AutoCAD versions: releases, .NET, DWG and code names

When developing AutoCAD plug-ins or working with DWG files, you constantly need to connect the various numbers that all refer to the same version: the commercial name (AutoCAD 2024), the internal release number (R24.3), the expected .NET version, the DWG format produced… So many identifiers that follow different logics and that Autodesk never lays out side by side.

Here is a cross-reference table, from the very first version up to AutoCAD 2027, followed by a breakdown of what each column means.

Version	Release	.NET	Visual Studio	Toolset	DWG/DXF	Code name
AutoCAD 2.5	R2.5				AC1002
AutoCAD 2.6	R2.6				AC1003
AutoCAD R9	R9.0				AC1004
AutoCAD R10	R10.0				AC1006
AutoCAD R11	R11.0				AC1009
AutoCAD R12	R12.0				AC1009
AutoCAD R13	R13.0				AC1012
AutoCAD R14	R14.0				AC1014
AutoCAD 2000	R15.0				AC1015
AutoCAD 2000i	R15.1				AC1015
AutoCAD 2002	R15.2				AC1015
AutoCAD 2004	R16.0				AC1018
AutoCAD 2005	R16.1				AC1018
AutoCAD 2006	R16.2				AC1018
AutoCAD 2007	R17.0				AC1021
AutoCAD 2008	R17.1				AC1021
AutoCAD 2009	R17.2				AC1021
AutoCAD 2010	R18.0	3.5			AC1024
AutoCAD 2011	R18.1				AC1024
AutoCAD 2012	R18.2				AC1024
AutoCAD 2013	R19.0	4.0	VS 2010		AC1027
AutoCAD 2014	R19.1	4.0			AC1027
AutoCAD 2015	R20.0	4.5	VS 2012	v110	AC1027
AutoCAD 2016	R20.1	4.5.2	VS 2012 Update 4	v110	AC1027	Maestro
AutoCAD 2017	R21.0	4.6	VS 2015	v140	AC1027
AutoCAD 2018	R22.0	4.6	VS 2015 Update 3	v140	AC1032
AutoCAD 2019	R23.0	4.7	VS 2017 Update 2	v141	AC1032
AutoCAD 2020	R23.1	4.7	VS 2017 Update 2	v141	AC1032	Qubit
AutoCAD 2021	R24.0	4.8	VS 2019 < 16.0	v142	AC1032	Rogue
AutoCAD 2022	R24.1	4.8	VS 2019 < 16.7	v142	AC1032	Sequoia
AutoCAD 2023	R24.2	4.8	VS 2019 < 16.11	v142	AC1032	Turing
AutoCAD 2024	R24.3	4.8			AC1032
AutoCAD 2025	R25.0	.NET 8			AC1032
AutoCAD 2026	R25.1	.NET 8			AC1032
AutoCAD 2027	R26.0	.NET 10			AC1032

The release number

The release number (R26.0, R25.1, etc.) is the internal identifier of the version, the one Autodesk uses behind the scenes, independently of the commercial name. You'll find it notably in the Windows registry: AutoCAD's configuration is stored under a key such as HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R26.0, where R26.0 corresponds to AutoCAD 2027.

It also serves as the name of subdirectories under AppData. The per-user support files (profiles, interface customization, temporary files…) live under a path such as %AppData%\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2027\R26.0\enu, which combines both the commercial name and the release number. Handy to know when locating or resetting the configuration of a specific version.

This number is also what governs the binary compatibility of plug-ins. AutoCAD will only load an ObjectARX module (.arx) or a .NET assembly if it was compiled for the current release. That's why every release change requires plug-ins to be recompiled — hence the importance of this column for anyone developing extensions.

Note, too, that the release number doesn't change with every commercial version. AutoCAD 2000i and 2002, for instance, share the same base as AutoCAD 2000, and several consecutive years (2007 through 2009, 2010 through 2012…) stay on the same major release.

The .NET version

This is the most important column for managed plug-in development. It indicates the version of the .NET Framework (then of .NET proper) that AutoCAD runs on, and therefore the one your project must target.

A plug-in must be compiled for a .NET version compatible with AutoCAD's. Targeting too recent a version prevents loading; targeting an older one generally works, but deprives you of recent APIs. The progression is steady: 3.5 from AutoCAD 2010, then 4.x up to AutoCAD 2024 (which stays on 4.8).

The major break comes with AutoCAD 2025, which moves to "modern" .NET: .NET 8 for the 2025 and 2026 versions, and .NET 10 for AutoCAD 2027. This platform change forces a proper migration of existing plug-ins, not just a recompilation.

Visual Studio and the toolset

These two columns concern ObjectARX development in C++. Unlike managed code, native C++ is highly sensitive to the build chain: Autodesk specifies the Visual Studio version and the platform toolset (v140, v141, v142…) each release was built with. To produce a compatible ObjectARX module, you must use the same toolset.

The "VS 2019 < 16.7" notation, for example, means you need a Visual Studio 2019 version earlier than 16.7. These columns are empty for the most recent versions, where the matching ObjectARX SDK itself sets the exact requirements.

The DWG/DXF version

This column (AC1032, AC1027…) identifies the file format used for DWG and DXF. It's a string found literally at the very start of a file's header: the first bytes of a DWG are, for instance, AC1032. This marker is what lets software know which version of the format it's dealing with.

A key point: the DWG format evolves much more slowly than AutoCAD versions. Several consecutive years share the same format. AC1032, for example, has stayed unchanged from AutoCAD 2018 all the way to AutoCAD 2027: a drawing saved with the most recent version is still readable by every version since 2018. The format also carries a "commercial" name matching the first version that introduced it:

Code	Format	Introduced with
AC1015	DWG 2000	AutoCAD 2000
AC1018	DWG 2004	AutoCAD 2004
AC1021	DWG 2007	AutoCAD 2007
AC1024	DWG 2010	AutoCAD 2010
AC1027	DWG 2013	AutoCAD 2013
AC1032	DWG 2018	AutoCAD 2018

This is the information that appears in the "Save As" dialog when you choose the file type ("AutoCAD 2018 Drawing", etc.).

The code name

The last, more anecdotal column: the version's internal code name. Like many vendors, Autodesk gives each version a working name used during development, before the commercial name is announced. Not all of them are known, but you'll find, for example, Maestro (2016), Qubit (2020), Rogue (2021), Sequoia (2022) and Turing (2023). Of no real technical use, but you'll occasionally come across them in version strings or internal documentation.

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