📁 Lesson 1-6 – File Management Basics in AutoCAD
📘 Lesson Type: Self-Study
⏱️ Estimated Time: 30–40 minutes
📚 Level: Beginner (Level 1 – Lesson 6)
🎯 Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Understand the different file types used in AutoCAD.
- Open, save, and organize your drawing files.
- Use Save As and Export to create different file versions.
- Learn best practices for naming, storing, and backing up your work.
🧭 1. Why File Management Matters
Proper file management helps you:
- Avoid losing work.
- Stay organized across multiple projects.
- Share files easily with coworkers or clients.
- Track revisions and backups.
Imagine losing 5 hours of work because you didn’t save correctly—that’s why mastering file handling is essential.
📂 2. Understanding AutoCAD File Types
File Extension | File Type | Description |
---|---|---|
.DWG | Drawing file | Your main working file—this is where your drawings are saved. |
.BAK | Backup file | Automatically created when you save—contains the previous version of your DWG. |
.DWT | Template file | Predefined drawing setup (units, layers, etc.). Use this to start consistent projects. |
.DXF | Drawing Exchange Format | Used to share with other CAD programs or older versions of AutoCAD. |
.DWS | Standards file | Used to check your drawing against predefined company or CAD standards. |
.SV$ | Autosave file | Temporary save file created at intervals (can be used to recover unsaved work). |
💾 3. Saving Your Work
🔹 Save
- Command:
SAVE
or click 💾 icon. - Overwrites the current file.
- Shortcut:
Ctrl + S
(Use this often!)
🔹 Save As
- Command:
SAVEAS
(CTRL+SHIFT+S) - Creates a copy of your file under a new name or location.
- Useful for versioning (e.g.,
ProjectA_v2.dwg
,KitchenLayout_Final.dwg
)
📁 4. Organizing Your Files
Create a folder structure like this:
Projects/
└─ 2024/
└─ Kitchen_Remodel/
├─ Drawings/
│ └─ Layout1.dwg
├─ References/
├─ PDFs/
└─ Images/
✅ Name files descriptively: Garage_Elevation_RevA.dwg
❌ Avoid names like newdrawing3.dwg
🔄 5. Using Templates (DWT Files)
Instead of starting from scratch:
- Use
File > New
→ choose a template (.DWT) - Or type
NEW
→ selectacad.dwt
,acadiso.dwt
, or your custom template
Templates preload:
- Units
- Layers
- Styles (text, dimension)
- Title blocks
Create your own template:
Set up a drawing, then SAVEAS
→ choose file type: .DWT
📤 6. Exporting and Sharing Files
- To PDF:
PLOT
orEXPORTPDF
– to create a printable version - To DXF:
SAVEAS
→ choose DXF to share with other software - Etransmit: Gathers all files (Xrefs, fonts, etc.) into one zipped package
♻️ 7. Backup and Recovery
- AutoCAD automatically creates
.BAK
files on save. - AutoSave files (.SV$) are saved periodically—location set under
OPTIONS > Files > Automatic Save File Location
.
To recover:
- Change
.SV$
to.DWG
- Open in AutoCAD
💡 Tip: Enable autosave every 10 minutes or less.
🧠 Self-Check Questions
- What file type is used for your main drawing in AutoCAD?
- What’s the difference between Save and Save As?
- What is a
.BAK
file, and how do you use it? - How can templates speed up your workflow?
- What should you do if AutoCAD crashes before you’ve saved?
📝 Practice Activity
- Open AutoCAD and create a simple drawing (e.g., rectangle + circle).
- Save it as
Lesson1_FilePractice.dwg
. - Use
SAVEAS
to make a copy calledLesson1_FilePractice_v2.dwg
. - Export it as a PDF.
- Try saving it as a
.DXF
. - Check your autosave folder and identify any
.SV$
files created.
✅ Completion Checklist
✔ Learned major AutoCAD file types
✔ Practiced Save and Save As
✔ Created an organized folder structure
✔ Saved a drawing as a template
✔ Exported to PDF and DXF
✔ Located and understood autosave files