Upgrade Time! Should It Stay…Or Go?

You can feel the excitement in the air…it’s Autodesk upgrade time!! IT and CAD managers are on caffeine overload, CAD techs are hesitant to turn on their machines for fear of what may have changed. Project managers assume that you already know how the new features work and why isn’t that project out already…?? Deep breath. Step back away from the computer and regroup.

One question that always emerges around this time of year is “what exactly do we upgrade”? Can we leave our templates in AutoCAD 2007 format? (Really…who does that?) Standard blocks…upgrade or leave previous versions and hope there are no corruptions? Reuse title blocks? Well, why not?

My theory is this. The software is upgraded and will work with files that are compatible. Plain and simple. Right? Not always. Yes, AutoCAD is backwards compatible. Yes, the new versions will open old DWGs. However, if you have a title block that was created in AutoCAD 2007, and you want to SAVEAS a 2013 drawing (thank you, Autodesk, for not throwing in another file format this year), there is a possibility for some issues. First, because the file is so old, it is open to corruption just from being used for years. Secondly, sometimes we just need to start from scratch with a fresh file, especially if there have been several file versions between the upgrade. *GASP* I can hear the arguments now…”takes too long, too much stuff, yada yada yada…”

Hear me out, please. I’m not asking you to reinvent the wheel or wipe out your company’s CAD library and start over (oh, dear, please do NOT do that!) All I’m saying is that if you have some standard files that you have used over and over for several years, it may be a good idea to create a new file and copy everything into that new DWG or DWT. Yes, AUDIT and RECOVER usually take care of issues in old drawings, but if the file continues to have issues, and you’re constantly griping about having to to RECOVER a drawing, it just might be time to create that new file, and give AutoCAD a fresh start. Use DesignCenter to transfer what you can. Who knows…you may find that a few hours of cleansing will do your AutoCAD library a world of good.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled AutoCAD upgrade extravaganza…cheers!

1 Comment

  1. Alan (BIGAL)

    This is exactly what we plan to do make a brand new 2016 DWT, its not hath hardfor our CIV3d use import styles, and some free import blocks and layers programs and you have a new DWT.

Comments are closed.