Is autoCad for Windows compatable with autocad for Mac

[Anonymous]

Hello All,

I am working from home this week, I was wondering if AutoCad  for windows (or autocad files created on windows) will be compatable wiith my Mac AutoCad on my laptop at home. Or do I need to oly work on a windows autoCad because of OS compatability?

Thank you for your responses.

[JDMather]

The files are identical.

[Anonymous]

Ok, so the files are identical. This is my problem, when I go to open the file on my macbook (on CAD) it tells me the file is read only which cant be because I had just worked on those files at the office (windows CAD). I tried to change the writable capability by permissions but it would not allow me. Can you help?

[JDMather]

Create a sample file and attach it here.

Actually, let's check this both ways.

Create a file named Win.dwg on your Win install and verify that you can or cannot open in Mac version.

Create a file named Mac.dwg on your Mac install and verify that you can or cannot open in Win version.

Report the results of your two tests and attach the two *.dwg files here for others to test.

[pendean]

read-only means the location of the file is not accessed by your log-in on the MAC OS: where are these files located?

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> This is my problem, when I go to open the file on my macbook (on CAD) it tells me the file is read only which cant

>> be because I had just worked on those files at the office (windows CAD)

Do you access your drawings through Internet (from your home Mac to your office server) or have you copied the file to an USB stick and try to open that file now on your Mac from that USB stick?

When you copied the file in the office, did you have the DWG open in AutoCAD while you copied the DWG? That might fail.

>> I tried to change the writable capability by permissions but it would not allow me.

What did you try exactly to get the permissions?

And last but not least, what happens if you create a new drawing on your Mac and start command _INSERT to insert the drawing form your office?

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

These files were located on my office computer (Windows) but I put them on my portable harddrive and loaded them on my macbook at home so that I would be able to work on them from home.

[Anonymous]

Accessing through my portable hard drive

[pendean]

Explore these: http://support.apple.com/en-us/TS1402
http://www.cnet.com/news/managing-locked-files-in-os-x/
http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/24/turn-off-file-locking-in-os-x-lion/
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/22259/how-to-check-whats-locking-a-file
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dghfWOd-s_0

MAC forum is here is you need more help ith your MAC-based software http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-for-mac/ct-p/3011

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Accessing through my portable hard drive

That does not tell us anything about the permissions and the accessibility.

Copy them to your local drive, go to file properties in your OS and make sure you have the permissions as well as you have not set any readonly-flags.

And again the question: have you copied the DWG's from your office server to your portable drives while the DWG(s) were open in AutoCAD?

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

I have copied them from the file location on windows to the hard drive, but I did not try munipulating the permissions before doing so. I am not working off of the office server, i didnt know I would be able to do so.

[pendean]

You need to be posting in the MAC forum. None of us Windows users can help you: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-for-mac/ct-p/3011

[JDMather]

Try opening these two files (see attached).

One was created by a Mac user

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-for-mac-general/generate-test-file-please/td-p/5437809

I was able to open fine on my Win machine.

The other one was created by me on my Win machine.

Can you open both file on both of your machines?

[JDMather · Accepted solution]

In addition to running the test with the two files attached previously, it occured to me that you might try using A360 as your file transfer mechanism.

https://360.autodesk.com/

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this solution, I only have to open the file while I am signed in to be able to do so but that is fine too. But if I were to put it on my portable hard drive and bring it home I cant just grab it from the file location and put it on the hard drive, do I have to change permissions and OS options? Becasue previously you said the files are identical.

[Anonymous]

Hi Dear,

good Evening from UAE.

I have some auto cad files for the project. I am not drafting rather I am just using cad to view files or do minor modifications. on windows I can open files with double click while on mac I cannot open the same files. Files (dwg) do open but they will not display contents of the drawings. some parts are missing and sometimes only captions are available but all the drawing is missing. your help will be highly appreciated.