AutoCAD FILE TYPES Explained! (Bonus Cheat Sheet Download)

Master AutoCAD Like a Pro: Know Your Files

Hey All,

TGIF!

It’s been an interesting week around here.

Tons of projects coming in and delivering them as quick as we can. This week my family also gained a new furry friend for our dog Chewy as well as another office buddy!

Meet Jabba :)

He’s just 9 weeks old but already a big boy and will be an awesome partner in crime to our other dog Chewie :)

That’s enough about that though, let’s take a look at today’s new video and some great tips for Mastering AutoCAD quickly!

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Quick Tip:

It’s Friday afternoon and your drawing just crashed! There might not be a scarier and more frustrating feeling on the planet. All the work you just finished was lost and potentially your file is corrupt or full of errors!

Understanding and knowing how AutoCAD Backup (.bak) & Autosave files work is your only chance of salvaging the lost work.

Check out today’s video here and keep reading for even more info on all of the different file types involved not only with backups but also customizing Autocad, Templates, Custom scripts, linetypes and more!

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The Must-Know AutoCAD File Types (and what they do for you):

These files types are just some of the must-know extensions that designers need to understand and be able to use on a weekly or even daily basis. If you’re looking to learn how I keep my files organized and want to steal my Folder Structure check it out here!

Keep reading to get a quick outline and make sure you watch today’s video to see each file type explained in more detail and how to use them all within AutoCAD!

Video: AutoCAD FILE TYPES Explained! (Must-Know Extensions/Files!)

🔹 .DWG – The bread and butter. This is your main drawing file. It's where all your layers, blocks, and blood/sweat/coffee reside.

🔹 .DXF – The diplomat. Great for sharing drawings with clients or colleagues who refuse to use DWG.

🔹 .DWT – The template. Save your standards, title blocks, and layer setups in here. Every good drawing starts with a great DWT.

🔹 .BAK – Your unsung hero. When AutoCAD saves, this backup file is created. Rename the extension to .dwg to recover a lost masterpiece.

🔹 .SV$ – Autosave’s cousin. If AutoCAD crashes (and it will), this file could save you hours.

🔹 .CTB / .STB – Plot style files. They tell AutoCAD how your drawings should look when printed — lineweights, colors, etc.

🔹 .LSP… Learn all .lsp files, all of the ones above and a bunch more by watching today’ video here: AutoCAD FILE TYPES Explained! (Must-Know Extensions/Files!)

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Pro Tips from the Field:

Get my simple pro tips as well as a downloadable bonus cheat sheet by subscribing to the Design X Technology Newsletter! Plus you’ll get all the previous archives and bonuses, extra content and more!