2004 DWG format

[mauarduz]

the 2004 dwg format is not yet supported by max 5 or viz 4 and itsa problem when clients bring drawings in this format, does anyone know of a realease or a utility that will help import or link the 2004 dwg to our software ???

 

thanx

 

mauarduz

[Jennifer]

Hi,

 

If you have AutoCAD 2004 then just open the file and do a "Save As...", then change the DWG style to an earlier version. If you don't have AutoCAD, then the client should be able to save it in the proper format, including DXF if necessary.

 

With the new DWG format it may be a while before products like PolyTrans support them, but you can give that a try, too. See www.okino.com.

 

Have fun!

[Tim Nelson]

Actually, in 2004, you can't "save as" down to an earlier release. You have to use the "export" command. Funny though, they don't support R14 anymore, just 2000 format.

[Lightning]

AutoDesk and especially the AutoCAD division are one of the biggest A-Holes of the industry.

Not supporting R14 is part of their policy of forcing upgrades on their clients. Their policy claims that the client looses its upgrade privileges every 3 versions.

This is why my office was forced to upgrade from R14 to R2002, and what 2 other versions have been released in between you may ask? Well, there were the AutoCAD 2000 and 2000i. What was the difference between the two that it entitled 2000i the privilege to be called a new release? Simple, it had an "i" add to it…

But wait there is more! looking inside the Acad 2002 flies I found that technically it was referred by AutoDesk themselves as "R15.6", A new release or an update patch? You will be the judge of that.

Exporting to acad2000 is just an expression of AutoDesk's cynicism.

[MarcoG]

I agree with u, i am very angry... and Autodesk seems doesn't want to go in a good way for Us.

 

Just to remember another ... VIZ? ... what is the future for this application?... is it MAX6?...

 

Cya Guys, and thanks for that (bad) news! LOL!

[Ernest Burden III]

Funny though, they don't support R14 anymore, just 2000 format.

That's not funny. The thing is, by now almost EVERY other 3D and CAD app can read and write r14 files, but as far as I know, only the Opendwg alliance has written a good v2000 importer. And now with the 'millenium digital copywrite act' in the US banning reverse-engineering of digital material, I don't know if anyone is going to have the ability to read newer .dwg files very well. Of course that includes Autocad users.

 

The forced upgrades are unbelievable. I have seen it happen to one of my clients--something like 150 - 200 seats of ACAD. They held out to the last minute, but had to pay up. The ADSK gravy train just keeps a rollin'

[garethace]

I remember i installed the VIZ Release 2 service pack 1 or 2, i cannot remember, to allow me to import/link AutoCAD dwg 2000 files. I was delighted with this VIZ service pack to allow me to do that. I think it is a good idea not to have to upgrade to VIZ Release 3, only to import an AutoCAD file format and no other real reason. I was used to using VIZ R2 at the time, and just didn't have the time, to learn the new VIZ R3 interface, menus, settings etc. I was working for myself, and couldn't waste 5 minutes learning any new upgrade software.

 

Then i went to network render one day. I had carefully set up an NT rendering farm, to network render my animations in VIZ R2. But i found to my dismay and horror - that each rendering client prompts the user with some bs about 'acis.dll', you have to click okay to this, before the rendering farm client machine accepts the new rendering job and gets about its business. I cannot tell you how many times, i forgot to do this, and a job i thought i had sent out to the rendering farm, was just sitting there doing nothing. VIZ is a load of crap, and having put up with the complexity, of importing and linking, using separate AutoCAD and VIZ applications, going through steep learning curves in two packages instead of just one - as a single person operation, i just decided i had, had enough of VIZ already and never upgraded ever again. AutoDesk had a really enthuasiastic customer in me, but they blew it, and i never again with bother with them as a rule.

