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Understanding DWG Files and Fixing Them

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The native AutoCAD file for saving drawings is ".DWG" (short form extension for "drawing"). The DWG file can be likened to a moveable database, storing tables of information such as geometry, views, layers, configurations, third-party extensions and links to other data sets like XREF or BLOCK. The first .DWG binary format "MC0.0" was implemented in 1982 with the AutoCAD 1.0 release. A user can check any DWG file directly by opening in a binary-text editor (I use vi/vim) and checking the first six characters like we did here:


That's it. Those six characters "hard-code" the rest of the drawings data as to which version protocol it obeys. in this case the file is DWG 2010 format. How do we know? Because AC1024 is code for 2010 DWG. Many of you have probably seen this table somewhere before:

DWG Version"Internal" VersionRelease DateAutoCAD version(s)
DWG R1.0MC0.0April 1983AutoCAD Release 1.0
DWG R1.2AC1.2August  1983AutoCAD Release 1.2
DWG R1.40AC1.40October 1983AutoCAD Release 1.40
DWG R2.05AC1.50October 1984AutoCAD Release 2.05
DWG R2.10AC2.10May 1985AutoCAD Release 2.10
DWG R2.21AC2.21June 1986AutoCAD Release 2.21
DWG R2.22AC1001, AC2.22 AutoCAD Release 2.22
DWG R2.50AC1002June 1986AutoCAD Release 2.50
DWG R2.60AC1003April 1987AutoCAD Release 2.60
DWG R9AC1004September 1987AutoCAD Release 9
DWG R10AC1006October 1988AutoCAD Release 10
DWG R11/12AC1009October 1990AutoCAD Release 11 & 12
DWG R13AC1012November 1994AutoCAD Release 13
DWG R14AC1014May 1997AutoCAD Release 14
DWG 2000AC1015March 1999AutoCAD 2000 - AutoCAD 2002
DWG 2004AC1018March 2003AutoCAD 2004 - AutoCAD 2006
DWG 2007AC1021March 2006AutoCAD 2007 - AutoCAD 2009
DWG 2010AC1024March 2009AutoCAD 2010 - AutoCAD 2012
DWG 2013AC1027March 2012AutoCAD 2013 - AutoCAD 2017


AutoCAD configurations can be divided into two groups: global software "Options" and drawing-specific "Settings". The Autodesk DWG files spec includes numerous configuration settings that get stored into the individual DWG file. One way of implementing certain drawing settings across all new drawings is to save those settings into the Drawing Template FIle (".DWT"). With progeCAD 2017, the default .DWT folder is:
%APPDATA%\PSOFT\progeCAD x64\R17\Professional - English\Templates
But the path can be configured in Options -> "Path/Files" tab -> Templates

DWG like many high-precision CAD formats can accumulate erros over time. These errors can originate from geometry, block handling, API errors and many other sources. DWG errors can result in degraded (slow/"glitched") performance, stability issues and even crash incidents.

progeCAD, like AutoCAD, offers several tools for addressing DWG data errors. Main among these tools is the AUDIT command:
http://docs.autodesk.com/ACD/2010/ENU/AutoCAD%202010%20User%20Documentation/index.html?url=WS1a9193826455f5ffa23ce210c4a30acaf-7855.htm,topicNumber=d0e19845

Regardless of the drawing origin, when system stability begins to degrade, always check the DWG quality using these tools. Occasional discussions on the CADDIT forum address these incidents directly with a number of good suggestions:
https://www.caddit.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1101

progeCAD offers comprehensive DWG drawing and editing at a fraction of the cost of AutoCAD, as shown above offering similar tools and completely compatible format. For a free progeCAD download visit CADDIT here (link).

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