However, you can only open these files with specific CAD programs. It’s useful to share DWG files, or files in another CAD file format, when you need to edit an image or elements within the image.

If you only need to view the CAD drawing and don’t need to edit the file, it may be easier to convert the DWG into a PDF file. By using a file converter such as Scan2CAD, you can extract the simpler elements like lines, polylines, arcs, circles and text. To ensure that your file is compatible with all programs, you’ll need to convert these into simpler entities like lines and shapes. Attrib, Table, Spline, Region, or 3DSolid, are not supported by all CAD packages.

Many of the more complex vector entities, eg. Of all the file types, DWG and DXF files are the most commonly shared, with DWG being the standard file format for AutoCAD, and DXF being the de facto file exchange format.Īnother important reason to convert files to DXF is to convert complex entities into simpler entity types – a feature which is especially useful when you’re loading a DXF file into a CAM program. In both cases, you’ll need a file that can be opened and edited by both parties. Other times, someone may have provided a file in a format they’re already used to, but which is entirely different from the CAD software that you use. It’s common to be asked to provide an image file in a particular format. Scan2CAD is the leading conversion software for CAD.įor sharing! After all, there are dozens of different file types used by CAD software.

Convert dwg to dxf free online