Free online DWG viewer
Online DWG/DXF viewer. No AutoCAD, no installation, no sign-in, and your drawing files are never uploaded. Navigates just like AutoCAD.
What you can do
- Open DWG and DXF drawings, in Model space or any layout
- Show, hide or isolate layers, and search the drawing's text
- Measure distance, radius, angle and area with object snap
- Inspect the properties of any object
- Export the drawing, a layout or the current view as a vector PDF
- Your file never leaves your computer, and the viewer works offline after the first visit
Navigate like AutoCAD
- Mouse wheel: zoom around the cursor
- Middle button drag: pan
- Double-click the middle button: zoom to fit
- Touchpad: two fingers to pan, pinch to zoom
- Ruler button: measure distance, radius, angle and area with object snap
- Download button: export the drawing or layout as a vector PDF
Questions
- Is it free? Can I use it at work in a company?
- Yes. Viewing a drawing and exporting it to PDF in the DWG viewer is free, including inside a company for your work drawings. No license key and no registration are needed for that.
- Is my drawing uploaded to a server?
- No. The file is read and drawn by your browser on your own computer. It is never sent to CADXChange or to anyone else.
- Which files can I open?
- DWG and DXF drawings. Layouts appear as tabs under the drawing. The first layout opens by default because that is how most drawings are plotted; click Model to see model space.
- Can I get a white background like a plotted PDF?
- Yes. The background button in the toolbar switches between the dark AutoCAD-style background and a white background with black lines. The choice is remembered.
- Does it work without an internet connection?
- Yes. After your first visit, the page, the viewer and its fonts are stored in your browser, so you can open it again and view drawings without a connection. Visit the page once while online; that first visit downloads about 20 MB.
- Can I measure distances and areas?
- Yes. The ruler button measures distance, radius, angle and area, with object snap and a choice of units.
- Can I turn layers off or look at an object's properties?
- Yes. The layers panel lets you show, hide or isolate layers, and you can select any object to see its layer, color, geometry and other properties. There is also a text search.
- Can I convert a DWG to PDF?
- Yes. The PDF button exports the whole drawing, a layout or the current view as a vector PDF. You can pick the paper size, the orientation, and color or black and white.
- What if the drawing uses external references or special fonts?
- The viewer tells you which referenced drawings (xrefs) are missing and which fonts were substituted. You can add the missing xref files and fonts from your computer; they are used locally and never uploaded.
- Do I need AutoCAD or an Autodesk account?
- No. The viewer is free and needs no AutoCAD, no installation and no account of any kind. Open the page, drop in a DWG or DXF file and look at it.
What is a DWG file?
A DWG file is a drawing saved by AutoCAD or another CAD program that uses the same format. It stores the lines, arcs, text, dimensions, blocks and layers of a drawing, along with the layouts used for printing. Architects, engineers and contractors exchange drawings as DWG files every day.
Because DWG is a specialist format, ordinary apps cannot show it. You need AutoCAD, another CAD program, or a DWG viewer.
How to view a DWG file online
- Drag the .dwg or .dxf file onto the viewer above, or click “Open DWG”.
- Wait for the progress bar to finish; large drawings take a little longer.
- Zoom with the mouse wheel, pan with the middle mouse button, and open the Layers panel to hide what you don't need.
- Click “Model” or a layout tab to switch between model space and the printed sheets.
- Use the ruler to measure, or the PDF button to export the drawing as a vector PDF.
DWG or DXF: which file do I have?
DWG is AutoCAD's native format; DXF is an exchange format that other CAD and manufacturing software can read. The viewer opens both, so you do not need to know which program produced the file.
If your DWG file doesn't open or looks wrong
- Wait a little: a large drawing can take longer to read and draw, and the viewer shows its progress.
- If parts are missing, the drawing may depend on external references (xrefs). The viewer lists the missing ones, and you can add those files from your computer.
- If the text looks different, the drawing may use fonts that are not available. The viewer lists the substituted fonts and lets you supply the originals.
- Reload the page and try again, or save the drawing as DXF from your CAD program and open that.
- Still stuck? Send us the file's details through the support page and we will look at it.