Archicad file and protection compatibility

[Csaba_Kezer]

Read indicates which is the oldest file format that the program can read Write indicates which is the oldest file format the program can write Protection indicates the oldest Archicad version that runs with the protection key that is supplied with the program's given version

Version	Read	Write	Protection
Archicad 27	17-	26	Key based: 10-(SW)8 Cloud based: 27-
Archicad 26	8.1-	25	10-(SW)8
Archicad 25 Update 2	8.1-	25*	10-(SW)8
Archicad 25	8.1-	24	10-(SW)8
Archicad 24	8.1-	23	10-(SW)8
Archicad 23	8.1-	22	10-(SW)8
Archicad 22	8.1-	21	10-(SW)8
Archicad 21	8.1-	20	10-(SW)8
Archicad 20	8.1-	19	10-(SW)8
Archicad 19	8.1-	18	10-(SW)8
Archicad 18	8.1-	17	6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7, (SW)8
Archicad 17	8.1-	16	6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7
Archicad 16	8.1-	15	6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7
Archicad 15	8.1-	14	6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7
Archicad 14	8.1-	13	6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7
Archicad 13	8.1-	12	6.5r5-(WK) 10-(CM)7
Archicad 12	8.1-	11	6.5r5-
Archicad 11	8-	10	6.5r5-
Archicad 10/IntelMac	6.5-	106	6.5r5-
Archicad 10	6.5-	9-	6.5r5-
Archicad 9	5.0-	6.0-	6.5r5-
Archicad 8.1	5.0-	6.0-	6.5r5-
Archicad 8	5.0-	6.0-	6.5r5-
Archicad 7.0	4.1-	5.0-	6.0r5- 6.5r4-5
Archicad 6.5	4.1-	5.0-	4.16-(Win)3 6-(Mac)4
Archicad 6.0	4.1-	5.0-	4.16-(Win)3 5.1-(Mac)4
Archicad 5.1	4.1-	5.0-	4.16-(Win)3 5.0-(Mac)4
Archicad 5.0	4.1-	5.0	4.16-(Win)3 4.55-(Mac)4
Archicad 4.55 (Win&Mac)	4.1-	4.55	4.16-(Win)3
Archicad 4.5 (Mac only)	4.1(Mac)-	4.5	4.5
Archicad 4.16 (Win only)2	4.16	4.16	4.1
Archicad 4.12 (Mac only)1	1.x-	4.12	4.1

• • ¹ Versions earlier than 4.12 existed only on Mac. They could read file versions from 1.x- and could not write earlier file versions

• • ² 4.16 was the first Windows version. This could not read Macintosh files, but there was a converter tool that ran on Mac and converted Mac archive (PLA) files to windows format and 4.16 Windows files to Mac format. (You can find this converter here)

• • ³ From 4.16 till 6.5r4 on Windows platform the Sentinel protection key was used. The sentinel key could run earlier Archicad versions also protected by Sentinel. (e.g. a 6.5 key could run Archicad 4.16)

• • ⁴ The Mac protection key (type Microguard for versions 5 and 5.1 and type Rainbow Sentinel for versions 6.0 and 6.5) was not backward-compatible, however the Archicad Install CD contained the previous Archicad version recompiled to run with the new protection key

• • ⁵ From Archicad 7.0, WIBU protection key was used on both platforms. WIBU is platform-independent, the same key works on Windows and macOS. The Archicad 7.0 CD contained a special version of Archicad 6.0 (r5/v5), Archicad 6.5 (r4/v4), which runs with WIBU key.

• • ⁶ Since Archicad 10 MacTel version is the first Archicad on this platform, it can not save earlier file formats. More on this topic: MacTel » FAQ

• • ⁷ CodeMeter protection key was introduced in Archicad 13 as an alternative to WibuKey. CodeMeter keys can run Archicad 10, 11 and 12 with the CodeMeter Enabler tool.

• • ⁸ CodeMeter Software key was introduced with Archicad 18 in year 2015. CodeMeter software keys can run however version 13-17 too.

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Converting old files

Please find here all information on how to convert your old Archicad files.

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Archicad license types

• Archicad license types
• BIMx license types