How Do I View AutoCAD History?

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Welcome to this tutorial on how to view AutoCAD history! AutoCAD is a powerful software used for computer-aided design and drafting.

Being able to access the history of your drawings can be incredibly useful, whether you want to review changes made or revert back to a previous version. In this article, we will explore different ways to view the history in AutoCAD.

Using the Design Center

The Design Center in AutoCAD allows you to access and manage drawing content such as blocks, layers, styles, and more. To view the history of a drawing using the Design Center:

  1. Open AutoCAD and navigate to the “View” tab in the ribbon.
  2. Select “Design Center” from the “Palettes” panel.
  3. In the Design Center palette, click on the “Open Drawings” icon (folder icon) at the top left corner.
  4. Browse and locate your drawing file in the file explorer window that appears.
  5. Once your drawing is loaded in Design Center, expand it by clicking on the plus (+) sign next to its name.
  6. You will see a list of different versions or revisions of your drawing. Double-click on any version to open it.

Note: The availability of different versions depends on how you have set up your AutoCAD settings and if you have saved multiple versions of your drawing over time.

Using Drawing Compare

AutoCAD also provides a powerful tool called Drawing Compare that allows you to compare two drawings side by side and analyze differences between them. Here’s how you can use Drawing Compare:

  1. Open AutoCAD and navigate to the “Collaborate” tab in the ribbon.
  2. Select “Drawing Compare” from the “Compare” panel.
  3. In the Drawing Compare dialog box, click on the “Browse” button next to the “Base drawing” field to select your original drawing file.
  4. Click on the “Browse” button next to the “Compare drawing” field to select the revised or updated version of your drawing.
  5. Choose the desired settings for comparison, such as color coding, display options, and more.
  6. Click on the “OK” button to start the comparison process.

Note: The Drawing Compare tool will create a new comparison drawing showing differences between two versions. You can navigate through changes using arrows and explore detailed comparisons using various tools provided in AutoCAD.

Using File History

If you have enabled AutoCAD’s automatic saving feature or saved your drawings manually with different names or versions, you can leverage File History in Windows to view previous versions:

  1. Locate your AutoCAD drawing file in Windows Explorer.
  2. Right-click on the file and select “Properties. “
  3. In the Properties window, click on the “Previous Versions” tab.
  4. You will see a list of available previous versions of your drawing.

    Select any version and click on “Open” or “Restore. “

Note: The availability of previous versions depends on your Windows settings and if you have enabled File History for that specific folder or drive containing your drawings.

In Conclusion

Being able to view AutoCAD history is essential when working with complex drawings or collaborating with others. Whether you prefer using the Design Center, Drawing Compare, or exploring File History, AutoCAD provides multiple options to access previous versions of your drawings. Experiment with these methods and choose the one that suits your workflow the best.

I hope this tutorial has helped you understand how to view AutoCAD history. Happy designing!