TABLE OF CONTENTS AutoCAD uses a lot of different file extensions to differentiate files by some counts nearly 200. The list in this table includes those most specific to AutoCAD, or that I think you re most likely to run into. Many other file types can be used by AutoCAD for various purposes, including image files used to create materials and button images, and hypertext files.
| EXTENSION | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| .3ds | 3D Studio. This is created by the 3DSOUT command for use in 3D Studio VIZ or MAX. |
| .ac$ | Extensions that contain a dollar sign are temporary files. The .ac$ file extension is given to AutoCAD temporary files that are used to store data when RAM is filled. They should be deleted when AutoCAD closes, if it closes without crashing. If AutoCAD isn t running, these files can be deleted. |
| .ads | AutoCAD Develop System. This is a form of C programming language that was used to develop related applications without altering the code used by the ACAD.exe file. |
| .arx | AutoCAD Runtime Extension. This is a form of the C++ programming language. All files with this extension are programs that add functions to AutoCAD. They often contain the code for specific commands or groups of commands and are considered more sophisticated than ADS. |
| .atc | AutoCAD Tool Catalog. This file contains definitions for AutoCAD tool palettes. |
| .aws | AutoCAD WorkSpace. This file type is used for the definitions of the workspaces introduced in AutoCAD 2006. They re contained within folders that have the same... |
