This drawing contains custom objects that are not supported by previous versions

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I have been running Acad 2012 LT for several years.  As a default, and a courtesy to others, I always save as 2004.  Recently I picked up a second computer and put 2018 Cad onto it.  When I'm on the 2018 cad, and I open files that were created using 2012, it won't let me save to 2004.  In fact it won't let me save to anything but 2018.  The error box I get says "This drawing contains custom object that are not support by previous versions....."

Obviously if the drawing were created in 2012 Cad, the file does not contain any custom objects that are not supported.  Please help me get around this.  

thanks

Andy

[rkmcswain · Accepted solution]

Have you seen this?

[Anonymous]

I have now.  Thank you.  It sounds like 2018 has some issues.

[pendean]

>>>...It sounds like 2018 has some issues....<<<
AECTOACAD command should fix the problem, in either 2012 or 2018.

[Anonymous]

I tried this on my 2012 machine, and I got the response:  "Command not allowed because drawing contains objects for a newer version of this application." So once something is opened with 2018, I need to use 2018 to run this command?  

I am afraid this might be where Autodesk shoves 2018 down the throats of it's users.

[pendean]

Yes, then you need to do so in a newer than 2012 version of AutoCAD because 2012 is too old now.

>>>...where Autodesk shoves 2018 down the throats of it's users....<<<
If they wanted to do that they would not offer the free DWGTRUEVIEW2018 that is designed to properly knock files down to older formats for you, for free https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/dwg-trueview/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How...

[Sahay_R · Accepted solution]

Have you tried to DXFOUT your file? 

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

It's not too old, and it works fine.  It has worked fine for several years, and should continue to do so for many more years.  My business gains absolutely nothing from an autocad upgrade.  In fact, an autocad upgrade costs money in lost time, as should be evident by this thread.   

I did use the solution of saving as a dxf and then resaving and it works.   

[whitney_jeff]

We have started having the same issue just in the last couple of days.  No problem prior to that.  We typically save to 2013, but even when I save to 2018 the problem persists.

exporttoautocad does not solve the problem, and dxfout and back in is not really a viable solution.

[dgorsman]

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@whitney_jeff wrote:

We have started having the same issue just in the last couple of days.  No problem prior to that.  We typically save to 2013, but even when I save to 2018 the problem persists.

exporttoautocad does not solve the problem, and dxfout and back in is not really a viable solution.

---

When you open a file, any legacy AEC content (data and entities) are upgraded to the version of the application.  Just as with using vanilla AutoCAD the DWG format is updated to the DWG version of the program, regardless of what the file version was (e.g. 2018 AutoCAD always operates on the file as 2018 DWG format, even if it was originally saved as 2007 format).

Saving Civil3D or other AEC vertical content to an earlier format DWG file does nothing to change the AEC content version.  The Civil3D data, now upgraded to 2018, is still in 2018 format regardless of what DWG file version is saved to or what earlier version is used to open that file.

[whitney_jeff]

ALL the content is vanilla autocad.  No civil, MEP, architectural - just good old ACAD.  Why won't it save to 2018 format without the message?  Bug?  I have only ever had this issue in the past if there WERE actually AEC objects in the drawings, there are none in these.

[cadffm]

>"but even when I save to 2018 the problem persists."

No, then it is another message (or?)

And your statement "all content is vanilla autocad" is right if you mean "only autocad out of the box", but you can can create/edit AEC "objects" with plain autocad ("objects" = what developers call object).

If we talk about "real clean files", i mean the whole file os only created by vanilla autocad, then we talk about a BUG in 2018+ versions.

(I know what happens, but i also call it a bug because it is stupid and that wasn't an problem until 2018).

When you say you get the message in a "clean" file (popup for mixed, previous or newer version no matter),

I am 100% sure you changed the aec-settings one or more times in that file.

Thats a problem since 2018 (for me a bug).

[whitney_jeff]

What AEC settings are you referring to?  I did not change any AEC*** until this started happening.

As a test I detached the xref titleblock from the cover sheet, and tried to save the file to both 2013 and 2018 with the same error message.  exporttoautocad for 2013 and 2018, then open and save the file gives the same message - it is the "Save Drawing - Version Conflict" pop-up.  I even exploded all blocks except hatches in the background xref, same notice.

But as noted previously in the thread, as long as that pop-up is enabled, the drawing does get saved.  But now when closing several open files I have to say yes twice for each file.

[cadffm]

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@whitney_jeff  schrieb:

What AEC settings are you referring to?  I did not change any AEC*** until this started happening.

---

AEC setting for units and scaling. It is reachable in plain AutoCAD by (hidden) command -DWGUNITS.

If you have really a clean file and you get the message: One or more times in the file lifetime you (or another one?) used this command.

background

  The problem (only) problem in AutoCAD is: The AEC setting for the scaling when
  inserting objects is also taken into account in AutoCAD,
  if there was not this problem, then everything would be fine.
  Unfortunately, AutoDesk has done this totally stupid (different) and this leads to problems.

  My idea since 20 years: AutoCAD should ignore dwgunits settings completely,

  then disable the -dwgunits command for autocad. No scaling, no problem, no pain.

  But the the feedback of some command/palettes are also dependend of these settings, so it isn't easy to change the handling of these things.

back to the topic:

If you..

1. never use(d) this command in a (clean) file in 2013-2019. you never get this messages.

2. if you used the command earlier in an older programversion, it is also not a problem

    in a newer program version (the information converts to the newer version and you get an popup with that informations if you didn't disabled the popup)

3. With -ExportToAutoCAD you can delete these aec-Informations, but you can only use the command

    so long you dont have the flag for newer aec-version in your file.

And a second "real" Bug (for me): AutoCAD writes that aec-flag into a file by starting the dwgunits command,

not by leaving the command. So it is enouth to start the command and the flag for the current aec-flag

is written in the file, also if you not change the setting and canceling the command[ESC].

[Anonymous]

I am unable to save the CAD file in lower version. Getting the error message "this drawing contains custom objects that are not supported in previous versions" How can I solve this issue. Please help.

[RobDraw]

Export it.

[Sahay_R]

Please see the previous solutions. Using the DXFOUT command to save as a DXF, the re-saving as a DWG, should do it.