Importing Vectorworks file into ACAD for Windows

[Anonymous]

I have been sent a file created in ACAD for Mac (Vectorworks) and sent as a .dwg file. It's named .FINISH PL-WIGGINS-2017.0703.dwg. When I try to open it in my ACAD 2016 Windows version, I get the message "The file is invalid". How can these programs work together?

[maxim_k]

Welcome to Autodesk Forums!

Hi Wendy,

It is not clear from your post: where you created drawing - in AutoCAD for Mac or in Vectorworks?
These are different software.

Ask sender to re-send drawing file again, maybe it was corrupted during save process on mac side.

Can you attach here the problem drawing? I'll look at it.

Maxim

[Anonymous]

HI:
Sorry, I thought Vectorworks was what ACAD for Mac was called. My client is
using Vectorworks.
Unfortunately, she would not want me to share the file, but the filename is
"._FINISH PL-WIGGINS-2017.03.dwg".
Do you see anything in the naming convention that might be a problem?

Thanks

[maxim_k]

>>>>Do you see anything in the naming convention
>>>>that might be a problem?

Strange question. Nothing prevents you from renaming the file and checking.

Ask her to reexport drawing once again.
Ask her to export drawing in DXF format, then you can to open it in AutoCAD with DXFIN command.

Maxim

[maxim_k]

I tested just now and the drawing with such name opens in AutoCAD 2016 for Windows without any problems.

BTW, on Mac side, when one attempt to give the name starting with dot to the document, macOS give an alert in all applications:

 So it is strange why your client gave such name to the drawing file.

Try to ask her also to export to the lowest DWG format which Vectorworks can export.

Maxim

[Anonymous]

Thanks

[maxim_k]

Hi Wendy,

I think I know what happened:
You are trying to open AppleDouble file instead of original drawing file. AppleDouble file accomplish the original document file when one transfer it from Mac to Windows and it has the same name as original document with ._ at the beginning of the file name. It always has small size.

You can read about AppleDouble files here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AppleSingle_and_AppleDouble_formats

Don't know why you missed the original drawing, maybe this happened during extraction from ZIP archive, if the drawing was sent you in compressed archive.

Maxim