Project engineers, designers, and suppliers use the DWG file format to create technical drawings and blueprints on Autodesk’s AutoCAD program, among others. DWG enthusiasts swear by its standardized approach to architectural and engineering projects. Find out more about how to use DWG files.
DWG files are closely associated with CAD (computer-aided design) programs. Originally named as an abbreviation for the word drawing, it’s a file that contains two and three-dimensional vector graphics. Typically, drafters, architects, and engineers use DWG files to develop design sketches.
There are several other file types associated with DWG, including:
This “open but proprietary” format serves as the building block for new projects across different industries – mainly digital engineering. The level of detail achievable is important for helping architects and engineers visualize their designs. The files are readable on many programs — including those in Adobe Creative Cloud, like Illustrator.
The .dwg filename extension was created in the late 1970s as the native file format for the Interact CAD package. As computers began transforming the design industry, Autodesk licensed the DWG file type for its first iteration of AutoCAD in 1982.
As hardware became more powerful, so did designers’ and architects’ imagination. The DWG file became the empty canvas from which world-changing ideas have sprung. With various CAD programs now on the market, DWG has become more accessible to mainstream users.
The primary use for DWG files is drawing specialist blueprints and designs spanning a variety of industries. From engineers poring over the latest design specs for a new project to architects and town planners creating public spaces, a whole range of professionals rely on DWG files to bring designs into reality.
You’ll need specialized CAD software to open a DWG file. Once you do, you’re likely to find complex layers of detailed technical specs along with drawings and diagrams.
DWG files contain both vector images and metadata to support the designations of those vector images. This gives the author the ability to fully flesh out their own 2D and 3D ideas on the screen, rather than relying on off-book information to support their work.
DWG may be the go-to for graphics when putting together new engineering or architecture projects, but there are also a few drawbacks.
If you don’t need to make edits, you can use a DWG viewer to open the files. With the right software on your computer, you shouldn't have any trouble viewing your DWGs.
Here’s how you can open a DWG with Adobe Illustrator on desktop:
As mentioned, you need one of the CAD programs to create and edit a DWG file from scratch. However, if you’re using Adobe Illustrator, you can create a file and export it to DWG so it can be opened using CAD software.
Just follow these steps:
To export it as a DWG file, do the following:
Remember, you may experience issues with versioning – so make sure your recipient can open the file.
The term DWG is a shortened version of the word drawing – a reference to the action associated with the file type.
Yes. There are many mobile apps available that allow you to open DWGs on the go – enabling users to edit and share the file remotely.
Unlike other CAD files, which are free for anyone to use, DWG is a proprietary AutoDesk format. Authorized use of the DWG format is subject to permission by AutoDesk.
Back in the early days of DWG, computers could barely handle 2D graphics, let alone 3D. But as the hardware improved, the DWG format became much more capable of handling robust displays, including 3D graphics — now a standard of the file format.
In software files, metadata includes information and instructions to help the software (and the user) find out more about how the file is formatted. In DWG, this applies to the relationship between 2D and 3D versions, as well as other metatags.
DWG is the native file format for Autodesk’s AutoCAD® software and is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc.
This file format is typically associated with 3D computer graphics.
JT files
Another 3D object visualization format, JT was developed for data sharing and collaboration.
Which is best for collaboration – and does size matter? Learn everything you need to know to choose the best file type for you.
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