Open a DWG file in four steps
- Open the viewer. Use the viewer at the top of this page. It loads in your browser; there is nothing to install.
- Drop in the DWG file. Drag the .dwg file onto the viewer, or click “Open DWG” and pick it. You can select several files at once; each opens in its own tab.
- Look around the drawing. Use the mouse wheel to zoom, drag with the middle button to pan, and double-click the middle button to zoom to fit. Layouts appear as tabs under the drawing; click “Model” to see model space.
- Check or share what you need. Switch layers on and off, search the drawing's text, click any object to see its properties, measure distances and areas, or export the drawing as a PDF to send to someone who has no CAD software.
Why a DWG file needs special software
DWG is the native drawing format of AutoCAD, and it is not a document format that a general-purpose app understands. A text editor, an image viewer or an office suite cannot show it, which is why double-clicking a DWG on a computer without CAD software usually does nothing useful.
A DWG viewer reads the file's lines, arcs, text, blocks and layers and draws them for you. It is the right tool when you only need to look at a drawing, check a dimension or print it, and not change it.
What you can and cannot do
You can view the drawing in model space or any layout, show, hide or isolate layers, find text and attribute values, inspect an object's layer, color, linetype and geometry, measure distance, radius, angle and area with object snap, and export the drawing, a layout or the current view as a vector PDF.
You cannot edit the drawing or save changes back to the DWG. If you need to change drawings, that is a job for AutoCAD itself, or for the batch tools in the CADXChange product line when the same edit has to be made across many files.
Which way to open a DWG is right for you
Cloud DWG viewers are convenient, but they send your file to someone else's server, which matters for client, contract or unreleased project drawings. A viewer that runs entirely in your browser keeps the file on your machine. This one works that way, and after your first visit it also opens without an internet connection.
If you open DWG files every day on a Windows PC, there is also a portable desktop version of the same viewer: one program you unzip anywhere and double-click, with nothing to install.
If the drawing looks incomplete
Drawings often reference other files. If an external reference (xref) is missing, the viewer tells you which one, and you can add the file from your computer; it is used locally and never uploaded. The same goes for fonts: the viewer lists the fonts it had to substitute and lets you supply the originals.
Very large drawings take longer to read, but the page stays responsive while the viewer shows its progress.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I open a DWG file without AutoCAD for free?
- Yes. The online DWG viewer on this page is free, needs no sign-up and adds no watermark. Drop the file in and it opens in your browser.
- Is it safe to open a confidential drawing here?
- The file is read and drawn by your own browser and is never sent to CADXChange or anyone else, so a confidential drawing stays on your computer.
- Can I edit the DWG in the viewer?
- No. It is a viewer: you can inspect, measure and export to PDF, but not change or save the drawing.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in the browser. There is also an optional portable Windows app that needs no installation either.
- Can I send the drawing to someone without CAD software?
- Yes. Export it as a PDF from the viewer, and the other person can open it in any PDF reader.