Ok so i've set up boost::serialization to work with objects whose constructor and destructors are private (forcing you to make them through "factories"), but after doing the coming steps, the << operator of a boost::oarchive never returns. I've followed what was happening exactly in a debugger, but don't know what's happening *after the ending brackets of the object's serialization function. It's not even reaching the overloaded destroy function*. I think it's some internal business. - To do this i've overided the `load/save_construct_data function` and the `access::destroy template function` with the appropriate parameters. - I also defined a serialization function for each factory-built object, but it doesn't do anything as to force you to pass a pointer instead. - You'll also notice i've added my own Save() function as so the user can specify a different factory to use for recreating (loading) the object back up if needed. **Why would this be happening and how do i fix it?** here's the source: oa << WallBody2; //this is the call in main, wallBody2 is a b2Body* template<> static void access::destroy( const b2Body * t) // const appropriate here? { // the const business is an MSVC 6.0 hack that should be // benign on everything else const_cast<b2Body*>(t)->GetWorld()->DestroyBody(const_cast<b2Body*>(t)); } template<> static void access::destroy( const b2Fixture * t) // const appropriate here? { // the const business is an MSVC 6.0 hack that should be // benign on everything else const_cast<b2Fixture*>(t)->GetBody()->DestroyFixture(const_cast<b2Fixture*>(t)); } template<class Archive> inline void save_construct_data( Archive & ar, const b2Body * t, const unsigned int file_version) { // save data required to construct instance b2World* WorldPtr= const_cast<b2Body*>(t)->GetWorld(); ar & WorldPtr; Save(ar, const_cast<b2Body*>(t), file_version); } template<class Archive> inline void save_construct_data( Archive & ar, const b2Fixture * t, const unsigned int file_version) { // save data required to construct instance b2Body* BodyPtr= const_cast<b2Fixture*>(t)->GetBody(); ar & BodyPtr; Save(ar, const_cast<b2Fixture*>(t), file_version); } template<class Archive> void serialize(Archive & ar, b2Fixture& b2, const unsigned int version) { std::cout << "b2Fixture is not serializable, only b2Fixture pointers are" << std::endl;}; template<class Archive> void serialize(Archive & ar, b2Body& b2, const unsigned int version) { std::cout << "b2Fixture is not serializable, only b2Fixture pointers are" << std::endl;}; template<class Archive> void Save(Archive & ar, b2Body* b2, const unsigned int version) { b2World* World = b2->GetWorld(); ar & World; b2BodyDef InitialBodyDef; InitialBodyDef.inertiaScale= b2->GetInertia(); // QUESTION: Is there any way to get/set this from a body (not def) ar & InitialBodyDef; // QUESTION: wtf is inertiaScale? any relation to MassData? b2BodyDef BodyDef; BodyDef.angle= b2->GetAngle(); BodyDef.position= b2->GetPosition(); BodyDef.active= b2->IsActive(); BodyDef.angularDamping= b2->GetAngularDamping(); BodyDef.angularVelocity= b2->GetAngularVelocity(); BodyDef.awake= b2->IsAwake(); BodyDef.bullet= b2->IsBullet(); BodyDef.fixedRotation= b2->IsFixedRotation(); BodyDef.linearDamping= b2->GetLinearDamping(); BodyDef.linearVelocity= b2->GetLinearVelocity(); BodyDef.type= b2->GetType(); BodyDef.userData= b2->GetUserData(); ar & BodyDef; // number of fixtures saved first so when loaded we know // how many fixturedefs to extract unsigned int numbFixtures=0; for (b2Fixture* fixture = b2->GetFixtureList(); fixture; fixture = fixture->GetNext()) numbFixtures++; ar & numbFixtures; //TODO: find out if boost will detect this as a list for (b2Fixture* fixture = b2->GetFixtureList(); fixture; fixture = fixture->GetNext()) ar & fixture; } template<class Archive> void Save(Archive & ar, b2Fixture* b2, const unsigned int version) { b2Body* Body = b2->GetBody(); ar & Body; //Registered so boost can differentiate types of "shapes" ar.register_type(static_cast<b2CircleShape *>(NULL)); ar.register_type(static_cast<b2PolygonShape *>(NULL)); b2Shape* Shape= b2->GetShape(); ar & Shape; b2FixtureDef FixtureDef; FixtureDef.density= b2->GetDensity(); FixtureDef.filter= b2->GetFilterData(); FixtureDef.friction= b2->GetFriction(); FixtureDef.isSensor= b2->IsSensor(); FixtureDef.restitution= b2->GetRestitution(); FixtureDef.userData= b2->GetUserData(); ar & FixtureDef; }