SDI = 1 not working - Plus CAD opens to blank screen instead of target drawing.

[tor3B3UK]

I have enabled SDI by setting the value to 1, however, when opening up a second drawing nothing happens - it takes me back to the existing drawing that's already open and ignores the double-click for the second drawing that I'm trying to open. 

Also, when starting from scratch, CAD open up to a 'blank' instance of AutoCAD instead of opening the target drawing. Is there a setting or variable that somehow needs to be changed? 

[cadffm]

Start second instance with SDI=1

This feature is disabled by Autodesk!
You can not open a second instance (by usual ways)
See also here:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-lt-forum/autocad-lt-2019-does-not-open-dwg-files/td-p/7882984

[tor3B3UK]

I was able to open multiple instances of CAD yesterday but not today. Is this a change that occurred in the last 24 hours? 

[cadffm]

No, look to the date of my linked thread.
This is ootb(or comes with the first update, i am not sure).
Do you updated yesterday?

[tor3B3UK]

I asked about the date-change because I "upgraded" to 2019 about a month ago and was perfectly fine using SDI = 1 and having multiple drawings open at the same time. It was only since today that multiple drawings are not opening. 

Now when I click to open up a second drawing -NOTHING- happens. It takes me back to the open drawing and does nothing. 

[cadffm]

Like i wrote above, i am not sure if this is standard for plain 2019 ootb or comes with the first update.

Your ABOUT information is P.61.0.0 ?
Then
Check your 'features and programs' -> Updates -> AUTOCAD 2019.0.1
Check the Install date

[tor3B3UK]

I have done the update but the product version is still listed as" P.46.0.0 AutoCAD LT 2019.

Issues remaining:

1) I am able to open up multiple instances of AutoCAD by clicking "AutoCAD 2019" in the program menu. It brings me to a blank screen that says Drawing1.dwg. This is a hassle since I am opening and closing several drawings all day long.

2) I am NOT able to open up -any- drawing by clicking (or double-clicking) on it directly 

 - when an existing drawing is open, then clicking on a new drawing takes me to the one that is open and ignores the request to open the target drawing I wanted to be open side-by-side (this was working okay yesterday)

- when no other drawing is open, then AutoCAD opens to a blank screen that says Drawing1.dwg but the target drawing is not opened

3) There are many reasons I need multiple drawings open:

- I have to copy-paste between drawings very frequently. As of today when I copy from one drawing and have to close it out to paste it into another drawing I am losing the copy and nothing happens when I try to paste it.

- Many times people will call and ask questions about another project that is not open so I need to open that up and I don't want to have to close out of the work that is current

- I have multiple monitors and want schedules on one screen with reference drawings on the other

I appreciate any help you may have.

[pendean]

Read this all the way through https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Double...

[tor3B3UK]

If I do this then my SDI is set to zero and I cannot open two side-by-side version of AutoCAD? I need multiple versions of CAD up and running simultaneously. This is an absolute MUST for the following reasons:

1) CAD crashes are not unusual.  Crashes in SDI mode=0 would result in losing all drawings simultaneously. I would prefer SDI=1 so I only lose 1 drawing at a time.

2)  I prefer to be able to see all my open drawings as separate icons in Windows which makes closing them more secure thus avoiding accidentally closing the wrong drawing

3) Navigating the CAD open menu to open a drawing is cumbersome compared to simply double-clicking on a .dwg file to open. This type of forced opening protocol adds unnecessary wasted time which becomes a negative based constant-reminder association of the software.

4) I have multiple monitors and want schedules on one screen with reference drawings on the other each with their own interface for cross-drawing purposes. I don't want the middle monitor to have to be where drawing icons are when drawing in the right or left side of the screen. The triple-wide SDI=0 monitor is too wide for ease of use and an unnecessary burden to productivity.

[cadffm]

In short points

MDI (SDI=I) is state of the art and usual, not only for acad and started 2000(?)

A crash should not be usual, but sometimes it happen.
(With my files and worksteps not often)
Save by hand,recoverymanager and well created drawings help me.

You can open multiple program instance, same or different versions, no problem.
You can open drawings by drag&drop to the commandline in the program window you want.

Is command TASKBAR available? I dont know at this moment.
FILETABPREVIEW and layout previuous are nice too.

And by linking .DWG Extension to your own "Acad launcher" it is possible to start a file from explorer automatically.
This is the way of my bypass the the sdi-limitation. But it should also working with SDI=0.

Is your Acad with mdi (sdi=0) running well now?

Good night.

[tor3B3UK]

thanks for your help. I want to open two drawings side by side. If one drawing is open, then when I click on a second drawing nothing happens at all. My SDI, Filetabpreview, and taskbar are all set to 1. Are you able to open up two drawings at the same time? 

