Help!! Need OS X app that can open AutoCAD

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Hey all,



I really need help. I have a [potential] client who gets AutoCad documents and needs to open them on OS X. As I don't have a copy of AutoCad, I don't know the native file format it generates.



I thought Graphic Converter would do it, but according to the website, AutoCad isn't listed as a supported file type.



I'd rather my [potential] client *not* move to the PC universe, but he may be forced to if he can't open his documents.



Virtual PC [and a copy of AutoCad] is a last resort, but VPC is *so* slow on OSX, I'd rather give them a better, more mac-like solution.



Thanks in advance!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    VectorWorks is the choice of most Mac CAD folk I know.

    Plays well with AutoCAD DXF/DWG files. Comes for Mac and Windows.



    plink plink
  • Reply 2 of 6
    AutoCAD's native file format is .dwg. The .dxf format is supposed to be a more "portable" CAD file format, but any app that reads .dxf will usually understand .dwg. The .dwg format is a vector format, not a raster format. You can get plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator to accept this format for example. Most CAD/drafting applications can open and export in .dwg format, though sometimes not file from the latest version of AutoCAD. (AutoDesk likes to tinker with the file format to make life less convenient for competitors.) Architectural/drafting applications include VectorWorks, ArchicAD, and I think MacDraft and CADintosh, cheap alternatives. Check Versiontrack.com, macupdate.com or even architosh.com for CAD or drafting applications. Many have free demos and some are relatively cheap too depending on how much capability you want out of them.
  • Reply 3 of 6
    Thanks for the information.



    They *say* they only want to be able to view them, but I don't know the reality of the situation [what clients say and what they mean are often different things].



    I will check out vectorworks, and see if I can't do some research on the .dwg format and other Mac CAD apps.





    Cheers!
  • Reply 4 of 6
    Illustrator can open autocad drawings. It is a bit pricey so you might want to test it first with their actual drawings. We did this a couple of years ago. Illustrator is nice in that it lets you fix line colors and such once you have the file open.



    Another choice is VPC and Volo Viewer. This is the free viewer from Autocad. It runs in Internet Explorer. It runs OK in VPC. I think you can save the images then in something like TIFF or JPG.
  • Reply 5 of 6
    Canvas will read AutoCAD formats to, there is a free trial on their site http://www.deneba.com/



    Daniel
  • Reply 6 of 6
    cowerdcowerd Posts: 579member
    If the ACAD file has xrefs the people sending the file must do some extra work. No Mac cad program deals with xrefs very well, except for Archicad (which costs $3000+).
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