We are running Carlson 2017 on Autocad 2017. We are on subscription and have both Carlson 2018 and Autocad 2018 available. My understanding is that Autocad 2018 is a different format than 2017 (really 2013-2017 Autocad) and that if a project is created using 2018 my clients using earlier versions than 2018 may have problems. For this reason I am considering using Carlson 2018 on Autocad 2017.
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hack
If you set the save format to autocad 2013 file format (the format used for 2013-2017) under options in 2018 there should be no problem.
Understood but I'm afraid since we have multiple stations and people working on projects it will be a real PIA and not worth it at this time.
No need to back save each time just set it once on the machines with Autocad 2018 and you should never have to do anything again. Really shouldn't be a PIA.
Are you talking vanilla AutoCAD or Civil3D??ÿ If it's Civil3D there will be issues between 17 & 18.?ÿ 17 can open drawings created in 18 but they can't be saved?ÿby 17 if they have 18 created "smart" objects like feature lines or surfaces.?ÿ I don't know how the addition of Carlson on top of AutoCAD affects things.
Significant PITA avoid it if you can, not much you can do if clients need it though... To convert to older versions I export smart objects (surface, alignment, profile) to XML, then copy paste linework, blocks, etc. to the old version drawing. Exporting, inserting, saving back is useless, Autodesk upped it's monopoly game for 2018.?ÿ
Hack doesn't mention anything about Civil 3D. Since he is using Carlson, I would bet that he's not using C3D.?ÿ He's only asking about AutoCad 2017 vs. 2018.?ÿ Carlson, to the best of my knowledge, does not use any smart objects.
I've never understood why a firm that is up to date on their software needs to work behind just because someone else doesn't want to keep up with the times.?ÿ Autocad 2018 does use a new format, so you can either use 2017 on the projects you do for your lagging clients or you can do as Totalsurv suggests. Those are really your only two options.
Well there's a couple more options now that I think about it for two seconds. You can still work in 2018 and not change the file format in your options. When it comes time to send drawings, you can either do a saveas down to Autocad 2013, or if you have multiple files you can do an etransmit and have it save all the files down to Autocad 2013.
I didn't want to assume which is why I asked.?ÿ Many people simply refer to Autodesk products as AutoCAD regardless of the specific platform.?ÿ
I've always been a proponent of delaying jumping up versions until at a minimum the first service pack has been released.?ÿ I pay enough for C3D as it is, I don't need my people being?ÿtheir free mass market beta testers too.?ÿ
I agree with you though Blitz, I also don't like letting the rest of the industry hold me back from using what I've paid for when the time is right.?ÿ?ÿ
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If you have multiple stations, I'd strongly suggest that you take a hard look at Intellicad, which is FREE from Carlson.?ÿ I started trying it out about 18 months ago, and I continually had problems with it, due largely to the fact that Intellicad does not like the nVidia Quadro Pro 4000 card.?ÿ I replaced my card with an nVidia Geoforce 1050, and I have been using it for a week with no problems.?ÿ?ÿ
It loads way faster than Acad 17 or 18 and it appears at this point to be just as stable, and it is compatible with all DWG that I have tried.?ÿ I am thinking hard about not renewing my Autodesk subscription, which is due on the 29th of this month.
I am pretty hard on software and firmware with glitches, and I have given Intellicad a beating, but the latest verson and a compatible graphics card have me pretty much satisfied.
I have never been a fan of the Autodesk tactics.?ÿ Once they called me and gave me an update from AutoCAD to Civil 3D for some incredibly cheap amount, so I did it.?ÿ What they did not tell me is that my maintenance subscription cost would go through the roof, and I told them I did not want and they said, "Too bad.?ÿ We don't downgrade."?ÿ So I have been paying that exorbitant fee for Civil 3D and don't even use it because, in my opinion, Carlson is better for us--WAY better.
