Sort by Type - prioritize .dwg files above .bak files

hi all,

bumped into an issue that i couldn't find a solution to, thought i'd pick some of your brains. I recently reformated my workstation and upgraded to autocad 2013. after such, i have noticed my drawing folders are prioritizing cad files to a not-so-efficient way, unlike before. please help or shed any light on how i could fix this issue.

current:

.bak

.dwg

prefered organization:

.dwg

.bak

(both sorted by type:acending)

before my dwg files are always above my bak files. it is very tidious and annoying to scroll all the way to the bottom of a folder to select my dwg files when there are multiple versions of bak files in the folder.

Isn't this type of functionality controlled by Windows?

Perhaps you should sort by 'Date Modified'

yes i get the same issue.

Remark, if you use windows to sort, if leave as is goes 1.bak, 2.bak, etc then 1.dwg, 2.dwg, etc

if you use windows to sort it goes backwards so 3.cad, 2.cad, 1.cad then the bak files

as you can see not very helpful either.

Eldon sorting by date modified will not get you drawings files in order.

Eldon sorting by date modified will not get you drawings files in order.

Although it is probably the only way of getting the .dwg in front of the .bak

dont know what they did but pre 2014 was fine, now cad 2014 this has happened.....

This is a Windows issue. It doesn't bother me because I've become quite proficient at browsing Windows Explorer with the keyboard.

There is a simple solution, though. Open your drawings from AutoCAD. You will see just the .dwg files.

You could save the .bak to a different location using Express Tool MOVEBAK.

Just use sort by Type descending and the .dwg is above the .bak.

What exactly is the problem?

At what point do you all just start to delete the extraneous .bak files?

When it's time to archive the project.

Interesting, the only way I can think of for AutoCAD Drawings to not sort above .BAK files is if the 'type' is not listed as "AutoCAD Drawing"... If memory serves, this happened to me once before, when dealing with a supplementary Microstation install, but a repair installation fixed it... Not really sure if the same applies here.

At what point do you all just start to delete the extraneous .bak files?

Technically, you could do this drawing open via AcadDoc.lsp if you so choose (and again at drawing close if you were to code the appropriate reactor):

(vl-load-com)

((lambda (dwgPrefix)

  ;; Do other stuff first?

  ;; Cleanup drawing directory
  (foreach file (vl-directory-files dwgPrefix nil 1)
    (if
      (wcmatch (strcase file) "[b][color="red"]*.BAK,[/color][/b]*.DWL,*.DWL2,*.ERR,*.LOG,*.TMP")
       (vl-file-delete (strcat dwgPrefix file))
    )
  )
)
 (getvar 'dwgprefix)
)

** Note - I normally delete all file types noted above, EXCEPT the .BAK files. Just saying.

Cheers

When it's time to archive the project.

1+... .BAK files are excluded from our archival automation as well; they only live within our active project directory.

I turn off the BAK file generation in Options. Yep, I'm that good.

Just use Auto-save for disasters. If you want something archived, then manually do this instead of relying on the BAK file generation which doesn't always do exactly what you need it to in most cases.

Just use Auto-save for disasters. If you want something archived, then manually do this instead of relying on the BAK file generation which doesn't always do exactly what you need it to in most cases.

Before making any major changes, I create a 'void' copy... I have a LISP routine which programmatically copies the ActiveDocument to a relative path folder within the project, changing the file name to record the date-time as well to prevent duplicate void copies in a single day, etc.

Then I have another routine to 'explorer' & underlay any void copies that may exist, for those rare moments when a decision is made to roll-back a design, or a portion thereof ... Makes tracking changes pretty easy.

It's odd that you are not rich as smart as you are BlackBox. That's awesome!!

I wonder if you can build a plug-in for AutoCAD and market it?

At what point do you all just start to delete the extraneous .bak files?

What .bak files?

I have mine set to overwrite the .bak file. There is always only one.