Import commands for files in MiniCAD, VW8, 9, 10 formats to VW2009

[holsteinson]

This is really insulting to all old users that have many drawings in previous versions of MiniCad and VW 8, 9 and 10

I have over 1,600 VW 8 and 9 CAD files in our archives that from time to time have to access them and now it can not be opened from within my new and improved VW2009 SP3

NNA shouldnt penalize its old users by not providing them with proper means to open or import all their old VW files with the new version 2009... this is the most idiotic antibusiness approach I have ever seen and whoever came up with this stupidity should be fired by NNA.

[holsteinson]

This old VW files formats problem is worst than I thought since I checked the VW2009 SP3 supported file formats in the knowledge base:

File Formats

Each version of Vectorworks has its own file version. (i.e. any file made in 2008 will have a flag that shows this when attempting to open the file in another version of Vectorworks.)

The previous extension for these files was .MCD, As of Vectorworks 2008, the new file extension is .VWX. Some older file formats are no longer readable by newer versions of Vectorworks regardless of backwards compatibility. Vectorworks 2009 can open version 2009, 2008, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 and version 7 files. Vectorworks 2008 and 12 can open as far back as MiniCAD 8.

If you have a much older file from Blueprint or an early version of MiniCAD, you may not be able to open it with a modern copy of Vectorworks. If this is the case, contact technical support at 410-290-5114 or tech@vectorworks.net.

I tried opening with my VW2009 SP3 several of my old files in version 8, 9 and 10 and NOPE it reports an error and doesnt open them, so there is a bug in this open routine.

Please fix this asap

[islandmon]

As mentioned previously ... NNA should offer a server side conversion service if it can't find the means to translate on the User side. How difficult can that be ?

This idea that everytime NNA gets a brain-fart the installed base becomes legacy is patently absurd and defeats the entire purpose of the digital revolution.

At the current rate of file/type obsolescence within 10 short years VW will only export to punchcard readers !

What then ... can we now look forward to ?

All files created in v2009 will not be readable by any future versions, because in the words of the future v2012 brochure " some file formats are no longer readable because they are just not worth the effort to support".

[AndiACD]

There's been quite a few threads on this trouble, but as seems to be the common consensus on the forum, NNA just aren't interested.

i hope this is not the case, but so far there doesn't seem to be any proof to the contrary.

No denial from any of the moderators that is . . . . . . .or the "Big Guns" (those with red names).

Here's hoping!

[Pat Stanford]

This is certainly not definitive, but I just dragged a Minicad 7 drawing onto the VW2009 icon in the Dock of my Mac and it opened just fine.

Holsteinson, if you want, send me a one (or a couple) of your drawings and I will see if I can open them here.

[Ray Libby]

I am also able to open files back to Minicad v7.

[jbrhwy]

Drag & drop on to the Vw2009 application opens my files back to VectorWorks v.7, but not MiniCad v.6.

I deliberately purchased the iMac PowerPC G5 (3.1) so I would have a computer that by double clicking a Mac OS9 file would automatically open Classic (still dependant on some older applications especially Landesign).

VW v.9.0.1 (Classic) will open MiniCad v5.0 files. I remember Graphsoft providing a batch converter (1993?) for older MiniCad files.

[jbrhwy]

iMac PowerPC G5

In addition to the Mac side, I use Windows Virtual PC v.7.0.3 with Windows 98 & XP Professional to run engineering, survey & data collector applications not available on the Mac. This computer set up works well for me as it efficiently runs even a high end program for processing and analyzing GNSS & terrestrial (total station and level) survey data recorded in the field, and exporting it to a design package.