Question 1

Can it open DWG files?

Accepted Answer

No. DWG is AutoCAD’s own binary format, and the only way to read it in a browser is a library whose licence does not suit this site. Almost every CAD program - AutoCAD itself, DraftSight, and the free ODA File Converter - can save a DWG as DXF, which will open here.

Question 2

How accurate is the measuring tool?

Accepted Answer

As accurate as the drawing: when a click lands within a few pixels of a corner or an end it snaps to that exact point, and the distance is worked out from the coordinates in the file. The units come from the drawing’s own setting, so a file saved without one shows plain numbers.

Question 3

Why does the drawing look different from AutoCAD?

Accepted Answer

Mainly fonts and hatching. Text is drawn in a standard sans-serif rather than the drawing’s SHX fonts, so lettering can be slightly wider or narrower, and hatch patterns show as a tint. Geometry, layers, colours and linetypes follow the file.

Question 4

Is the drawing sent to a server?

Accepted Answer

No. The file is read and drawn by the page itself, with no library fetched and no upload - which matters for drawings of someone’s house, or a part that is not public yet.

Free DXF viewer online