Why should users open AutoCAD from within the program not from Windows Explorer?

[Anonymous]

I have always told people to open AutoCAD from within the program (from the file menu or from SSM) and not by clicking on the drawing in Windows Explorer, but why?  I'm sure I've learned why in the past but i have long since forgotten.  So why should I do it this way? 

Wendy

[rkmcswain]

If you have multiple versions of AutoCAD installed, opening the application first ensures the DWG will open in that application.

Other than that, and presuming your Windows file associations are not all messed up, I don't see what difference it makes.

Most people don't open Notepad and then go [File->Open] to read a TXT file, they just double-click on the TXT file, right?

[jackshield]

never heard of this other than the scenario that rkmcswain describes

i do recomend leaving autocad open when switching between drawings, rather than closing the program all together

[cadwomen]

or you get a viewer also on the PC so it may open ther this DWG

or or or

more then one reason not to handel it this way

but if you get acad open y can just put the dwg an drop here to the orderline an it wll be open

dont drag here to the main window it will take it lik a block inside yout open drawing

cw

[jackshield]

What?

Sent from my iPhone

[Anonymous]

With 2016 causing an unsurmountable amount of page faults, I close Autocad completely after each drawing. it is now 9:43, and Autocad has been up and running since 0700, I currently have 39,261,817 page faults according to Task Manager. I'm not much on taking 2 steps when 1 will suffice, I open all of my drawings from Windows Explorer.

[dgorsman]

Aside from different vertical products, each of them can have multiple profiles.  Add in workspaces, DWG viewers like DWGTrueView, third-party applications, and other programs like Navisworks Simulate/Manage, 3DSMAX, and so on it its best not to let the computer guess which software you want to use.

[Emmsleys · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous, 

I often open drawings within AutoCAD because I have multiple releases and vertical AutoCAD applications on one system. Many have the same setup. If you want a specific drawing to open with a specific release I would recommend opening the file within the desired AutoCAD release you would like to work in that day. 

There are multiple things that could occur that might be problematic that other users have run into such as; 

• Drawing's file opening in the wrong version of AutoCAD 
• The shortcut to a drawing could get corrupted 
• Paths to a network and or drawing file maybe disconnected and not open properly. 
• Opening a drawing folder in AutoCAD

Opening a drawing file within AutoCAD in my opinion is the easiest way and the work flow I'm a custom to even before my employment with Autodesk. It allows the application to communicate directly with my system and or network files I need to locate. 

There are different work flows per each individual, but if all else fails try opening the file from AutoCAD directly.

If you continue to have an issue try Resetting back to defaults (caution save a file of your settings as needed). 

Please select Accept as Solution if my post or any other post in this thread resolves your issue, or reply with additional information if the problem persists.

[dbroad]

To make file dialog operations more consistent, I always open AutoCAD by double clicking on the drawing file.  I usually know which version I last used.  If not, I launch AutoCAD by version and then immediately close it and then open by double click on the drawing file.  

[Anonymous]

Steve,

Page faults is an unfortunate choice of words that Microsoft chose. The term "fault" would indicate some type of error but that is not the case. It is simply the term they use to indicate swapping memory.

[Anonymous]

I am aware of what page faults are, I also know how they are created. That being said, it is an obvious sign of a problem, be it large or small.  The drawings I work on range from less than 1 Mb to over 10 Mb, so page faults mean something to me. They are an indicator of problems in the system, regardless of size. Autocad was designed to be run on a system that was meant to do nothing but run autocad. When you throw anti virus software in with the mix, you're asking for problems. Page faults occur when something can't be found in RAM, where it should be. 

So yeah, to me, they mean something. 

[RobDraw]

"Autocad was designed to be run on a system that was meant to do nothing but run autocad."

If that were the case, most of us would have two workstations.

[Anonymous]

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@RobDraw wrote:

"Autocad was designed to be run on a system that was meant to do nothing but run autocad."

If that were the case, most of us would have two workstations.

---

I do. I have a desktop for the CAD stuff, and a laptop for everything else. But it doubles as a CAD sation when I'm on the road.

[dgorsman]

I think the point was AutoCAD is designed to run on mid-to-high end computers; it isn't designed to run on computers which do nothing but run AutoCAD (OEM concept taken to extremes).  AutoCAD is typically the most demanding software commonly installed so it sets the bar on what performance is needed, but that doesn't mean the computer does nothing else, nor are computers designed exclusively for CAD work.

[RobDraw]

"Most demanding" is quite different from "only". Although I agree with your statement, I don't see any need to have a CAD only workstation, unless it is a computer that doesn't even meet the minimum system requirements for running AutoCAD. Even the minimum specs can handle more applications than just AutoCAD. For me, an AutoCAD only workstation would be an extreme hindrance.

I just don't want anyone being mislead by Steve's statement.

[Anonymous]

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@RobDraw wrote:

"Most demanding" is quite different from "only". Although I agree with your statement, I don't see any need to have a CAD only workstation, unless it is a computer that doesn't even meet the minimum system requirements for running AutoCAD. Even the minimum specs can handle more applications than just AutoCAD. For me, an AutoCAD only workstation would be an extreme hindrance.

I just don't want anyone being mislead by Steve's statement.

---

I don't want to mislead anyone. But the facts in my case are too much corporate involvement on what is loaded on each computer, regardless of whether you use it or not, plus the ridiculous anti-virus software that I have to deal with. For me, it is far easier to have my desktop set to use with Autocad only, everything else goes to the laptop.  That way, I can tweak my desktop for what I do 90% of the time. The drawings I either create or work on as a revision are set to a standard that I did not create, I just have to abide by.

If I'm working on revised drawings, I have no idea who worked on them last, typically it was someone that stayed at a Holiday Inn last night and probably played with a trial version of Autocad and now considers themselves the resident expert (these people will draw a box using 4 lines, not polylines or not use the "RECTANGLE" command). They have no idea of what SNAP or ORTHMODE is, nor do they care. Some people want to advertise their 3D skills, even though the 99% drawings I work on are not 3D. Some drawings are conversion of..wait for it...Visio drawings <insert choking sound here> or converted pdf's where text isn't text anymore, just a series of polylines. Needless to say, this is not how I projected things to be, I just deal with it the best way I can. If that means 1 pc for a majority of the work, so be it, I really have no desire to have 3 monitors, 1 desktop and 1 laptop sitting on my desk all of the time to do work that should be done on 1 pc only.

Life 101.

[Emmsleys]

@Anonymous

Did any of the posts in the thread help with you issue?

Please post back in the thread if you are still having an issue with AutoCAD.  The community will be more than happy to help.

Or...select Accept as Solution if any post in this thread resolved your issue. 

Thank you for your time.

[RobDraw]

I'm not the OP, but I think there is something related and of value in every response.