DWG is the native drawing file format used to store blocks and 2D/3D designs created with AutoCAD-based products and the DWG format is updated every few years.
AutoCAD-based products support the ability to read and write different versions of the DWG file format. This is important to understand when sharing files with clients and others in your company. In general, drawing files are forward compatible which means you should be able to open drawing files created with an earlier release of a product in the latest release. However, drawing files created with the latest release are sometimes not backwards compatible with an earlier release of a product.
If you need to work with others who use an earlier release of an AutoCAD-based product, you might have to use the SAVEAS command to save your drawings to an earlier drawing file format. For example, if you work with a subcontractor who is still using AutoCAD 2016, you will need to make sure any drawings that you’re sharing with them are saved to the earlier AutoCAD 2013 drawing file format.
The following table outlines which drawing file format should be used when sharing files with other users of AutoCAD-based products.
| Drawing File Format | AutoCAD-based Product Release |
|---|---|
| AutoCAD 2018 | AutoCAD 2018-based through AutoCAD 2022-based programs |
| AutoCAD 2013 | AutoCAD 2013-based through AutoCAD 2017-based programs |
| AutoCAD 2010 | AutoCAD 2010-based through AutoCAD 2012-based programs |
| AutoCAD 2007 | AutoCAD 2007-based through AutoCAD 2009-based programs |
| AutoCAD 2004 | AutoCAD 2004-based through AutoCAD 2006-based programs |
| AutoCAD 2000 | AutoCAD 2000-based through AutoCAD 2002-based programs |
| AutoCAD R14 | AutoCAD R14 and AutoCAD LT 97/98 |
| AutoCAD R12 DXF | AutoCAD R13 and AutoCAD LT 95 |
| AutoCAD R12 DXF | AutoCAD R12 and AutoCAD LT R2 |
When working in an office that uses multiple AutoCAD-based product releases, you can set the default file format to use when saving to a file. The option to set the default file format can be found on the Open and Save tab of the Options dialog box under the File Save section. Selecting a file format from the Save As drop-down list affects the following commands:
Setting the default file format does not affect the following commands:
If you need objects to be made available in an earlier release, as a workaround, do the following:
While the SAVEAS command can be used to save a drawing from one file format to another, it is not efficient when exchanging multiple drawings that need to be saved to a different format. Instead, use any of the following methods to save multiple drawings to a different drawing file format: