Convert VWX to MCD

A recipient using Vectorworks or MiniCAD 12.5 or earlier may require an MCD file because those releases predate the VWX format. Converting a newer drawing requires saving it back to an older Vectorworks version, sometimes through intermediate releases.

What the VWX format is

.vwx is the native document format used by Vectorworks for 2D drafting, 3D models, and related design data. Designers and architects use Vectorworks to create and edit these files.

What the MCD format is

.mcd is the legacy native document format used by MiniCAD and Vectorworks through version 12.5. Its practical advantage is compatibility with those older installations; it does not provide a general benefit over VWX for current software.

How to convert VWX to MCD

1. Open the VWX file in Vectorworks and keep an unchanged copy of the original.
2. Use File → Save As (or the equivalent save-a-copy command in your release) and select the oldest Vectorworks version offered. Save a separate copy.
3. If the required Vectorworks 12.5 format is not offered, open the saved copy in a compatible intermediate Vectorworks release and save it back again. Repeat with successively older releases until the file can be opened by Vectorworks 2008.
4. In Vectorworks 2008, use File → Save As and select Vectorworks 12.5 as the target version. The resulting legacy document uses the .mcd extension. Confirm the extension and open the file in the recipient’s software if possible.

Vectorworks is the appropriate desktop application; general online converters are not a dependable substitute for its version-specific save process. Do not upload confidential drawings to a conversion site.

Compatibility and limitations

Available backward-save targets depend on the installed Vectorworks release. If you lack a release that can read an intermediate file and save to an older version, the conversion may require access to additional licensed releases. MCD cannot preserve every feature in a newer VWX document: newer objects or behaviors may be simplified, changed, or omitted. Check the converted drawing’s geometry, dimensions, text, classes, layers, viewports, and 3D content against the original.