Make AutoCAD Read-Only

I work in an engineering firm that has a mix of the various flavors of AutoCAD. One of the problems we are having, is some of the engineers making changes to drawings. They are trying to save the Engineering Techs and Cad Techs some time, but most of the it is harmful. Like Bindging, then exploding xrefs, then making changes to the drawings, exploding dimensions and editing values, etc.

I need to make it so that they can't save any changes they make to a drawing.

We don't want to use windows to make certain directories read-only to certain users, we just would somehow like to limit their ability to save in AutoCAD.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Pat Davis

 

I'd vote for: "Can't be done in AC."

 

But it can be done.
Get the loginname and if it's Joe Engineer disable the save command or run
an reactor to undo all the edits.

Murph

 

uninstall acad from their computers!

 

There's no way to limit the ability to save in AutoCAD.

If this is a problem within your company, you need to
have its management set forth a policy, with some
teeth in it.

 

Don't give network rights to write to that directory.

AutoCAD. One of the problems we are having, is some of the engineers making
changes to drawings. They are trying to save the Engineering Techs and Cad
Techs some time, but most of the it is harmful. Like Bindging, then
exploding xrefs, then making changes to the drawings, exploding dimensions
and editing values, etc.

certain users, we just would somehow like to limit their ability to save in
AutoCAD.

 

Ditto Tony's and Warren's comments.

 

Yeah,
Give 'em an AutoCAD VIEWER.

Bill

 

I second that. Joe Engineer just needs bentley view, autocad is too
expensive for someone who I am afraid of breaking something.

 

There is another solution, but it can be deadly: password protection. Watch out on this.

 

Place this in their acaddoc.lsp....

(command "undefine" "save")
(command "undefine" "saveas")
(defun c:save () (Prompt "\nSave not Allowed\n"))
(defun c:saveas () (Prompt "\nSaveas not Allowed\n"))
(princ)

That should stump them for awhile.


Bob

 

That's very, very good and to increase it's usefulness, make it an
acad.lsp and protect it.

 

Command: .save
Command: .saveas

 

What is Bentley View?

 

Tried yours but didn't work so worked up one that does it:

(command "undefine" "_save")
(command "undefine" "_qsave")
(command "undefine" "_saveas")
(defun c:save () (Prompt "\nSave not Allowed\n"))
(defun c:qsave () (Prompt "\nqsave not Allowed\n"))
(defun c:saveas () (Prompt "\nSaveas not Allowed\n"))

 

it is a free drawing viewer... measure, print, turn on/off layers... no
markup capabilities, no save capabilities... my favorite cya procedure...
(and, our copies of autocad are kept in my office under lock and key)

 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. It's a touchy subject in our office, and I hope that making them "think" their version of AutoCAD isn't working properly will fool them for awhile. Hopefully long enough until we can come up with a permanent solution.

Thanks again.

 

(defun c:save () Prompt "Formatting C:")

 

(defun c:save () Prompt "Formatting C:")

LOL

(defun c:save ()
(while t
(alert "Press Okay to continue")))

 

Does Autodesk offer a FREE .dwg viewer that is similar to this "Bentley
View"?