Which Version of the Truth? An App for Checking DWG Versions

“History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.”
Napoleon Bonaparte

The other day I was asked, "Is there a way to check what version a dwg file was created in?"

I had to think a moment.  I don't work in AutoCAD as much as I used to, so it's safe to say I'm a bit rusty.

But I set off on my quest to take a look, and up popped a couple of methods.

The easy one?  Open the file in AutoCAD.  Once the file is open, hit the "F2" key and you'll see a line that says, "Opening an AutoCAD XXXX format file"

Finding AutoCAD dwg version by hitting F2 immediately after opening

But there's also a more elegant way!

In my searches, I found an application on the Autodesk Exchange App site that will display the DWG version in Windows Explorer!

This app is called DWG Columns for Explorer by JTBWorld, and it creates a column in Windows Explorer that displays what version of AutoCAD the DWG was created in.

The App as it appears on the Autodesk Eschange site

So I downloaded it down, tested it, and found out it's a slick little tool.  It's simple, and it's effective.  Just like many good tools. 

How cool is that? 

So give it a try!  I know it's a nice little app that I'll be keeping on my own machine for a long time!

Note that there's also a pay version that shows all AutoCAD properties.  I haven't given that one a try, but it the pricing looks to be pretty reasonable, so maybe down the road, I'll give it a shot!

If you end up trying the premium version out, leave a comment and tell us all what you thought!

And before I wrap up, I'd like to leave a couple of tips on setup below!

1) Once installed, open up a directory containing dwgs in Windows Explorer.

2) Right click on a column.  If you don't see "DWG Version" choose more.

3) Located "DWG Version" and check the box.  Click OK when done.

4) The column will now appear in Windows Explorer!
 

Thanks for reading this post!  Have a great week!