Controlling which flavor/version of AutoCAD opens when opening a DWG

[tim_newsome]

Any best practice IT resolutions for multiple users with different versions of Autocad and Civil 3D to keep Civil 3D files from being opened by regular Autocad when opening from Windows File Explorer?

I introduced this topic once before and I could sense the frustration from other experiences by not opening with the specific product.

Herding cats is not going to happen so I am just wanting to hear ideas.

[Ed Jobe]

Reminds me of the saying, "Doctor, my thumb hurts when I hit it with this hammer. What do I do?"

You can force the Windows action to always open a dwg in either C3D or acad, but Windows can't tell if the dwg contains C3D objects. Nor does the dwg launcher. It just opens using that last used profile. Those are the only options I know of. You could install the C3D object enabler on everyone's acad, so that at least they could view the objects if they opened in plain acad.

[tim_newsome]

🤣 Funny and true

[BlackBox]

To prevent users from opening Civil 3D drawings in AutoCAD, consider only installing Civil 3D and do not install AutoCAD.

We also have multiple versions of Civil 3D installed here, so to instead help users leverage File Explorer, I simply set the registry via Acad.lsp to open .DWG in that version & that profile on launch... so user launches the desired version of Civil 3D, then they can double click + open all they want. If they open multiple versions, last version opened is used.

Similarly I disable .DWG right click + print from File Explorer shell menu, so users instead use CAD itself or a custom Windows shell menu I've added (which batch plots DWG to PDF using Core Console in parallel).

You don't need to herd cats... just spray water in their face (figuratively) by making it harder for them to do what they're not supposed to do... but more importantly, make it easier for them to do the right thing.

When something is cumbersome, remove their roadblocks. Make their daily work easier (automate where possible) and they'll not only choose to do things the right way for themselves, but they'll be happier and more productive too. That means more time for family, friends, or literally anything but work.

HTH

;;;--------------------------------------------------------------------;
;;; Set DWG double click open version
(if
  (setq vrsn (substr (findfile "acad.exe") 35 4))
   (progn
     (vl-registry-write
       "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Autodesk\\DwgCommon\\shellex\\apps\\{F29F85E0-4FF9-1068-AB91-08002B27B3D9}:AutoCAD\\"
       "OpenLaunch"
       (strcat
	 "\"C:\\Program Files\\Autodesk\\AutoCAD " vrsn
	 "\\acad.exe\" /ld \"C:\\Program Files\\Autodesk\\AutoCAD " vrsn
	 "\\AecBase.dbx\" /p \"" (getvar 'cprofile) "\" /product \"C3D\" /language \"en-US\" \"%1\""
	 )
     )
     (setq vrsn nil)
;;;--------------------------------------------------------------------;
;;; Disable DWG right click print 
     (vl-registry-write
       "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Autodesk\\DwgCommon\\shellex\\apps\\{F29F85E0-4FF9-1068-AB91-08002B27B3D9}:AutoCAD\\"
       "PrintDdeExec"
       ""
     )
     (vl-registry-write
       "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Autodesk\\DwgCommon\\shellex\\apps\\{F29F85E0-4FF9-1068-AB91-08002B27B3D9}:AutoCAD\\"
       "PrintLaunch"
       ""
     )
   )
)

[drakenkrafte]

I am a single user in my own office and I'm stuck. I double click acad.exe and civil 3d comes up. I double click a dwg and civil 3d comes up. I right-click acad.exe and tell it to launch and civil 3d comes up. I don't want to use civil 3d for everything - I'd like my vanilla cad back. I have auctocad, revit, fabrication cadmep, autocad MEP and civil 3d for various projects. all of the cad programs except fabrication CADMEP are now defaulting to civil 3d on open. I've basically lost AutoCAD entirely in favor of civil 3d which I only use on civil projects which are few and far between for me - I'm primarily an MEP. Please, How do I deploy this code to set it back to right, the .lsp doesn't seem to do anything when deployed from within civil 3d and I cannot get vanilla CAD to open anymore?

[Ed Jobe]

A low tech method I use is pinning a shortcut to the Windows taskbar. One for each version of AutoCAD you want to use. Set up a profile in each one that you can load on startup and then alter the shortcut's shell string. Here's a sample that starts Electrical and one that starts plain acad. What you want to run is determined by the combination of the /product code and the /p profile you load.

Electrical as AutoCAD
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2024\acad.exe" /language "en-US" /product "ACADE" /p "<<VANILLA>>"

Full Electrical
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2024\acad.exe" /language "en-US" /product "ACADE" /p "<<ACADE>>"

Map
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2024\acad.exe" /product "MAP" /language "en-US"