Password protect layers?

[dluzius]

Does anyone know of a way to password protect layers? Is it even possible? Thanks

[Wanderer]

Does anyone know of a way to password protect layers? Is it even possible? Thanks

don't know if it's possible, but, it is on the Wishlist.

[jschultz]

a work around would be:

Make the layers that need to be password protected a separate file and use it as an xref. Set security permissions on that file so that only allowed users can access it. Now this can get very cumbersome if you have lots of users and lots of layers that all need individual control.

[rkmcswain]

Does anyone know of a way to password protect layers? Is it even possible? Thanks

Have you looked at http://www.cadlock.com ?

[Wanderer]

a work around would be:

Make the layers that need to be password protected a separate file and use it as an xref. Set security permissions on that file so that only allowed users can access it. Now this can get very cumbersome if you have lots of users and lots of layers that all need individual control.

huh... simple, but, effective. good call.

[Steve Johnson]

huh... simple, but, effective. good call.

As long as you're doing it all in-house, yes. But usually when people want to protect stuff it's when the drawing file is going out of their posession and they still want to control it.

Have you looked at http://www.cadlock.com ?

The current CADLock product can only protect entire drawing files. However, watch that space for a new product that will do what the OP is after and more. There should be some news quite soon.

Declaration of interest: I am part of the CADLock team.

[Steve_Bennett]

Have you looked at http://www.cadlock.com ?

What happens if the password is lost/forgotten?

[rkmcswain]

What happens if the password is lost/forgotten?

I would imagine the same thing that happens when any password is forgotten or lost. You either remember it, find it, or find some way to crack it.

[Steve Johnson]

What happens if the password is lost/forgotten?

With the current CADLock software, you keep the unlocked .dwg, so that's not an issue.
The locked version of the drawing is saved as a .dwx file, which you give out to outside parties. They can open it only with AutoCAD that has CADLock installed (there's a free runtime version, CADLock RT) and the right password / passkey. They can then only do the things that you have decided to allow them to do (e.g. allow plotting but forbid modification).

Simple password schemes are only useful during the transmission of drawings, and you don't need anything AutoCAD-specific to do that. It's the ability to control what can be done with your drawings once they are out of your hands that makes CADLock useful.

The forthcoming CADLock software works in an entirely different way. It's a new product, and I don't want to go into details just yet, because the details may change. But there will be a public beta soon and everyone will be able to see for themselves.

[noozybkk]

Declaration of interest: I am part of the CADLock team.

Oh! Glad I bumped into you in here.

One of my guys has just stumbled into my office with a disk from a client in his hand sobbing about not being able to open the DWX files on the disk.

Hmmm. I thought...DWX....WTF..? Anyway, seems someone a prospective client has sent us a bundle of tender drawings all locked up with Cadlock. They have also included some kind of setup file on the disk, but network security policies prohibit our draughtsmen from installing anything on their computers.

I could install it for them, but decided not to after a visit to the cadlock website. There is no AutoDESK Approved Developer accreditation mentioned anywhere.

Is Cadlock approved by AutoDESK? If not are you striving for approval?

We had to decline to quote this customer as he refused to send us drawings in any other format (even dwf) and our company software policy prohibits us from using products which don't have certain qualifications or approvals.