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Drawing Optimizer for AutoCAD

Autodesk Consulting

Drawing Optimizer for AutoCAD

Autodesk Consulting

This application will serve as an Autodesk® AutoCAD® user’s assistant to help keep DWG files as clean as possible and reduce overall wasted time waiting for drawings to open or save.

Free

Available with select
Autodesk products

The Drawing Optimizer for Autodesk®tool is accessible with a Workflow Advisor subscription—please reach out to wa-support@autodesk.com for subscription details and access.

Drawing Optimizer for AutoCAD is a desktop application and Autodesk® AutoCAD® plugin that automates the process of cleaning AutoCAD DWG files of unwanted items, which lead to file bloat and tend to adversely affect drawing performance.

A key aspect of the application is that all DWG cleaning information is collected and stored in a SQL database to be consumed for data analytics purposes, as well as to allow users to be alerted when adding an XREF to the drawing that has not been previously cleaned.

For more information, please follow this Drawing Optimizer for AutoCAD Helper Guide.

Details

Operating system

win32_64-platform-icon

Release date

Oct 23, 2025


Last updated

Jul 23, 2026


Version

20.1.29


Language

English

Compatible with

ACD-icon

ACD

2025

Certifications

Digitally signed

Digitally signed

Capabilities

Translator

Learning

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Using the DWG Cleaner ribbon tab > User Options command or using the command ACDWGCLEANERUSEROPTIONS will display a list of scan options that are set for the computer.  The initial list of cleaning options is retrieved from the database.  Once modified, the list is specific to the user until synchronized with the server or reinstalled.  The list of cleaning options will only be applied when cleaning with the DWG Cleaner Plug-In.  DWG Cleaner Application will have its own cleaning settings.

Console Batch Operation Responsibilities

The batch application is responsible for two operations:

  1. Collect any outstanding cleaning data files and send the cleaning data to the database.
    • Cleaning data is generated with each automated, manual, or batch cleaning operation. That data is stored on the local machine’s file system in the following folder: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\DwgCleanerApp\JSON\
    • JSON data files contain information about each cleaned file, including file name, file path,the machine that processed the file, and the number of items cleaned for each cleaning option.
    • The system stores cleaning data in these JSON formatted files so that the overhead of uploading the information to the database can be off-loaded to a background process, thereby keeping the burden on the AutoCAD or AutoCAD-based vertical at a minimum.
  2. Check the database for server-based jobs that must be run on the current machine at the current data and time.
    • The scheduled jobs are not necessarily automated unless the console application is run. In other words, only when the console application runs are scheduled jobs checked to see if one (or more) should be run on the current machine.
    • If a scheduled job is found for the current computer that matches the current date/time requirements, the scheduled job will then be processed by the console application.

Desktop Batch Runner Application:

  • This is an application that allows the user to configure batch cleanings and run them on demand. Approved admin users will have the added ability to schedule batch cleaning jobs to run on a specified server.
  • The desktop Batch Runner Application and the AutoCAD application plugin support Autodesk Construction Cloud® stored drawings.  This tool will only work with drawings that can be accessed by Desktop Connector 16.1.1 or higher. 

 

Batch Runner Application:

  • This is a schedulable console application that will perform the collection of cleaned file data and check for any batch jobs scheduled to be run on that machine.If any jobs are configured in the database to run, this console application will automatically run those batch jobs and store the results in the database.

 

Drawing Cleaner Database (DwgCleanerAppDB)

  • At the heart of the entire application is a database layer responsible for keeping track of cleaned files' history, locally configured and scheduled server batch job definitions.Additionally, almost all settings associated with the application are stored in the database for centralized configuration capabilities.

Follow this link for the User Guide of DWG Cleaner.

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