acad saves IDW files

[Anonymous]

Hello-

We have two users who are now using ACAD MECH 2016. Whenever they save a DWG, an IDW file also shows up in the same location. Is there a way to turn this feature off? Neither of the users have inventor installed.

Thanks-

Sam

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Hi,

There is no way for AutoCAD to save the file as IDW. Is it the same extension or some back up file extensions for AutoCAD as discussed here,

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Underst...

Can you please uninstall and reinstall DWG true view 2016 and see whether it helps or not. If possible, can you send us a short video of the problem. You could use our Autodesk Screencast tool to capture the scenario.

Looking forward to your inputs.

[VinodBalasubramanian]

May I also check whether,

Are you running VIEWBASE or any inventor link commands in AutoCAD Mechanical ?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply-

Yes, we use viewbase extensively. There's no need to make a screencast as this just happens when we save a DWG. Anytime a drawing is saved, another file (IDW) appears in the same directory.

Also, there is no installation of trueview on that computer.

Sam

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Thanks for the update. This probably clears my query. I believe when you are using viewbase command, you are using from inventor file as the option which generates the idw. Can you describe your workflow with VIEWBASE command on your drawings. Looking forward to your reply.

[Anonymous]

We do not create viewbase views from inventor, we create them from model space using models created in AutoCAD on a computer that upgraded to ACAD 2016 from 2015. The workflow goes like this:

from paper space:

enter the command: VIEWBASE

select option: MODEL SPACE

remove unwanted geometry from selection

place views

...

Save the DWG file.

ACAD creates a DWG file and an IDW file

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Hi,

Thanks for the detailed steps. It was very helpful. Unfortunately, I couldn't able to reproduce it. May I have a drawing which has the 3D model in it from your end. I will test and let you know. Also do let me know how the 3D was created. Is it imported to AutoCAD or created fully in AutoCAD ?

Looking forward to your inputs.

[Anonymous]

Hello-

This issue is happening on DWGs that contain imported 3D geometry that came from our client. Only our ACAD2016 installations are generating IDW. The 2D data is exported from Revit as far as I know. 

I cannot upload these to a public area, can I send you a private message with the file attatched?

Thanks-

Sam

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Hi Sam,

I have activated an FTP site and sent to you. Please upload the file to that secure site for us to do further testing. I will keep you posted here on the progress of our tests once the file is uploaded.

[Anonymous]

hello- 

I did not receive any information about FTP access, either through my email or through private message. I checked my spam folder but I see nothing. where did you send this, please?

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Hi Sam,

I have sent another email now to your company email address and as well as a private message. Please check and let me know.

Thanks,

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Thanks for the files Sam. I can reproduce the IDW creation. This is bit strange and we have never come across this in Mechanical. I will check with our Model documentation developers for some additional info here.

In the meantime, can you please let me know how the 3D model was imported into AutoCAD Model space and in which software was it created. Let me know your thoughts on that.

[Anonymous]

🙂

The 3D model in that file was created in AutoCAD mechanical 2016. There is some 2D geometry in model space that was copied (copy & paste) from DWGs that were sent to us from our client and were created in Revit. We have received no 3D models from the client, only 2D files exported from Revit. In the files I sent to you, everything in the paper space layouts were created by us either in Acad Mech 2016 or 2015 (the user upgraded to 2016 in the middle of creating that file). The IDW files only started appearing once we upgraded Acad mech to 2016.

Thanks-

Sam

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Hi Sam,

I just got a confirmation from our developers on the following.

We always create these IDW files (These are considered as working file for Model documentation drawings), but they should be gone when Drawing is closed cleanly. They may stay on the working directory and may not be cleaned if the application crashes or drawing was not closed cleanly.

I quicklcy checked this workflow on 2015 and can be reproducible there as well. It looks like its by default creates IDW once the file is opened which contains model documentation and will be removed when the file is saved and closed. I can exhibit this behavior both on 2015 and 2016. Can you confirm whether there is any difference at your end on the above workflow.

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is what is happening except that the files are not being deleted when ACAD is shut down cleanly. It is hard to tell if this happens every time a drawing is edited but these files keep reappearing. This behaviour only started when our users upgraded to 2016 MECH so I don't beleive it's a problem with our network, etc.. 

We can just delete these files as we go, i guess. I will consider this issue closed unsolved as it has consumed more time than deleting the files will 🙂

thanks for your attention

Sam

[VinodBalasubramanian]

As we spoke, please capture the idw file that fails to delete in the screencast tool from the link below. This would help to escalate that for a fix as it shouldnt happen at this point of time.

https://screencast.autodesk.com/

[Anonymous]

I am having this same issue with AutoCAD 2016 v. M.49.0.0.  I had not connected this with Viewbase (which I use, but which is not present on the files in question).  It seems to be happening also with files which are 2D only.

[Anonymous]

hi guys, any solution of this problem? im having the same problem with my autocad 2017 I have exported a model from inventor to autocad and since then when the .dwg file is save it will save also a .idw file

[Anonymous]

Has there been any progress on this same item?  I am using Plant 3D and within the past month (but only just noticing) that the creation of these*.idw files are created.  Incidentally the file name in the instance I am using is an identical name even to the .dwg.  The idw is appended to the item and most of these files are only 50kB and also when I try and open the file with inventor view, Inventor View crashes.  A file name looks like "600-8501.dwg.idw"

When another one is saved it appears as "600-8501.dwg0.idw"

[samuel.musgroveZ4BXN]

In case anyone stumbles on this thread looking for a solution like I was, the issue I found is using Viewbase.

Some are talking about it even appearing when they don't use it in a drawing, so I would try using a default AutoCAD template to make a drawing and see if it still happens. If it doesn't, then viewbase was likely used before the template was saved and it wants to keep making the .idw file in reference to whatever old model was used.

I believe it will also create a .idw file even if the model space of a .dwg file is used because it uses Inventor programs in the background, even if you don't have Inventor installed.