Default Program with Multiple Autocad Flavors

[chadcross]

We recently purchased the bldg design suite premium, so we have autocad, autocad mep, autocad structural detailing, and autocad architecture.

By default, .dwg files open with the vanilla autocad application. How can we change the default program for .dwg files to autocad architecture?

Thanks

[pendean]

Windows uses the last program used: so if you only have AutoCAD opening the DWG files someone manually set up your Windows Explorer to do so.

Right-Click on a DWG file, then OPEN WITH... is where you can set it.

[chadcross]

Right click -> open with does not offer a way to distinguish between autocad / architecture / MEP, only acad.exe.

Are you saying that acad.exe will open as autocad architecture if that was the last program used?

[pendean]

OPEN WITH... CHOOSE DEFAULT PROGRAM... OTHER... go hunt for your specific program in it's program folder.

Since I do this all day long here with various programs, try another solution: install a freeware called SENDTO TOYS, load up all the programs you want to launch, then right-click and 'send' your desired file to the desired program.

Or the default Autodesk recommendation: start the prograsm you want to use, then open the file(s) you want to edit.

[chadcross]

Each specific program doesn't have it's own .exe....they use the same acad.exe with different variables added.

I should clarify that I'm not looking for a basic answer of "open with" and browsing to find the program. I'm a little more advanced than that. I'm also not looking for a third party program.

I am simply asking if there is a way to differentiate between autocad flavors as the default .dwg program, given that they use the same acad.exe to launch.

I could try and tell everyone in the office to launch autocad architecture first, then browse to the file to open, but that's not a solution to a problem, but an outdated workaround

[chadcross · Accepted solution]

The solution is what you hinted at before.

Let's say I open up AutoCAD MEP then close it. From that point, every time I double click a .dwg, it will open with AutoCAD MEP. Then, let's say 2 days later I open up AutoCAD Architecture then close it. Now every time I double click a .dwg, AutoCAD Architecture will be the default program. It simply uses the last flavor of AutoCAD you launched as the .dwg default application.

[TableThrow]

Hoping for a solution also as I am having a similar issue. With many AutoCAD versions on my desktop, after double clicking ANY .dwg file it will always open AutoCAD 2017 but I have been using AutoCAD 2018 for months now. I have to open AutoCAD 2018 then select the file through the software but there has to be a simpler way. please post any solutions

[pendean]

TLDR?

Right-Click on a DWG file, then select OPEN WITH... what does it say is the default app?
What is your Windows version?

[cldehart]

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@TableThrow wrote:

Hoping for a solution also as I am having a similar issue. With many AutoCAD versions on my desktop, after double clicking ANY .dwg file it will always open AutoCAD 2017 but I have been using AutoCAD 2018 for months now. I have to open AutoCAD 2018 then select the file through the software but there has to be a simpler way. please post any solutions

---

This is a little bit different then everyone else's problem.  AutoCAD 2018 does seem to have a different launcher than the previous versions.  If you hold shift and right click on the .DWG file and select AutoCAD 2018 as the new default program (may have to check the box to set as default), it should now use 2018 every time.  As for setting a default Vertical Application, that is still a pain.

[dplumb_BWBR]

They could have made it a whole lot easier to do that if the 2017 and 2018 icons were different!

But, since the different versions' icons are identical and the DWG Launcher only says "AutoCAD Application", there's no way to see which one you're changing it to.

[cldehart]

I was going to say it was easy to see, but I just realized my move was from 2016 to 2018 and they do have two different icons. It may be that 2017 and 2018 have the same launcher as well. I was able to write a batch to open a specific profile of AutoCAD, although it did not work 100% for what I wanted. It might be a possible solution for the problem at hand, but I am just out of my knowledge base on that.

[keith]

Yeah, we just loaded 2021 after previously using 2019.

As stated the icons are the same. Even if you get it to open with the right program, it doesn't use your custom shortcut so your profile doesn't load and you get an 'unusable' version.

Not happy.

Keith D. Rodebush

RA

[dplumb_BWBR]

We've got a thread over on the Revit Forum that explains a process for replacing the icons.

Aaron Maller (TwiceRoadsFool) created icons with the version number in the upper right corner & I figured out where Windows looks for the icon

https://revitforum.org/showthread.php/39313-Revit-Icons-(for-those-of-you-not-on-Twitter)?p=209171&v...

[brennanassoc]

Hi,

I know this is an older thread but it popped up first in my Google search. I just installed Revit LT 2022 but every time I went to open up a project it would go to 2021. I found this link to resolve the issue:

https://www.asti.com/set-revit-project-default-opening-version/

I followed it and it was super quick and simple and now when I double click my project it opens in 2022. Their installer obviously doesn't update the registry. Hope this helps

[sjdoornbos]

This is not correct.  I always use Architecture, but if I double click on the file I'm working on Vanilla always starts. I then close Vanilla and then open architecture and have the open the file within that program.  

[pendean]

@sjdoornbos Do what the link below suggests after and only after you start the ARCH version you want first, open a file, QSAVE, close the file, close the program https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Double...

If you are still having issues then start a support ticket through your subscription portal as explained here https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/account-management/users-software/support-options#:~....