How to convert files smoothly between AutoCAD and Adobe Illustrator

[junehe]

I have designer drawings coming from Adobe Illustrator. I need to open those drawings in AutoCAD to make technical drawings. Then designers need to open them in Adobe Illustrator to make adjustments. How can I make these transition smoothly? Because now when I open ai files in AutoCAD, the lines are terrible. I have to redraw every lines. When designers open pdf file I saved from CAD in Adobe Illustrator, there are too many anchor points to edit. Anyone can help? Really appreciated!

[rkmcswain]

Can't Adobe Illustrator open DXF and DWG files?

Then you can leave it in that format for both applications.

[junehe]

No. Adobe Illustrator cannot open either DXF and DWG files.Thanks for your help!

[Cad64]

Yes, Adobe Illustrator CAN open both dwg and dxf files: http://blogs.adobe.com/adobeillustrator/tag/adobeillustrator-fileformats

 

You can also export to dwg format from Illustrator.

[Dahzee]

junehe,

 

If you turn all your lines etc. to polylines and join as many of them together as possible; they will open in Illustrator still connected.

 

Sadly the round trip to Autocad may not be quite as straight forward as the entities may come in as splines once you explode them.

 

Still you could always flatten them back to polylines and then explode again (albeit with a lot of control points).

 

Hope this helps.

 

Dahzee

[SLW210]

No. Adobe Illustrator cannot open either DXF and DWG files.Thanks for your help!

 

Funny, I open them all of the time, I also export to .dwg from Illustrator. I have Illustrator CS2 and mine have to be saved to AutoCAD 2000 format or earlier first.

[rkmcswain]

Yeah, my question was rhetorical since I included a link that says it IS possible.

Now maybe it wasn't on older versions or something....?

[SLW210]

CS2 is pretty old now and I'm pretty sure the version or 2 before that could open/export .dwg/dxf.

[junehe]

Thank you for everyone's reply! I use Adobe Illustrator CC 2014. I cannot open either dwg or dxf files. I got error window popping out as below attached. Thanks!

[RobDraw]

I have Illustrator CS2 and mine have to be saved to AutoCAD 2000 format or earlier first.

 

 

 

Have you tried saving to an earlier version?

[junehe]

It worked when I save to 2000 version of AutoCAD! Thank you so much! One more question, I am using AutoCAD 2015. Can people who use older AutoCAD versions open my dwg files? Thank you!

[RobDraw]

You need to EXPORT (SAVE AS does not fully convert them) them to at least the version they are using, or they can do it themselves with Drawing TrueView available free from Autodesk.