Expert: Bob - 10/18/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hello Bob

I've worked with Acad's from release 10 back in 1990 during my architecture studying, now I've got ADT 3.3 (I still think the best workhorse among them all was r12 for win 3.1 :) no problems, no hang on's ect.) But "ad rem" as Romans used to say, I got a problem when saving dwgs (mostly 2D) into any older format R14 dwg or R12 dxf - it takes 5-6 minutes every time and all computer looks like locked, and R12dxf are allways deadly corrupted. I reinstal whole ADT, and with new drawings or with dwgs created in other acads - never touched by my ADT - it worked fine... for a while; and then returned to previous state. Only my archive drawings from R12 could be saved easily into R14 - assumed there will be no single line edited or drawn in ADT - otherwise all system hangs for a couple of minutes.
Another hint - my buddy who uses ARCHICAD hasn't had any problem with dwgs opening (all releases, 2000 including) till now - any drawig produced with ADT won't open in it.
Forgive the lenght of the question and my english - I'm writing from Poland.

Marek

ANSWER: Hi -- Your English is fine.
I am presuming you are doing architecture, you dont say for sure what is in the dwgs.
== Sorry, I am not one who thinks that 10 year old software is better. That attitude was more common  a few years ago. I wonder why you are using 3.3 which was the FIRST usuable release of ADT, so ALL the big improvements are after that release. Even AutoCAD has progressed tremendously, in my view.
== You cant save ADT backward if the drawing is more than plain AutoCAD objects --- the 3D walls, etc are NOT AutoCAD, really. Thus the hangups, etc. You have to convert it to 2D AutoCAD first. ArchiCad saves back more easily because ALL versions of it were Archicad. If your dwgs are truly just 2D AutoCAD that happened to be created with ADT, the reason for crashing might be a weak machine, since just running ADT takes much more memory than plain ACAD.
=== I NEVER get questions about R12 DXFs, except from people who use laser cutting, and have to degrad the dwg for the cutting machine software to use. I do not criticize Poland, but only certain industries here use the old stuff.

I hope that helps a small bit. To summarize: without your telling me the specs of your computer, I would  guess to blame the slowness on the computer being too weak for ADT.

 Your dxfs should not be corrupted if the drawings are truly PLAIN AutoCAD and you delete all the layout tabs (that might be the problem)

 You may be forced by circumstance to use old software -- if it is by choice, I suggest you should reconsider. --Good luck, and please write back if more information would help me assist you.

BOB

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Great Thanks Bob!

Your answer was quick like a gunman's shot :)

1. My dwgs are 2D planes and sections with dimensioning, blocks, text etc. all 2D too; no more than 3MB for a single drawing.

2. My Machine isn't so quick - Win Xp going on old Compaq Despro PIII 1.2GHz with 512MB of memory but I think computer it's not a cause.

3. How can I make sure the drawing is really 2D?

4. There is only one layout tab "layout1"; I've tried hard but it doesn't want to be deleted.

5. I need downconverting to communicate with my buddy (an ArchiCad user) if all fails his soft accepts at least dxf R12; or if you get a file from ADT based on Acad 2006 or 07 it produces on ADT 3.3 annoying communiques e.g.:
"Command: d
DIST
ARX_ERROR: eNotThatKindOfClass
ARX_ERROR: eLockViolation
ARX_ERROR: eNotThatKindOfClass"
the only way to solve this is saving in dxf12 and then reopen to work in Acad 2000 or 2002 (I've found advice on the Web and it's the only one that works) but my ADT produces corrupted files, and when I try to open it again, a message apears:
"Specified handle 8000006A already in use on line 1432.
Invalid or incomplete DXF input -- drawing discarded."

6. Do You think reinstalling the whole system (Windows etc.) will help?

7. Why ADT 3.3? In Poland prices for design documentation are very low ~1% of investment costs, so we as a small workshop cannot afford to stay up to date with new software whitch prices here are higher than in USA and Autodesk policy shortened the period for upgrades rebates. Besides for simple designs you don't need a spaceship :) The very creative inspiration - from people in my age point of view - are born with the help of midsoft pencil and a sheet of paper.

Thanks a lot Bob, I think You're doing great good work here!
I was very pleased to talk with You awhile across an Ocean. I havn't many opportunities to active use my english, it's a rusty thihg rather.

Keep well!

Marek

Answer
Hi -- sorry for delay
2-- you might best get more memory, and be sure you have over 20% free on your hard drive
3--just go to a front view  -- if the drawing is all 2D, you will just see lines. Use Properties or FLATTEN if you need to.
4-- you cant delete the last one
5 -- I cant answer on those -- or maybe I would say ADT should not produce corrupted files, and you might not be starting with a clean drawing -- have you purged?
6 -- pnly if it is all old and just needs it anyway
7 -- sorry, you guys are not recovered from Hitler and the Soviets, but I admire how you work with obstacles. You know as well as I that one can sketch for creativity, but the computer produces plans better/faster, if you master it.
(arguable if the project is very small -- and details can be hand drawn on computer prints.)

Your friend with ArchiCAD should be asking his sources too.
He must have an old ArchiCAD, because it has been able to read dwg for MANY years.

Keep going, good luck.

BOB