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CAD tip # 6439:

Question CAD
% platform category

Forcing DWG format version for save in AutoCAD.

AutoCAD allows to save DWG drawing files also in older versions of the DWG format. This setting for the DWG format can be done in the Options dialog, on the "Open and Save" tab.

With the following less-known trick you can force an older save format also from a menu macro, from a LISP utility or through a site-wide setting in the Registry (e.g. using GPO, logon script, etc.).

The default save format in AutoCAD is controlled by the environment variable "DefaultFormatForSave". This value is stored in the Registry - e.g.:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R17.2\ACAD-7001:409\Profiles\<< Unnamed profile >>\General

and you can set it with the function (setenv).

This variable can be set to the following values:

48 - AutoCAD 2010 DWG format
36 - AutoCAD 2007 DWG format
24 - AutoCAD 2004 DWG format
12 - AutoCAD 2000 DWG format

So e.g. the function (setenv "DefaultFormatForSave" "24") will set the default save format in AutoCAD 2009 to DWG2004.

Other possible values for DefaultFormatForSave are e.g. 1=R12 DXF, 13=2000 DXF, 49=2010 DXF, 50=2010 DWT, 61=2013 DXF, 62=2013 DWT

ACAD2012ACAD2010ACAD2008ACAD2007LTADT

* CAD

17.12.2008 16665x

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applies to: AutoCAD 2012 · AutoCAD 2010 · AutoCAD 2008 · AutoCAD 2007 · AutoCAD LT · AutoCAD Architecture ·

See also:
Tip 9216:	Automatically save raster images edited in Raster Design.
Tip 8998:	How to make saving to older versions of DWG (SAVEAS) faster?
Tip 8837:	MText justification does not hold.
Tip 8754:	Thumbnail settings can influence AutoCAD DWG file size.
Tip 8206:	Using the DWG TrueView viewer as a drawing editor.

Selected tip: How to construct a line perpendicular to an arc?

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