I think you're just being an alarmist because you have a relationship (i.e. - vested interest) with AutoDesk.  You have to defend the company's software because your livelihood depends on it.  Which also means you have to bad mouth anything else that's out there whether it is Draftsight, Bricscad or another CAD program.  Those of us in the real world though have the duty to explore other possibilities and make recommendations based upon our experiences actually making a living doing cad work on a daily basis.

No, the clones aren't the problem as much as it is the shoddy practices of some of your clients who are probably using pirated software but they aren't going to tell you that.  Who knows what kind of corruptions the use of the software may introduce into a drawing.

As far as my personal experience goes I've used Draftsight from time to time to view and edit drawings originally created in AutoCAD and vice-versa.  Other than the standard "warning" I get from AutoCAD about a drawing not being created with an AutoDesk product or not being "trusted" I have not encountered any problems.  My recommendation to the OP was based solely upon what I perceived to be a sometime use of a cad program for minor work which begs the question "why spend $$$ that you don't have to for something that will sit unused for the majority of the time?"  Yes, I know what your response will be: rent AutoCAD LT.  That certainly would be an option but that isn't up to me, it's up to the OP.


Edited by John Connor - 02.Feb.2017 at 11:45

No problem here opening the test drawing in Draftsight.  Given your location I'd say the chances of the problem being a result of pirated software is a possibility.

I think Vlad is making reference to the Open Design Alliance and the various .DWG formats they have come up with.  From one of the alliance's own reports...

Originating in the late 1970s, drawing files created with microcomputer based computer aided design software were saved with the .dwg extension. In the early 1980s, Autodesk® released AutoCAD® which eventually became the most used CAD software in the world and which used Autodesk’s undocumented  and proprietary DWG™ file format (using the .dwg extension).  The Open Design Specification for .dwg files serves AutoCAD’s undocumented and proprietary DWG file format. This specification includes DWG file format versions 13 up to and including version 2013.

Further, the Open Design Specification for .dwg files serves the Teigha® software development platform of the Open Design Alliance.  While our Open Design Specification for .dwg files is able to read and write .dwg files with excellent AutoCAD compatibility, we continue to work to improve our understanding of all the data in a .dwg file.

If you are the kind of person who gets off on minutiae then follow this link where you'll find the 256 page report detailing the Open Design Specification for .dwg files Version 5.3.  Read a few pages of this and you'll fall fast asleep in no time.  LOL

https://www.opendesign.com/files/guestdownloads/OpenDesign_Specification_for_.dwg_files.pdf



Edited by John Connor - 01.Feb.2017 at 16:09

Most users are not going to experience that problem.  I can open any 2D drawing I've created with AutoCAD using the latest version of Draftsight without the loss of information.  These drawings can be site plans, P&ID's, PFD's, block diagrams, electrical schematics, architectural floor plans, elevations and sections as well as any tank fabrication drawings sent to us by outside vendors who also use AutoCAD.  And if the drawings have been saved to 2013 file format I could, if I really needed (obviously I don't), use DWG Trueview to open and save the drawing to the 2010 file format and then open them.  On the other hand I've had AutoCAD 2017 refuse to open drawings created using AutoCAD 2013 (one of the worst releases ever) yet I've been able to open the drawings using Draftsight.  The drawings were saved to 2010 file format too.  That got AutoDesk's attention when I sent them a sample file.  To this day no one at AutoDesk has been able to come up with an explanation for the problem. 

Vladimir Michl wrote: Unfortunately Draftsight does not read or write full DWGs (not 100% compatible files). So you may consider AutoCAD LT or AutoCAD Mobile (AutoCAD 360).

Please clarify as that sounds like total BS to me.  What is your definition of a "full" drawing?

Maybe you were referring to the version of AutoCAD that Draftsight can read?  It is a known fact Draftsight can read .dwg and .dxf versions as early as 2.5 and at least to 2010.  Personally, I haven't tested it for the ability to read 2013 file formats but that would be immaterial to many users like the OP above.

Addendum: Just tested.  DS cannot open an AutoCAD drawing saved in 2013 file format.

Re: Price of Draftsight Pro.  It is being sold for $299 U.S. and that includes the first year subscription.  To renew the subscription a yearly fee of $99 U.S. will be charged.

For comparison, AutoCAD LT 2017 current sells for $360 for a single year license, $685 for a two year license, and $970 for a three year license.


Edited by John Connor - 01.Feb.2017 at 12:37