System Properties (configuration)
CD/ – Crash Dialog (UI interaction)

Hierarchy: Uses Unix-style paths (AI/os/KernelBuildNum)

Conclusion: The End of Customer-Accessible Crash Diagnostics

The shift from XML to Protocol Buffers represents a fundamental change in Autodesk’s crash reporting philosophy:

2024 XML Era:

✅ Unintentionally customer-accessible
✅ Complete diagnostic visibility
✅ Enabled proactive problem-solving
✅ Allowed pattern discovery (hybrid GPU issue)

2026 Protocol Buffer Era:

❌ Binary format inaccessible without schema
❌ Customer parsing effectively impossible
❌ Diagnostic capability limited to Autodesk
✅ Optimized for Autodesk’s infrastructure scale

The Trade-off:

For Autodesk: 75-95% bandwidth reduction, faster processing, better analytics at scale
For Customers: Loss of diagnostic capability and productivity recovery

The Uncomfortable Truth: The data that helped us solve critical problems (like the 43% crash reduction from fixing hybrid GPU assignments) still exists—it’s just being transmitted in a format we can no longer decode.

The era of customer-accessible crash diagnostics has ended. The Protocol Buffer format is designed for Autodesk’s internal use, transmitted to their servers, and processed by their engineering team.

We’re back to waiting for support tickets and CER info action…

What an excellent post. You really have had a front row seat to a lot of very cool experiences. Lucky…

There is something to be said for decluttering, but one of the things about mementos is that they help us…

There's got to be a museum for some of this stuff. I've been volunteering with https://www.themade.org/ As a gaming focused…

Merci Patrick. Great to hear from you. I appreciate the comments.

Thanks Shaan, a few comments for the French-speaking community regarding your article : https://dessein-tech.com/t/tout-un-pan-de-lhistoire-dautodesk-a-vendre/10097

This post is several years old, file links were retired by Autodesk. I will create a post in the future…

Civil 3D CER Format Evolution: 2024 XML vs 2026 Protocol Buffers

File Structure Comparison

Civil 3D 2024 CER Folder Contents

Civil 3D 2026 CER Folder Contents

Format Analysis: Protocol Buffers

What Are Protocol Buffers?

Evidence from Binary Analysis

Embedded XML Discovery

The Three File Types Explained

1. .userinfo – JSON User Information

2. .analytics – JSON Dialog Analytics

3. .pb – Protocol Buffer Crash Data

Critical Data Loss Analysis

What Civil 3D 2024 XML Provided (That 2026 Does Not)

1. Graphics Configuration – LOST

2. Complete Product Inventory – PARTIALLY LOST ️

3. Memory Pressure Data – UNKNOWN STATUS ⚠️

4. Session Metrics – LOST ❌

5. System Information – PARTIALLY AVAILABLE ⚠️

File Size Comparison

2024 XML Format

2026 Protocol Buffer Format

What This Means for IT Administrators

The Reality

Comparison to Previous Analysis

What You Can Still Access

The Protocol Buffer Advantage (For Autodesk)

Why Autodesk Switched to Protocol Buffers

Why It’s Problematic for Customers

Embedded XML: The Irony

Decoding Strategy (Advanced)

Theoretical Approach to Decode Protocol Buffers

Practical Limitations

Recommendations for CAD Administrators

Immediate Actions

Technical Specification: Protocol Buffer Fields

Observable Field Paths (from string analysis)

Field Naming Convention Analysis

Conclusion: The End of Customer-Accessible Crash Diagnostics

1. `.userinfo` – JSON User Information

2. `.analytics` – JSON Dialog Analytics

3. `.pb` – Protocol Buffer Crash Data