Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your ACAD file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.
Convert ACAD to another file type
To convert ACAD databases to another format, you need AutoCAD or other Database software.
Convert a file to ACAD
To convert other file formats to the "AutoCAD Database File" file type, you need software like AutoCAD or a similar tool.
About ACAD files
An .ACAD file is an internal AutoCAD Database or environment settings file used by specific versions of AutoCAD. It stores backend software configurations, environment variables, and proprietary database records necessary to initialize the CAD workspace. These files are exclusively generated and processed by Autodesk software. Users frequently encounter an .ACAD file and mistakenly believe it contains 2D drafting or 3D modeling data, much like a standard DWG or DXF file. Consequently, they attempt to convert it to a PDF or a JPG to view the design. The primary disadvantage of this proprietary format is that it is completely unreadable without the specific version of AutoCAD that created it. It lacks any native viewing capabilities in web browsers or standard operating systems, making it highly frustrating for non-technical users who just want to see a drawing. Because it is a system database file rather than a graphical document, converting an .ACAD file to standard image or document formats is not possible. If the file contains plain text environment variables, it could technically be parsed into TXT or CSV, but the raw data will lose its context. This file format is difficult to open or convert because its internal structure is closed-source, undocumented, and proprietary to Autodesk. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ACAD file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert ACAD file to DWG, DXF, DGN, RVT, RFA, SKP, 3DM, STEP, IGES, SAT, X_T or X_B, you can use AutoCAD or similar software from the "AutoCAD Database Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SLDASM, DGN, PRT, IAM, X_B, CATPRODUCT, SLDPRT, RVT, ASM, DWG, CATPART or DXF files to ACAD, try AutoCAD or another comparable tool in the "AutoCAD Database Storage" category.
The ACAD Converter Story
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our ACAD converter.