[ARCHIVED] Cannot open .fig file (Matlab)

[hangerls]

Our Mechanical Engineering professors use MatLab; however, Canvas will not open the .fig files associated with the program. I have installed MatLab Grader, but the .fig files still do not open.

This is the detailed information provided to me from the professor:

Details:  I upload a .fig file to Canvas (it is a binary filetype used in MATLAB; it is not an image). I create a Canvas page with a hyperlink to the .fig file. 

Expected behavior: a blue link to be created. 

Actual behavior: Canvas creates a broken image icon that is not hyperlinked. 

Workaround: Hand-code the correct html links in the code-behind screen, once the reference id of the file is obtained. I can do this, but it takes a while and is prone to error.

Problem: Canvas mistakenly has assigned a MIME-type of “image” to the .fig, named after a decades-old file type that used to be popular on Macs.  Now it tries to embed the .fig as a figure, but it’s codec barfs at the non-figure data.  (If the administrator profile lets you re-assign MIME types, I’d ask you delete any specific codings for FIG types.  Otherwise, perhaps it could be sent up to the developers to fix.)

We had this same type issue opening files in Angel (yes...that was a long time ago!) and I had to change the MIME type (nope, don't remember what I had to do), but it was the LMS problem and was fixed.

.fig files are not listed as a supported file type in Canvas, but certainly, others colleges use MatLab and get the files to open??

Hopefully, someone smarter than me can please tell me how to get Canvas to open the .fig files??

Thanks, and hope you all are staying safe and healthy!