Apple Notes: Drawings not imported

[kepano]

Drawings in imported Apple Notes show the following error

**(error reading attachment)**

We should try to import/convert the drawing, or display a more useful error

[kepano]

@mirnovov what is the storage format for drawings?

[mirnovov]

Drawings are stored as a format containing their lines etc, similar to SVG. However, a fallback image is generated, which this importer uses. I believe I've found a bug where the path for this image is resolved incorrectly which will probably fix this issue.

btw @kepano what macOS and iOS versions are you on? and were your drawings and scans created on those versions, or earlier? since the exact location of the data for those depends on which version the note was created on (iOS 17 and later changes things up with ZGENERATION etc.)

[kepano]

In my test I used iOS 17.0.3 to create the drawing, then synced it to my Mac running macOS 13.0.1 before importing.

[mirnovov]

Thanks. In that case, I think it will possibly be fixed by this PR, since the changes to the drawing location are made in macOS 14/iOS 17.

[rubenIGM]

Hi guys, unfortunately this problem persists, iOS 16.7.5 and Ventura 13.4. the drawings fail to import.

[andrewcrook]

I have also written some notes about this here

I think the issue is to do with old notes like #137 . If I clean out notes and create new notes it works fine.
It seems to me to have something to do with the ZIDIDENTIFIER in the notes db, unformantly I no longer have any old notes to look at in the db.

[rubenIGM]

Ok strange as none of my notes import…also recent ones.

[mbewley]

Have been using apple notes on the iPad over the years with apple pencil/handwriting. I get these errors on every note with handwriting:

Failed: "" because Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'ZIDENTIFIER')

Newer notes seem to get imported, but with " (error reading attachment)" instead of the chunk of handwriting.
Older notes are raised as a "failed" import note with the ZIDENTIFIER error above, and the entire note is empty, even if it was a mix of handwriting and plain text.

Anything I can do to help troubleshoot?

[andrewcrook]

I am thinking if there are two separate issues here?

ZIDENTIFIER with old notes

and the other, I wonder it has something to do with the fact that there are currently two iCloud modes normal and advanced data protection?

[mbewley]

I'm certainly seeing the issues above without advanced data protection.

[tommasodiotalevi]

I also have a similar issue: I tried to import my Apple notes, and I receive the following failure:

...
Failed: "DATASET NAME RULE" because Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'ZIDENTIFIER')
...

In these notes, I have text alternated to text drawings made with the Apple pencil.