Command: VERSION CHECKER

VERSION CHECKER Command

Overview

• The VERSION CHECKER is named for its ability to report AutoCAD .dwg version information.
• To run: you may type VERSION as a command, or find the button highlighted in yellow above.
• The VERSION command opens a window that lets you browse for an AutoCAD drawing, then reports back important information about the drawing’s origins and save history.

Example

Different team members on our project have different versions of AutoCAD.  From the “SAVEAS” dialogue box, we can see the intermittent years that spawned new file types.

• “Saveas” default: most up-to-date file type listed (never newer than the ACAD version in use).
• An older file type can be selected in the list to perform a downsave.
• Jim, in ACAD 2016, must be using a 2013 file type or earlier.
• Bill, in ACAD 2020, may well be using a 2018 file type (and would need to downsave for Jim).

Dropdown in SAVEAS Dialog Box

CMI Version Checker, Waiting for User to Browse

If Bill saves a drawing in 2020, by default it will upgrade the drawing to the file type used in 2020 (which happens to be 2018).  He can attempt to be careful when running saveas, to pick an older year-version, but sometimes it isn’t clear when this needs to happen or which year-version to choose. 

With This Tool

• Users can browse to a drawing, even if it is not open in CAD, to peruse information including:
  • The file format the drawing was last saved to, such as 2018, 2013, or 2010.
  • The last AutoCAD version that performed the save function on the drawing.
  • The format-year of AEC objects, if any.
• Users can refer to this information to make sure they are not upgrading someone else’s work to a format that is unsuitable for them.  This information can also tell you why a drawing will not open for you (if it is using object types from a version of CAD newer than yours).
• Instead of running the Version Checker through CAD, you can also just launch the CMI Version checker executable placed in the C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins folder.