Have to send some Autocad files out but do not want them to be able to change them, so is there any way to lock the files as read only either in Autocad or using windows by setting a password.

thanks

Print to PDF

If you don't have Adobe Distiller etc to create PDF's theres a few freebies out there, eg: -

http://www.pdfpdf.com/pdf4free.html

Installs as a printer driver which you print to to create a pdf file. The recipient will be able to view and print this, but not edit it, and certainly not as a useful cad file.

Not got a problem sending pdf except they want orginal cad files.

I know there is a way of doing it somehow - my tutor last year used to provide us with models, which were write protected (so we couldnt directly copy them).

Sorry, i dont know how to do it though, so have been no help at all...

Tom

i work as a technical clerk/draughtsman/engineer but spend most of my time converting cad files to pdf to distribute.

their purpose is 2 fold, to stop alterations and secondly often the people who we send to don't have means of viewing cad files (despite the abundance of cad viewer software available)

I have a feeling you can write protect cad files i'll have a go at work tomorrow, i have both autocad and microstation on my(duel screen) machine

[Edited on 17/1/06 by liam.mccaffrey]

Isnt the dwf format readable but uneditable