Drawing file is not valid

Hi,

I've had a drawing sent to me via a data key so I can work on it, but every time I try to open the drawing it shows 'drawing file is not valid.'

I was just wondering if anybody has seen this problem before and if they have managed to sort it out? I've spoken to the person who sent me the drawing, they are saying it works fine on their comp, Ive asked for another copy of the drawing which might take awhile.

So any help on this would be great

Thanks

Tin

Most often this error comes up when the drawing is saved in an later format than the AutoCAD you have - ask the other person to save it down a notch for you - it's easily done in the Save AS-dialogue box to change to another File of Type.

Thanks Tiger,

I'm using AutoCad07 & 09 and they both cannot open the file...I'll just have to wait for the other copy to arrive.

Hmm.....for my theory to be right, then the other dude needs to be using 2010 - I think remember something about a new version with 2010. Otherwise I have no idea what could be causing it....

what you could do to check that is to open the dwg with Notepad - at the very top of the file (don't change anything in there btw) there is the a letter-number combination (like AC1018 ) which tells you which version the file is saved in.

2010 is a new format.

I assume Autodesk have upgraded their convert program for it - free download from their site.

Ive opend the drawing up in notepad, the code at the top left is: AC1018

That's weird, AC1018 is -04/-05/-06 ..(http://betaprograms.autodesk.com/history/autocad_release_history.htm)

but yeah, try the Autodesk converter(http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=6703438&siteID=123112)

Using '05 and '07. Most customers who I know, I always email *.dwg's

in AutoCAD vs. 2000.

This is mostly by request even from some very BIG corporations.

My guess is not every work station has the latest from AutoDesk.

Quite often forum members attach *.dwg files in '09 and now '10.

I don't think most can open these latest *.dwg files.

Using '05 and '07. Most customers who I know, I always email *.dwg's

in AutoCAD vs. 2000.

 

This is mostly by request even from some very BIG corporations.

My guess is not every work station has the latest from AutoDesk.

 

Quite often forum members attach *.dwg files in '09 and now '10.

I don't think most can open these latest *.dwg files.

The little guys like me working on their own now can't always afford to upgrade every time a new release comes out and the big corporations just don't want to spend the money. The last place I worked for would occasionally do the upgrade, but they had hired somebody to write some proprietary software for some function out in the shop that extracts data from the electronic drawings. It was written originally for release 12, but they finally got the same guy back in to re-write it for 2000. This won't be changed again until they absolutely have no other choice. The guy charged more than $20,000 (twice what it cost originally) to do his "upgrade". Just before I left, they were beginning to upgrade AutoCAD to 2008, but there was a hard fast rule in place that all drawings were to be saved in the 2000 format. I really believe that they will stop upgrading before they pay to have the proprietary software redone again. At the very most, they'll have a station or 2 with the new stuff, whose sole purpose will be to take customer drawings and save them down. At one point they had decided to stop upgrading anyway and work strictly off paper customer drawings. That was only thwarted by pressure from the "green" movement. The amount of paper that company recycles every month is measured tons already, and they were going to start using even more simply to save a few bucks on software.

The little guys like me working on their own now can't always afford to upgrade.

2000 was my first from AutoDesk, used other junque before AutoCAD.

Moved to 2005, then again to 2007.

All save as version 2000. And, I think I wasted some bucks movin' to '07.

My Thinkpad™ laptops, all four of 'em, are still (and staying) with '05.

2000 was my first from AutoDesk, used other junque before AutoCAD.

Moved to 2005, then again to 2007.

 

All save as version 2000. And, I think I wasted some bucks movin' to '07.

My Thinkpad™ laptops, all four of 'em, are still (and staying) with '05.

I went from 2002 to 2007 here at home. I've never seen 05. Shot all around it, company went from 04 to 06. They skip all the odd numbered versions. Thirteen bit them really hard, as it did everybody, so they've skipped odd numbered versions ever since.

If they ever stop making the new versions save down to 2000, the company I mentioned will stop upgrading, simply because of that proprietary software. They'll get one seat, and one guy will spend his day saving all incoming electronic drawings down as many times as necessary to get it to 2000. There are much better ways to do what that proprietary software I mentioned does, but they have so much money invested in it now that they've become blind to the possibilities.