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I have never been a fan of the Autodesk tactics.?ÿ Once they called me and gave me an update from AutoCAD to Civil 3D for some incredibly cheap amount, so I did it.?ÿ What they did not tell me is that my maintenance subscription cost would go through the roof, and I told them I did not want and they said, "Too bad.?ÿ We don't downgrade."?ÿ
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That's not Autodesk doing that. That's your reseller. I know most people here love to bash Autodesk on a regular basis, but don't blame them for something someone else is doing.
I used Intellicad a few years ago. I hated it. It was constant crashing all day long and felt completely outdated. I was constantly trying to remember how I used to do things two decades ago. To each their own, but I hope I never have to use it again.
IntelliCAD works very well for me these past couple yesrs.
Are you talking vanilla AutoCAD or Civil3D??ÿ If it's Civil3D there will be issues between 17 & 18.?ÿ 17 can open drawings created in 18 but they can't be saved?ÿby 17 if they have 18 created "smart" objects like feature lines or surfaces.?ÿ I don't know how the addition of Carlson on top of AutoCAD affects things.
Good point. It is Civil3D.
Well that's a fairly important piece of information that was left out!!
Just out of curiosity why pay so much for Civil 3D to use a completely different software like Carlson on top of it. I don't use Civil 3d so was wondering given the price difference between Civil 3D and plain Autocad why use this combination.
Intellicad, when used with the proper graphics card, (in my case the nVidia Geoforce 1050) has not crashed a single time in a week of heavy use.?ÿ Previously, it was not professionally stable using my Quadro 4000 card.?ÿ But the Geoforce 1050 solved that, and it is every bit as fast and probably better than the Quadro (see numerous publications on that), and the 1050 is not expensive.?ÿ I'd have to say that despite working the heck out of Intellicad personally over the last 10 days that it is at least as stable as my Ver. 18 and Ver. 17 of AutoCAD.
I went to Autodesk to update my annual subscription, and the website is still real squirrelly, and in this case I could not find where I could renew my subscription to my full copy as opposed to the subscription software they now sell and promote.
I have Carlson Civil/Survey/Hydrology, and in my own opinion, at least for what I do, Carlson will literally run circles around Civil 3D and it is a LOT easier to learn than Civil 3D.?ÿ Not even close.?ÿ I am sure others will see it differently.
I'm inflicted with C3D 2016 the most annoying software on the planet except for Cyclone but even Cyclone has improved quite a bit.
Why does it have to resize and move the view 16 times when starting up? Buggy POS, I can understand that on new objects but polylines? Come on, those have been around since the inception of AutoCAD.
Are you talking vanilla AutoCAD or Civil3D??ÿ If it's Civil3D there will be issues between 17 & 18.?ÿ 17 can open drawings created in 18 but they can't be saved?ÿby 17 if they have 18 created "smart" objects like feature lines or surfaces.?ÿ I don't know how the addition of Carlson on top of AutoCAD affects things.
Good point. It is Civil3D.
Apologies. I only can multitask to a certain point. It is Map3D.
"...should be no problem.
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Ahh - but there are. I have confirmed this with two 2018 users who have provided drawings "saved back" to 2016 format and all but 1 exhibited problems. One crashed AutoCAD completely - every time I opened i. I had the author save it for me again and it exhibited the same behavior.
OK so the only way that I've been able to get this to work (C3D 2017 to C3D 2016) is to export using the "export civil 3d drawing" option on the application menu from C3D 2017 also right click the drawing name in prospector and select export land xml. Now open the file that it created when you did the "export civil 3d drawing" with 2017 again, whereupon autocad will find and fix a number of errors. Then do a "saveas" and select 2013 drawing as the format (at this point there shouldn't be any civil 3d smart objects in the drawing so it should save). Now you can open the drawing in 2016 and all of the civil 3d smart objects are blocks, mtext and 3d polylines. Now import the land xml to get smart objects back. PITA
Autocrash?ÿ simply has no love whatsoever for surveyors.
Hack, it feels like people are getting off topic due to conflicting information you have provided. Let me see if I get this right. You have Map 3D, not Civil 3D, and you run Carlson as your civil/survey software, with no Civil 3D smart objects? It really has to be that, because in your OP you talk about not having any problems swapping files with 2017, yet anticipate problems if you use 2018.