Save to earlier version automatically

[andrewp]

How does one automatically save a 2012 CAD file to an earlier version?

[jaberwok]

Options.
Open and Save tab.
Drop-down list.

[andrewp]

Stupid question... Okay, I know that I can go to Options>Open and Save>Save as: and then tell it to Save As a AutoCAD 2007 or whatever, but will it hold that command, or will I always have to tell it to save to that version? Or does it retain that information like 2011 and earlier version would?

I thought I heard that 2012 would not save back automatically...

thanks

[jaberwok]

Stupid question... Okay, I know that I can go to Options>Open and Save>Save as: and then tell it to Save As a AutoCAD 2007 or whatever, but will it hold that command, or will I always have to tell it to save to that version? Or does it retain that information like 2011 and earlier version would?

I thought I heard that 2012 would not save back automatically...

thanks

I'm using 2012 at work and (auto-) saving to 2004 with no problem.

[andrewp]

JaberWok

Great, that's what I wanted to hear... thanks again...

What is Visual Fidelity? Is this something that you have checked in the Options Dialog Box? Or do I even need to worry about it?

[jaberwok]

It turns out that there IS a change in 2012 but not the one you were worried about.
At last, Wblock honours your saveas setting - so Wblock now produces the same file version as your default save file version. :beer: to the programmers but what took you so long?

As I understand it (not necessarily correctly) you will want visual fidelity set ON if you are using annotative objects otherwise it doesn't matter.

[irneb]

Visual Fidelity is only useful if you're saving for use in acads prior to 2008. What it basically does is save each version of annotative objects into a set of automatically created layers (suffixed with the scale of that version). And then also VPFreezes the viewports accordingly. Basically turning the AnnoScales feature into what you'd previously have done.

The "problem" with this is when the DWG gets edited in 2007 (or earlier) the annotative object breaks, so it's not a reversible thing - which makes it less useful than it aught to be. When all your acads are 2008 and above, all it does is make the DWG file larger and slower to save/open than needed (since it converts to-and-from these layers each time). So you'll need to figure out how you want it for your scenario.

[ccowgill]

the other disadvantage to Visual Fidelity is, it significantly increases the amount of time it takes to save a drawing, even with autosave. kind of makes it unbearable. We have both boxes unchecked, but then again, we dont deal that often with other companies that are on older versions of the software, and the ones we do, typically dont roundtrip the drawings.

[irneb]

Exactly! It's only needed when your in-house ACads are older than 2008, in which case you shouldn't be using any annotative scales in any case! For anything to external parties you can turn it on in eTransmit so it's only done for those where you actually prepare your drawing for sending to outside.