| File extension | .dwg |
| Category | CAD File |
| Description | The .dwg file extension stands for drawing. One of the oldest file types, it was initially conceived in the 1970s for use with the early Computer Aided Design (CAD) devices for 2D and 3D drawings. The DWG format is licensed to Autodesk for their AutoCAD application which is the de facto standard for CAD drawings. Autodesk have robustly resisted attempts to reverse engineer the DWG format by other freeware applications building watermark protection into certain versions. The DWG files created by CAD applications are used industrially by architects, engineers and designers. |
| Actions |
Convert DWG file
View other cad file formats |
| Technical Details | A .DWG file is a binary file that contains vector image data and metadata. The vector image data provides instructions to the CAD application about how to display the DWG on screen. The metadata may contain a variety of information on the file including location specific data and also client data. Files created using AutoCAD 14 also have a file verification checksum included, which validates that the file was created using AutoCAD. |
| Associated programs |
Adobe Illustrator
AutoCAD
Autodesk DWG TrueView
CorelCAD |
|
| Developed by |
Autodesk |
| MIME type |
application/acad
application/x-acad
application/autocad_dwg
image/x-dwg
application/dwg
application/x-dwg
application/x-autocad
image/vnd.dwg
drawing/dwg |
|
| Useful links |
DWG File Format Specification
More Information on DWG Files
Autodesk DWG TrueView (To View)
Convert DWG file |
