How to open a DWG file without AutoCAD
A DWG is AutoCAD's drawing format. If someone sends you one and you do not have the software, you still have options.
Option 1: open it in your browser
The DWG Plotter page reads the file on your own computer, shows each sheet as a preview, and lets you save the drawing as a PDF. In the large preview you can zoom, switch layers on and off, and measure distances. Nothing is uploaded, so it is a sensible choice for client or confidential drawings.
Option 2: ask for a PDF
The person who sent the drawing can usually export a PDF in a minute. This is the best route when you need the sheet exactly as plotted, because they can use the right fonts and plot settings. If that is not possible, the converter above is the quickest alternative.
Option 3: a free viewer from Autodesk
Autodesk, the maker of AutoCAD, provides free ways to view DWG files, such as a desktop viewer for Windows and an online viewer. They may need an installation or an Autodesk account, and online viewers upload your file, so check their terms if the drawing is confidential.
What you can and cannot do without AutoCAD
- You can read the drawing, zoom in, check layers, measure, and print or save a PDF.
- You cannot edit the drawing. Editing needs CAD software.
Tips
- Missing parts? The drawing may link to other DWG files (xrefs). Ask the sender for them and drop them in together with the main file.
- Blank page? Some drawings have no layouts and everything sits in the model. The converter's Smart plot finds the real drawings in that case.
- Old file? Drawings from R14 onwards open. Files saved in other formats, such as DXF, are covered in DXF to PDF.
Need a PDF? See how to convert DWG to PDF.