I am dealing with Planners who use AutoCAD quite a bit and keep running into the issue with M8 of not being able to import the DWG and DXF files as they are in versions other than 13, 14 or 15. I am dealing with the issue by asking to have them in one of those versions. Sometimes this is an issue. I am not familiar with AutoCAD is it easy to export files in versions 13-15? Is there a better way of dealing with this issue such as having a program that can convert the files? Or some other avenue?

Autodesk has a free program called DWG TrueView. You can look at or print CAD files, but will not have the ability to modify the files. You willhave the ability to save the DWG down to an older CAD format. I typically save CAD files back to Version 2000, which is the most recent version that M8 or M9 will read.

That said, CAD files (at least from my experience) will have hundreds of unnecessary layers, blocks, and other leftover bits. They often have internal errors that can also cause troubles. I usually use other AutoCAD-like programs to clean and repair files before saving them down to Version 2000. I am currently using a free version of Draftsight, which will no longer be free as of January 2020. Another program I have not played much with is FreeCAD; an open source CAD program. Winnowing down the number of unnecessary, empty layers, blocks, and formats greatly helps in reducing the sheer number of choices of layers to import. Having DWG TrueView, Draftsight, or FreeCAD running on a second monitor also helps to narrow down which layers contain the information you need to import.

Best of luck with the import.

Works perfectly, really appreciate your help, thanks

If having done the conversion M8 can't import the fie is it likely that there are some issues with the file itself? I can import it into M9 but only some of the layers have anything meaningful in them.

9 generally has better dataports than 8, so if 9 can import something but 8 cannot that does not mean there is something wrong with the file. It could just be a better import capability in 9.

Hi Ian,

https://guthcad.com/ is also a good source when i comes down to deal with CAD data.

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