How to save a drawing in AutoCAD to an older file format for compatibility with prior versions of AutoCAD, and allow older releases of AutoCAD to open the file instead of receiving the following message:
Mar 14, 2014 Change AutoCAD file version to any version 2015 2014 2013 2010 2007 2004 2000 R14 If you enjoyed this video please click the 'Like & Share' it really helps me out! AutoCAD versioning can at times pose problems for those who have received a drawing file which has been created in a more recent version of AutoCAD than the one they are using. Having to then locate someone in the office who has the one copy of the latest AutoCAD to.
Open Drawing - Incompatible Version The drawing file could not be opened because it was created with a more recent version of AutoCAD.
Causes:
The file was created or saved in a more recent version of AutoCAD in a newer DWG format. See the article AutoCAD drawing file formats for the AutoCAD file format change history and compatibilities.
Solution:
The Save As dialog window in AutoCAD allows selecting different drawing versions:
Click the 'Save As' button on the Quick Access Toolbar in AutoCAD or type SAVEAS on the command line.
It is suggested to change the name of the file to prevent overwriting the original.
Choose the appropriate file format version under the 'Files of Type' drop-down menu.
Save the file.
Note: The default file format can be designated in the program under the
Open and Save tab in Options, making AutoCAD always save to that format. If a file has been received in a newer format that cannot be opened by the version of AutoCAD currently installed (hence receiving the above 'incompatible version message'), ask the sender to resave it to an older format that can be used or download and install the latest version of DWG TrueView (the free Autodesk file viewing software) and use its 'DWG Convert' feature to convert the drawing:
Create a copy of the drawing file to be converted.
Launch DWG TrueView.
Click the application menu in the upper-left and choose DWG Convert (or pick it on the ribbon if a file is open).
Add the file(s) in the Files Tree list (click the green plus Add Files button).
Choose the appropriate file format version.
Click Convert.
Note: AutoCAD itself has the DWGCONVERT command (but not AutoCAD for Mac) for batch-converting files to older formats. For AutoCAD for Mac, use AutoCAD Mobile (TrueView is not available for the Mac OS):
Log in to AutoCAD Mobile.
Upload the drawing and then view it.
Click the 'Download' button.
Choose DWG and the appropriate file format version.
See Also:
Versions:
any_version;
Issue:
How to convert or import a PDF file to a DWG file using AutoCAD.
Solution:
Prior to AutoCAD 2017, it was not possible to convert a PDF file to a DWG file using AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT. PDF files could only be inserted as underlays (external references). The content could then be traced and scaled to known dimensions, if desired.
With the release of AutoCAD 2017, using the PDFIMPORT command, it is now possible to import PDF content directly into AutoCAD drawings. Lines will become editable geometry and text will become editable text. The accuracy of the resultant AutoCAD content is largely dependent upon the quality of the original PDF, so results may vary. Additionally, PDF underlays in drawings created with previous AutoCAD releases can be converted into editable drawing geometry using the PDFIMPORT command. Using PDFIMPORT with PDFs created from scanned images/documents will result in the creation of a raster image file, which is then attached to the drawing as an xref. The raster imagery will not be converted into editable geometry.
See Also:
To learn more about importing PDF into AutoCAD, see the recorded tutorials: How to handle PDF Import in AutoCAD 2017 | AutoCAD (YouTube Video) AutoCAD 2018: PDF Enhancements | AutoCAD (YouTube Video) To learn more about working with PDF documents, see the AutoCAD Help documentation: PDFIMPORT (Command) About Importing PDF Files PDFATTACH (Command) About Attaching Files as Underlays AutoCAD PDF Import: Guidance for Working with PDF and AutoCAD DWG Data (Blog)
Products:
AutoCAD for Mac; AutoCAD LT for Mac; AutoCAD Products;