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Manual / DWG/DXF files

NEW, SAVE and SAVEAS - Save DWG/DXF

Create a new drawing (NEW), save (SAVE), and save under a new name (SAVEAS) as DWG or DXF.

What it does

Command Alias Shortcut Meaning
NEW QNEW Ctrl+N New 2D drawing in a new tab (the existing tabs stay open)
SAVE QSAVE Ctrl+S Saves the existing file (a new drawing opens Save As)
SAVEAS – Ctrl+Shift+S Saves under a new name/type (menu File › Save As...)

Where to find it

  • Ribbon: Output › File › Save / New / Open
  • Quick Access Toolbar, File menu

Steps

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+S, or type SAVEAS and press Enter.
  2. Choose the file type AutoCAD Drawing (*.dwg) or DXF (*.dxf).
  3. Enter a name and click Save. The tab shows the file name, and the Status bar shows Saved <file name>.

A saved drawing: the tab name and Status bar show the file name
A saved drawing: the tab name and Status bar show the file name

File menu
File menu

Save details

Topic Details
File version DWG and DXF in AutoCAD 2018 format. Opens in AutoCAD 2018 and later and in common CAD programs
Backup file When you save a DWG over an existing file, the previous file is kept as <name>.dwg.bak
Background save Large files are saved in the background, so you can keep working
No changes If you have not changed anything, SAVE shows No changes to save
MCAD-specific data Smart Dimension and extra annotation data are stored in the user's cache, so no extra files appear next to the DWG file
Thumbnail Windows Explorer shows thumbnails of files saved by MCAD

Note: When you close a tab that is not saved (the tab name has a *), the program asks before it discards your changes.

Try it: A bus shelter elevation, saved two ways

A 3 m bus shelter, saved as DWG for the client and as DXF for the steel cutter, from the same drawing.

  1. Press Ctrl+N to start a new drawing in a new tab.
  2. Posts: REC 0,0, then 100 Tab 2400, and REC 2900,0, then 100 Tab 2400.
  3. Roof: REC -200,2400, then 3400 Tab 120. Bench: REC 300,450, then 1500 Tab 50. Timetable sign: REC 2100,1600, then 600 Tab 400.
  4. Press Ctrl+Shift+S, choose AutoCAD Drawing (*.dwg), name it bus-shelter and click Save.
  5. Press Ctrl+Shift+S again, choose DXF (*.dxf) with the same name and click Save. Both files are now in the same folder.

3 m bus shelter elevation
3 m bus shelter elevation

Challenge: Change the roof height and press Ctrl+S. The previous DWG is kept automatically as bus-shelter.dwg.bak.

See also