Need to covert 1992 Acad dwgs to present 2004/5 Acad!

[anapier]

I'm putting a fee proposal together (that's already past due) and am trying to determine what it will take to convert Acad dwgs done in 1992 to the present day 2004/2005 format. I don't know what version these were created in. I'm assuming v10 or 11? I don't remember if v12 was released yet! For all I know, they could have been created on v9, as it was a very small company who did these drawings without much budget.

The batch drawing converter goes back as far as v14. So, I'm assuming that I'll have to find an old version(s) of Acad and at least get it to v14 by opening the slightly older version in the newer version, saving as the newer version as I go. Is there another way to do this? I need some assistance with this one AND FAST!!! Thanks!

[Brian Myers]

This isn't exactly what you requested, but it may work for you. Check out this site, I've heard good things from the initial reviews of it:

http://www.dwggateway.com/

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

From Shaan Hurley's Blog -

Non-Autodesk DWG Conversion Tools (http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/02/nonautodesk_dwg.html)

Have a good one, Mike

[Glenn Pope]

The Batch Converter should still convert them (don't have older versions of drawings to test). The earliest version it will save back to is R14, but should open all versions. Also any newer version of AutoCAD can open these files. AutoCAD 2005 can still open files created from R2.xx. So if the Batch Converter won't open these files you can write a script file to resave all of them to the current version.

[Brian Myers]

Hi

From Shaan Hurley's Blog -

Non-Autodesk DWG Conversion Tools (http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/02/nonautodesk_dwg.html)



Just a quick note:

When reading Mike's link above you'll find Shaan is critical of the link I provided above ( http://www.dwggateway.com/ ) not because the software is bad/doesn't work but because Autodesk doesn't support it. He's a very good guy and I've enjoyed my conversations with him, but he's also fairly high on the food chain at Autodesk.

Other articles/blogs (I've read 3 so far) have been critical of him for saying the product puts "customers’ data at significant risk and can severely compromise the integrity and accuracy of their designs" since independent tests indicate this isn't the case... it's just Autodesk's company line to not endorse outside products that manipulate their DWG files without Autodesk's permission.

That's not a glowing endorsement of that product by my part.. it may work great, it may not! I'm simply asking to read Shaan's comments on it while understanding his perspective on a product that might effect his company's products. (Plus the program appears free... the worst thing that could happen is that it won't convert the files..)

[drafting.33933]

newer releases of AutoCAD can open older files. I am currently using AutoCAD 2002, and I periodically open my old files from 1991 (used release 11) and I've opened files from my boss who had these drawings done with release 10. There shouldn't be a problem - only text fonts (let's not go there, too may bad experiences).

Ted