Civil 3D 2017 is not backward compatable.

[ChrisRS]

Civil 3D 2017 is not backward compatable.

I suspect that this is the cost of progress, so it OK. Just be aware.

When 2016 was backward compatible with 2015, AutoDesk clearly said so. It would be nice if they spoke as clearly now.

From the help File:

Interoperability Between Versions

This topic describes the behavior when an AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 drawing is opened in prior versions of AutoCAD Civil 3D.

Objects in a drawing saved in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 are available only as proxies when the drawing is opened in a prior version of the software.

Within AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017, set the PROXYGRAPHICS drawing setting to 1 to save the graphics with the drawing, otherwise a bounding box is displayed where the object is located when the drawing is opened in a prior version of the software.

Notice whenyou open an older version file:

[AllenJessup]

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@rkmcswain wrote:

I agree with your post 99%. 

Then a few days later, they double-click a .DWG file

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Of course. Everyone makes mistakes. Even us old guy's.  But you have to have a way to recover from those mistakes. In my case it's Backups, Backups, Backups. I needed the warning box the other day to remind me to archive the 2017 project and create a new 2019 project.

One of the first things I teach is to never double click on a drawing in Windows Explorer.

I gave up trying to keep a project in the same version. If we did that. I'd still be trying to run Softdesk. After a new release of Civil 3D is installed. We archive the project and then bring the drawing into the new version.

[wfberry]

By the way Allen, what is the record for number of posts?  We are over 160 on this one.  Let's all chip in.

Bill

[AllenJessup]

Hi Bill, I don't think we're anywhere near the record yet.