 

VIZ R3 is a fine piece of software, i have used it a couple of times, and liked the 'feel' of the programme compared to Release 2 - i think VIZ R3 was worth the upgrade definetly, but at the time, i was just caught badly for time to learn/get used to it. Then their shitty dwg 2000 service pack for VIZ R2 messed up my network rendering arrangement - that is all it takes in my book, for a software company to screw up - my time, my earnings, my business and reputation is just far too important, than to tolerate slackness like that. Grow up Autodesk and smell the coffee - you have alot of loyal customers out there - just try not to screw them up!

 

Bentley MicroStation Triforma J is a much better product than VIZ, and re-pays me my effort for practicing and learning it. I am almost at a stage now, where i could do everything in Triforma, i used to do in AutoCAD/VIZ (apart from the rendering side of it) - so i think my VIZ copy will just be gathering a lot of dust from now on.

[Lightning]

About the upgrades I must admit that there are worse options that AutoDesk's policy. We started using a high-end industrial 3D modeling software called "CATIA" that is developed by the French Dassault systems and distributed by IBM. The basic package for one seat costs around 17,000$ (17K!!) and if you want to add features the sky is the limit (for those of you that are not familiar with it, it is used mainly in the aviation and automotive industries, where money flows in an entirely different quantities).

In any case, on top of the base price, we have to pay a monthly fee of 200$ for each seat.

Of course this entitles us for a "free" upgrade that comes out every several months but we are forced, quite brutally, to pay for it. Moreover if we stop paying the monthly fee we lose our rights for using (!!!) the software.

[Lightning]

I just got a copy of Acad2004 to review.

It is possible to "Save as" to R2000 file format, not to export.

But, although it is now officialy Autocad R16, it is 99% identical to Acad2002 and 95% identical to Acad2000. The icons look nicer, but now they are so colorfull that you can't tell them apart...

Well, another "amazing" upgrade by AutoDesk.

[garethace]

LOL, one of the shortest, but best reviews of any product i have ever read!

[mauarduz]

What is the strategy of ADESK ?

if they'd release a patch so the 2004 DWG is supported by our 3d programs, wouldn't they be getting more people to upgrade to ACAD 2004 ??

[mauarduz]

Is it possible for someone to write a script for this ? or is it more conplicated than that ?

[mauarduz]

I got this answer from an autodesk person,

 

"The fact that VIZ 4 cannot read the AutoCAD 2004 file format is not related

to policies or intended bad treatment. The drawing file format for AutoCAD

2004 and its vertical applications, like ADT, was changed to accommodate

core changes to objects...how the behave, new functionality for the

customer, etc. Previous versions simply cannot interpret the additional

functionality in a future version product. Over the years we've tried to

support saving back to previous versions, but this is also problematic as

there will be visual fidelity issues. VIZ 4 is based on the AutoCAD 2000

database/file format. VIZ is based on MAX technology, and unfortunately the

timing of the new AutoCAD and its verticals is not perfectly aligned with

that of the next MAX which has its own development cycle and constituents of

customers to improve the product for.

 

I hope this explains the circumstances. Unfortunately I cannot say anymore

in regard to the next version, but please stay tuned for more information as

the release date nears.

 

Regards

--

chris yanchar

building solutions division

autodesk, inc.

"

 

I have to add, it is still dissapointing that this kind of non-planning makes us users, carry the load.

[Hazdaz]

Come on, lets all get to the bottom of the REAL reason why they do things like this...

 

A) they have such a HUGE massive chunk of the market that they CAN do it - and do just about ANYTHING actually. And this is espesially true in the Architectural side of the business - on the mechanical there is lots more competition in the higher-end 3D side, but no major competitors in the 2D side.

 

B) There are so few (none, realy) reasons to make users WANT to upgrade, that they basically have to FORCE them to do it.

 

C) The more often AutoDESK can re-write their DWG file format, the more they can screw with all the $300 CAD programs out there that give you 99.9% AutoCAD compatability and can even open and save to (pre-2004) DWG format. A HUGE percent of the CAD users out there do not know enough about the actual software/computers to fiddle with the .1% of drawing in-compatibility that they just end up getting a full-blown version.

 

Good `ol AutoDESK, they basically continue to follow Microsoft's business practices.