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Determine what version last saved dwg file

11 REPLIES 11
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Message 1 of 12
smithbob
1375 Views, 11 Replies

Determine what version last saved dwg file

How can I tell what version of AutoCad was used to save a file last?  I get a message telling me that the file was last saved using an earlier version and saving it will change it, making it uncompatible with the earlier version.  I am using AutoCADLt 2011.

R. C. Smith
11 REPLIES 11
Message 2 of 12
drjohn
in reply to: smithbob

If you open a DWG file in notepad the first line should start with the version it was created by.  There should be an ACXXXX number but for the life of me I cannot find the description of these numbers anymore. Aparently since I save mine back to 2007 version the AC1021 is that version (2007)

 

Hope this gets you started, anyway.

 

Regards,

DJ

 

 

Message 3 of 12
smithbob
in reply to: smithbob

I just got ACADLt 2011 when I open the dwg file sent to me it says that saving the file will update the AEC Objects making them uncompatible with the earlier version (the one used to save it last time).  I don't know if this is BAD???

R. C. Smith
Message 4 of 12
Kate_LT
in reply to: smithbob

What that means is that there are special objects in the drawing (maybe created with AutoCAD Architecture or AutoCAD Civil 3D) that will be updated to the 2010-11 file format when you save the drawing. Nothing bad will happen to those objects or the drawing as long as you continue to open it in AutoCAD LT 2011. But if you were to send it back to the person who sent it to you, they might have some problems with those custom objects.


Kate Morrical
Technical Marketing Manager
Autodesk, Inc.
LT Unlimited
Message 5 of 12
drjohn
in reply to: smithbob

 


@smithbob wrote:

I just got ACADLt 2011 when I open the dwg file sent to me it says that saving the file will update the AEC Objects making them uncompatible with the earlier version (the one used to save it last time).  I don't know if this is BAD???


 

It's not necesarrily BAD ... but if you save it as a 2011 file the earlier versions won't open the file again cause it will be "incompatible" with that version. 

 

That being said, if the vendor want's it back to work on AFTER you worked on it then you must save it back to an earlier version in the SAVE dialog so you can always get it back to "compatible with an earlier version". It may lose some of it's more current features, eg: the mleaders may not be mleaders anymore, just lines and circles or whatever when you read it back into 2011.

Message 6 of 12
pendean
in reply to: drjohn

drjohn is not fully versed on the topic.

Reread Kate's reply, it is accurate.

 

What you need to know/decide is if the file is going back to it's creator and do they expect to edit those AEC objects or not: once you save the file in 2001, regardless of what you set SAVE command back to, you will upgrade those objects and they recipient cannnot use them. You and the recipient need to talk, or not: your call.

 

AEC obects are walls, doors, windows, roofs, foundations etc. from AutoCAD Architecture for example. You have not abillity to edit or create these in LT.

Message 7 of 12
smithbob
in reply to: smithbob

Thank you all - appreciate the info

R. C. Smith
Message 8 of 12
drjohn
in reply to: pendean


@pendean wrote:

drjohn is not fully versed on the topic.

Reread Kate's reply, it is accurate.

 


 

Strange ... both posts say the same thing except that I went the extra mile to describe to him how to save back to an earlier version and described the loss of special entities.

 

Seems like I am rather versed on this subject.  Smiley Very Happy

Message 9 of 12
pendean
in reply to: drjohn

AEC objects are format specific.

 

AEC formatting is determined by the AutoCAD version being used, not by the SAVE setting.

 

AEC objects are upgraded to the next DWG format when saved in a higher DWG format application. Regardless of SAVE settings.

 

AEC objects (smart doors, walls, windows etc.) become nothing more than Proxy Objects (all you see in LT) when they get upgraded, IF the DWG file is opened by the originator who did not upgrade to the latest AutoCAD version that changed formats.

So, for example, an AutoCAD Architecture 2008 user send you an LT2010 user one of his files, you open it, do whatever, then SAVE down to R2007 format and send the file back, you will get an angry call from that ACA2008 user noting that you removed all the intelligent objects from him/her file and now they cannot use it in their ACA2008 version. They are now forced to upgrade to ACA2010 (or 2011) to get back the ability to use those objects.

 

R2010format=R2010, R2011

R2007format=R2007, R2008, R2009

R2004 format=R2004, R2005, R2006

R2000 format=R2000, R2000i, R2002

and so on. The above mean a lot to anyone using a vertical version of AutoCAD.

 

End of today's lesson 🙂

Message 10 of 12
drjohn
in reply to: pendean

 


@pendean wrote:

AEC objects are format specific.

 

AEC formatting is determined by the AutoCAD version being used, not by the SAVE setting.

 

AEC objects are upgraded to the next DWG format when saved in a higher DWG format application. Regardless of SAVE settings.

 

AEC objects (smart doors, walls, windows etc.) become nothing more than Proxy Objects (all you see in LT) when they get upgraded, IF the DWG file is opened by the originator who did not upgrade to the latest AutoCAD version that changed formats.

So, for example, an AutoCAD Architecture 2008 user send you an LT2010 user one of his files, you open it, do whatever, then SAVE down to R2007 format and send the file back, you will get an angry call from that ACA2008 user noting that you removed all the intelligent objects from him/her file and now they cannot use it in their ACA2008 version. They are now forced to upgrade to ACA2010 (or 2011) to get back the ability to use those objects.

 

R2010format=R2010, R2011

R2007format=R2007, R2008, R2009

R2004 format=R2004, R2005, R2006

R2000 format=R2000, R2000i, R2002

and so on. The above mean a lot to anyone using a vertical version of AutoCAD.

 

End of today's lesson 🙂


It may lose some of it's more current features, eg: the mleaders may not be mleaders anymore, just lines and circles or whatever when you read it back into 2011.

 

Message 11 of 12
pendean
in reply to: drjohn

That's OK, you have never encountered the problem so you do not know how to reply to help the OP. Your answer is correct for other situations, but not this one.

 

When you have the time, explore this:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Architecture/Autocad-2010-ARE-YOU-KIDDING/m-p/2465786#M24381

 

Screenshot of the error helps, this is what you get when you open an older AEC file. You need access to a vertical version of autocad to understand the impact. Again, one more time, this 'issue' has no direct impact to any LT or plain AutoCAD user, it's all about what happens to the file later, if anything.

Message 12 of 12
Kate_LT
in reply to: drjohn

A drawing created in AutoCAD Architecture 2010, then saved with AutoCAD 2011, will have problems when you re-open it in ACA 2010, regardless of the file format, and even if there aren't any 2011-specific objects in it. This is a completely separate issue from the backwards compatibility of objects such as multileaders.


@DrJohn wrote:

 It may lose some of it's more current features, eg: the mleaders may not be mleaders anymore, just lines and circles or whatever when you read it back into 2011.

 


 


Kate Morrical
Technical Marketing Manager
Autodesk, Inc.
LT Unlimited

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