--- title: "DWG Viewer" description: "Free online DWG viewer. Open DWG drawings in your browser without AutoCAD, pan and zoom to inspect details, and toggle layers. No upload, files stay on your device." toolId: "dwg-viewer" category: "preview" subgroup: "model-viewer" subgroupName: "3D Model Viewer" url: "https://any3d.cc/en-US/tools/dwg-viewer" markdown: "https://any3d.cc/llm/tools/dwg-viewer.md" --- # DWG Viewer Open DWG drawings online without AutoCAD. Pan, zoom, and toggle layers in your browser for free. **Category:** 3D Model Viewer Tools (`preview`) **Subgroup:** 3D Model Viewer (`model-viewer`) **HTML:** https://any3d.cc/en-US/tools/dwg-viewer > Runs entirely in the browser. Files are not uploaded to Any3D servers. ## Overview DWG is the native drawing format of AutoCAD, widely used in architecture, engineering, and construction. Drop a DWG drawing here and it opens straight in your browser. Drag with the left or middle mouse button to pan, and scroll the wheel to zoom toward the cursor. On a phone or tablet, drag with one finger and pinch to zoom. Use the layer panel to show or hide layers; layers that are off or frozen in the file start hidden. The engine reads 2D curves, text, and dimensions. When a file contains 3D solids (B-Rep), the viewer switches to 3D mode automatically: drag with the left button to rotate the model, and a separate switch in the layer panel shows or hides the solids. Custom fonts that are not embedded may still not appear.Files are decoded locally with WebAssembly. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile browsers. To check sizes, turn on Measure in the left panel and click points on the 2D view to measure lengths, angles, and areas; snap catches endpoints, corners, and midpoints, and values are shown in drawing units. ## About Configuration Options ### Layers - **Show layer** (Default: on): Show or hide each layer's geometry, text, and dimensions. Hidden or frozen layers in the file start off. ### Measure - **Measure mode** (Default: Length): What a click sequence measures. Values are in drawing units, not converted to millimeters or inches; up to 50 measurements stay in the list, each can be hidden or deleted. Keys 1, 2 and 3 switch modes. - `length` — Length: Polyline through 2 or more points; right-click or Enter to finish. - `angle` — Angle: Click the vertex, then one point on each side; shows 0–180°, optionally with the supplementary angle. - `area` — Area: Closed outline through 3 or more points; right-click or Enter to close. - **Snap** (Default: on): Locks clicks to endpoints, corners and midpoints of visible lines, and to the nearest point on a line when zoomed in. S toggles it, hold Alt to ignore it, hold Shift for a wider reach. ## Format Information ### Input format - **Extension:** dwg - **Full Name:** DWG (AutoCAD Drawing) - **Type:** CAD Drawing - **Format:** DWG - **Tools:** [AutoCAD](https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/overview), [BricsCAD](https://bricscad.octave.com), [GstarCAD](https://www.gstarcad.net) - **Open With:** [DWG Viewer](https://any3d.cc/en-US/tools/dwg-viewer) - **Description:** DWG is the native drawing format of AutoCAD and a standard in architecture, engineering, and construction. It stores 2D and 3D drawing data including geometry, layers, blocks, text, and dimension annotations. DWG files are widely exchanged between professionals working with CAD software. - **Supported Features:** - Native AutoCAD format with broad industry adoption - Stores geometry, layers, blocks, text and dimensions - Widely supported by CAD/CAM/CAE software - Suitable for architecture and engineering drawings - **Notes:** - CAD software required for editing entities - Version compatibility can matter between CAD programs ## FAQ ### How can I open a DWG file without AutoCAD? Drag the DWG file onto this page or click to select it, and the drawing opens in your browser. Nothing to download or install, unlike desktop viewers such as Autodesk TrueView or DWG FastView, which require a setup file first. ### Can I edit a DWG file with this viewer? No, it is view only. AutoCAD Web can edit drawings, but it requires an Autodesk sign-in and uploads the file to Autodesk's cloud. Here the drawing is decoded locally with WebAssembly, so the file never leaves your device. ### Can I measure distances in the DWG drawing? Yes. Turn on Measure in the left panel, then click points on the 2D view. Length and area finish with a right-click or Enter. For an angle, click the vertex first and the measurement completes on the third point. Snap catches endpoints, corners, and midpoints of visible geometry. Values stay in drawing coordinates and are not converted to millimeters or inches. Drawings that open in the 3D view cannot use this 2D measure. You can still zoom in and read dimension text already in the file. Handy for checking a wall length or room area on a floor plan. ### Which DWG versions are supported? Common AutoCAD drawing versions are supported, from DWG 2000 through DWG 2024 and later releases. The viewer renders 2D curves, text, and dimensions. If a file fails to open, re-save it from AutoCAD as a standard DWG. ### Why does my DWG open blank, or get reported as an invalid file? The file may be empty, damaged, or drawn on layers that are off or frozen, and those start hidden here, so turn them on in the layer panel. A file containing only 3D solids and no 2D curves also shows nothing. Re-saving from AutoCAD as a standard DWG fixes most damaged files. ### Why does text not appear in my DWG? Text and dimensions may sit on a hidden layer or use fonts that are not embedded, such as custom SHX styles. Turn on all layers first, and note that very long strings are truncated in the preview. If text is still missing, check the text style in AutoCAD. ### Can I turn layers on and off? Yes. The left panel lists every layer in the file, and switches follow the file's state, so layers that are off or frozen start hidden. Use them to isolate outlines, dimensions, or text when checking a drawing. ### What is the difference between DWG and DXF? DWG is AutoCAD's native format, while DXF is an open exchange format for sharing drawings between programs, and content converts between the two. For a .dxf file, use this site's DXF viewer instead. ### My DWG contains 3D solids, can I still view it? Yes. When a file contains 3D solids (B-Rep), the viewer switches to 3D mode automatically: drag with the left button to rotate and scroll to zoom. A separate switch in the layer panel hides the solids so you can check the lines only. 2D curves, text, and dimensions remain visible. ### Can I open very large DWG drawings of tens of MB? Yes. DWG drawings are usually compact, and since decoding stays in your browser there is no upload-side cap. What matters is the number of solids and curves: overall site plans or terrain drawings with huge element counts take longer on first parse. Turning off layers you do not need keeps navigation smooth. ### Is Any3D completely free? Yes, Any3D's core features are free to use forever. We provide format conversion, model optimization, and online preview at no cost, with no registration required. ### Are my files uploaded to your servers? No. Files you select are processed only in your browser on this device, so they never leave your device and are never sent to our servers. We don't store any user files; after processing, related data in browser memory is released. ### Do I need to install software? No installation required. Any3D is entirely browser-based; just open the webpage to use all features. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and other major operating systems. ### Is there a file size limit? The processing capacity depends on your device performance and the model's vertex count and texture complexity, rather than file size alone. We impose no file size limit, but when a model exceeds what your device can handle, the page may lag or even crash.