What Is the Best Way to Make a Project Revision or Backup the Project and Drawing?

Overview

The FireCAD project file (.atp or .atpx) is tightly linked to the drawing (.dwg) file and other supporting files in the project folder. Using AutoCAD's Save As on just the drawing produces a new .dwg that is no longer connected to the project, so device connections and circuits will not carry over.

The correct way to create a revision or backup is to copy the entire project folder.

Steps

  1. Close the project in FireCAD so all files are released.
  2. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the parent folder that contains the project.
  3. Copy the entire project folder and paste it alongside the original.
  4. Rename the copy with a revision number or date (for example, MyProject_Rev2 or MyProject_2026-04-15).

Notes

  • Every copy of the folder is a fully functioning, self-contained project snapshot. You can open it, edit it, or archive it independently of the original.
  • This approach also preserves any attached PDFs, datasheets, or exports that live alongside the project.
  • For incremental crash protection, see Embedded Drawing Backup & Recovery.

FireCAD is the industry-leading AutoCAD add-in for fire alarm system design — from circuit layout to wire routing to code-compliant reports.
Learn more and get started at getfirecad.com →

Inspect Point Integration — Fire alarm system device lists and bill of materials can be pushed directly from FireCAD into Inspect Point, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring every device is ready for inspection scheduling and ongoing asset management.
Learn more here →

Was this article helpful?
0 out of 0 found this helpful