[cadffm]

"You" are a really hard case 😉

SDI(=1)
SINGLE document interface
MDI(SDI=0)
MULTI document interface - Standard since many years for most of windows software

2019 SDI=1
Autocad has (try) shut down the opening of a second session, the reason you already know.



>>"I want to open two drawings side by side."
>>"1. Are you able to open up two drawings at the same time?"
Yes, of course. In MDI mode (and i can do it in SDI too, but it is unsupported and not working well in your system - How you saw the last days.

a) Two drawings in one session and arrange the file-windows side by side, that is not what you want.

b) *Start two times autocad and arrange the program-windows side by side.

How to start a program:
One possible and prefered way:
Doubleclick your Desktop-icon of Autocad.

-Doubleclick a datafile
-Doubleclick Desktop icon
-Doubleclick acad.exe
are different things in the IT world,
It is not the same.

(Which operating System do you have, Win10?)

[tor3B3UK]

So you're saying that AutoCAD LT for 2019 disabled the SDI=1 feature without telling it's customer base prior to paying for their subscriptions and that there is no legacy option? This is really all I need to know but keep getting mixed signals from this forum (maybe that's why this is a 'tough case'). Some say it's possible, others say it's not. 

I'm running win10 on a (newer) SSD top of the line computer. 

Clearly, when working in multiple drawings across multiple screens it is not even remotely convenient to only work in one instance of AutoCAD so disabling the SDI=1 option is flat out stupid and I will do anything necessary to enable this feature to work as it has for the last 18-some years. 

[cadffm]

what I meant by 2000-2018:

I'm waiting (not hoping) for 18 years that the SDI will be disabled.

In the past (over 30 years until 2000) there was only the SDI mode.

As I said earlier, you can also open multiple instances with MDI, no problem.

The difference is: Autocad does not close itself with exiting the last file and you have to open multiple instances yourself (not by double-clicking on a file).

If you have read different statements then this is either because a version was not upbto date (I do not know if it was from the beginning or only with the update), or the statement comes from me.

I just bypassed the lock for a test, and on Win8, SDI ran smoothly.

But for you, it does not work for you.

2019 and SDI in general:

Did you read somewhere that Autodesk with Autocad 2019 offers you the SDI mode?

Then please link the page, thank you.

I'm always interested in that.

Ich drücke dir die Daumen das dieses Problem gelöst wird.

[pendean]

If you only want to open and stare at two drawings side-by-side for whatever reason, then why not just use the side-by-side option (found in the VIEW tab on the Ribbon) in the one single LT session. It's been around for 18+years now and is very popular in our office (especially on dual monitors)

Of since you are in LT2019, why not use the drawing compare feature if that's all you are after instead https://www.cad-notes.com/autocad-and-lt-2019-drawing-compare/

[tor3B3UK]

Staring at two drawings or comparing two drawings don't allow one to open and close them in separate instances for the following reasons: 

1) CAD crashes are not unusual.  Crashes in SDI mode=0 would result in losing all drawings simultaneously. I would prefer SDI=1 so I only lose 1 drawing at a time.

2)  I prefer to be able to see all my open drawings as separate icons in Windows which makes closing them more secure thus avoiding accidentally closing the wrong drawing

3) Navigating the CAD open menu to open a drawing is cumbersome compared to simply double-clicking on a .dwg file to open. This type of forced opening protocol adds unnecessary wasted time which becomes a negative based constant-reminder association of the software.

4) I have multiple monitors and want schedules on one screen with reference drawings on the other each with their own interface for cross-drawing purposes. I don't want the middle monitor to have to be where drawing icons are when drawing in the right or left side of the screen. The triple-wide SDI=0 monitor is too wide for ease of use and an unnecessary burden to productivity.

[tor3B3UK]

Apologies for not being able to follow along with your train of thought - maybe it's a language barrier thing but I'm not getting what you're saying... 

[cadffm · Accepted solution]

The important point again:
Yes, SDI is not working. You have to work only in MDI mode(sdi=0)

Also, I mentioned that Autodesk did not advertise this feature. SDI has been undocumented for some versions.

Then I explained the history.

Sorry for my english.

[pendean]

See your other post, many were answered there and in many of your other duplicate posts.

FWIW your hesitation to using OPEN command inside AutoCAD is probably your biggest limiting factor: wean yourself off from Windows File Explorer.

Remember, you're not the only AutoCAD/LT user on the planet with multiple monitors and the need to open many files at once.

[tor3B3UK]

I have been using the OPEN command and trying desperately to use SDI=0 for the last week. It has been a DISASTER. I HATE IT WITH A PASSION. This is cumbersome, complicated, confusing, and just plain STUPID. working across multiple screens is a NIGHTMARE. I know you're not the one who 'designed' it and are just trying to help, but I am very quickly losing my patience with this program that has taken me 15+ years to learn and then it RADICALLY changes. Hate it very much.