D-Tools Forum - View Single Post - Visio 2003/2007 Compatibility with AutoCAD 2006

Head Tool · 05-14-2007, 11:17 PM

Visio 2003/2007 Compatibility with AutoCAD 2006/2007/2008/2009

Software used: Visio 2007 and AutoCAD 2007

I took a dwg floor plan and opened in AutoCAD 2007. I cleaned up the drawing using the procedures outlined in the Round Tripping AutoCAD (DWG) files in Visio 2003 white paper. I then saved the drawing in the following formats.

1. AutoCAD 2007 DWG
2. AutoCAD 2004 DWG
3. AutoCAD 2000 DWG
4. AutoCAD R14 DWG

Next I tried to insert the files into Visio 2007 using the procedures outlined in the white paper. All file formats mentioned above resulted in the following error message except The R14 DWG. This was surprising because in the past Visio was compatible with AutoCAD 2000 and below file format. At this point it was not clear if this was a Visio issue or did AutoCAD change their legacy file formats in the AutoCAD 2007 release and introduce some sort of incompatibility with other, non Autodesk products.

Software used: Visio 2003 and AutoCAD 2007

Next I tried the same files created in AutoCAD 2007 from above and tried to open in Visio 2003. This would tell me if Visio or AutoCAD had changed their import or export process.

Result: Both the R14 and 2000 DWG files inserted correctly in Visio 2003. This was surprising because I thought that the AutoCAD file format change was causing the problem.

Software used: Visio 2003/2007 and AutoCAD 2006

Next I took the same files from above and used AutoCAD 2006 to do the save as to the various formats see if there was a difference between files saved in AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2006.

As expected the CAD 07 file did not open and AutoCAD 2006 does not support the R14 DWG file format as a Save as option, yet AutoCAD 2007 does.??? I was only able to save the 04 and 2K in AutoCAD 2006.
The final test was to see if the DWG2000 file format as saved by AutoCAD 2006 would work in Visio 2007. It inserted without a problem

Conclusion

1: Visio 2007 is NOT compatible with files opened and saved in AutoCAD 2007 in the DWG 2000 file format.
2: Visio 2007 IS compatible with files opened and saved in AutoCAD 2007 in the WWG R14 file format
3: Visio 2003 IS compatible with files opened and saves in AutoCAD 2007 in the DWG 2000 file format.
4: Visio 2007 IS compatible with files opened and saved in AutoCAD 2006 in the DWG 2000 file format.

It looks like both Microsoft Visio and Autodesk AutoCAD slightly changed their import and export file formats.

Recommendations:

1. If using AutoCAD 2006 to modify DWG files for insertion into Visio 2003 or Visio 2007 then save the files in the AutoCAD 2000 DWG file format.
2. If using AutoCAD 2007 to modify DWG files for insertion into Visio 2003 then save the files in the AutoCAD DWG 2000 file format
3. If using AutoCAD 2007 to modify DWG files for insertion into Visio 2007 then save the files in the AutoCAD DWG R14 format.

05-14-2007, 11:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
Head Tool CEO - President Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 108	Visio 2003/2007 Compatibility with AutoCAD 2006 - 2009 Visio 2003/2007 Compatibility with AutoCAD 2006/2007/2008/2009 Software used: Visio 2007 and AutoCAD 2007 I took a dwg floor plan and opened in AutoCAD 2007. I cleaned up the drawing using the procedures outlined in the Round Tripping AutoCAD (DWG) files in Visio 2003 white paper. I then saved the drawing in the following formats. 1. AutoCAD 2007 DWG 2. AutoCAD 2004 DWG 3. AutoCAD 2000 DWG 4. AutoCAD R14 DWG Next I tried to insert the files into Visio 2007 using the procedures outlined in the white paper. All file formats mentioned above resulted in the following error message except The R14 DWG. This was surprising because in the past Visio was compatible with AutoCAD 2000 and below file format. At this point it was not clear if this was a Visio issue or did AutoCAD change their legacy file formats in the AutoCAD 2007 release and introduce some sort of incompatibility with other, non Autodesk products. Software used: Visio 2003 and AutoCAD 2007 Next I tried the same files created in AutoCAD 2007 from above and tried to open in Visio 2003. This would tell me if Visio or AutoCAD had changed their import or export process. Result: Both the R14 and 2000 DWG files inserted correctly in Visio 2003. This was surprising because I thought that the AutoCAD file format change was causing the problem. Software used: Visio 2003/2007 and AutoCAD 2006 Next I took the same files from above and used AutoCAD 2006 to do the save as to the various formats see if there was a difference between files saved in AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2006. As expected the CAD 07 file did not open and AutoCAD 2006 does not support the R14 DWG file format as a Save as option, yet AutoCAD 2007 does.??? I was only able to save the 04 and 2K in AutoCAD 2006. The final test was to see if the DWG2000 file format as saved by AutoCAD 2006 would work in Visio 2007. It inserted without a problem Conclusion 1: Visio 2007 is NOT compatible with files opened and saved in AutoCAD 2007 in the DWG 2000 file format. 2: Visio 2007 IS compatible with files opened and saved in AutoCAD 2007 in the WWG R14 file format 3: Visio 2003 IS compatible with files opened and saves in AutoCAD 2007 in the DWG 2000 file format. 4: Visio 2007 IS compatible with files opened and saved in AutoCAD 2006 in the DWG 2000 file format. It looks like both Microsoft Visio and Autodesk AutoCAD slightly changed their import and export file formats. Recommendations: 1. If using AutoCAD 2006 to modify DWG files for insertion into Visio 2003 or Visio 2007 then save the files in the AutoCAD 2000 DWG file format. 2. If using AutoCAD 2007 to modify DWG files for insertion into Visio 2003 then save the files in the AutoCAD DWG 2000 file format 3. If using AutoCAD 2007 to modify DWG files for insertion into Visio 2007 then save the files in the AutoCAD DWG R14 format. __________________ Adam Stone President D-Tools, Inc Last edited by Victorc; 04-02-2009 at 06:52 PM.