Autodesk Viewer is a versatile and reliable solution that lets you review and collaborate on various file formats delivered by CAD applications. While you can't edit the files in order to avoid making unwanted changes, there's a set of features for you to view, zoom in or out, inspect, measure, or navigate the project through the first-person view or other camera angles. You can also play any visualizations if they are included in the original files.
With Autodesk Viewer you can open even the most complex and layered files, while the speed and performance of the app will stay the same, but you should be using modern browsers for that. You can also ask for review or leave feedback for other people through its various tools that allow drawing on the project or highlighting an entire area.
You can use Autodesk Viewer by opening it through its web-based service. The platform was developed by Autodesk, creator of the famous AutoCAD software.
Why should I download Autodesk Viewer?
If you're an architect, engineer, designer, or client who works with complex designs or drawings, you need Autodesk Viewer to examine and review the projects. You can open files in various formats, including DWG, DXF, or DWF, and the tool will handle them with ease. It uses the newest web technologies to provide high-quality visuals.
You can view architectural plans, industrial projects, or schematic models with various modes. Once you open Autodesk Viewer, you are able to use the integrated measurement tools, which are crucial if you need to get specific dimensions of objects or the space between them. Thanks to the ability to explore layers and each element separately, you can get as detailed as you want. This set of dedicated features is great and allows you to have access to distance, mass, volume, and other geometrical information.
When you open the project in Autodesk Viewer, you can open different layers, including even the smallest part of your design, or watch 2D or 3D visualizations with varying camera angles. Once you explore the file in detail, you can send it over to other programs AutoDesk offers. They are deeply integrated with each other, so you can continue editing the file or analyze it further without any friction between different environments.
Autodesk Viewer is also great for collaborating on designs with other people as it allows you to annotate and markup specific areas on the file, whether you just want to leave a written comment, draw over the project, or highlight a specific space. The files can be forwarded to others or accessed online, but the most important aspect is that you can't make edits with Autodesk Viewer. This is an essential feature so that there aren't any unintended changes during the review process that could break the design and cause costly delays. Because all of that happens in a review mode, then the designer can apply all feedback and have complete control over the original file.
Another reason why users tend to choose Autodesk Viewer is that it can handle very complex files and has excellent and stable performance. The tool is optimized for modern hardware and browsers to ensure it uses them effectively and to their full potential. This way, you don't need to worry about slowness or the website crashing while you review your detailed 3D model or an extensive drawing.
Is Autodesk Viewer free?
As a supplemental app to other Autodesk products, you can use Autodesk Viewer for free and use all its features on the web-based solution. For the online service, you only need to create an Autodesk account to access the files shared with you.
The fact that this app is free is a huge advantage when you need to send your project to a client for review or a coworker for feedback so that they can use it without any additional costs.
What operating systems are compatible with Autodesk Viewer?
If you're looking to use the online service, then Autodesk Viewer is available on any desktop computer, as long as you're using a supported browser that is compatible with WebGL-canvas. You can use any of the following options: Chrome, Firefox, as well as Opera.
Keep in mind that performance will also rely on your computer hardware and resources, but with modern devices, you can be sure that the Autodesk Viewer will be able to work smoothly even with the most complex projects that require a lot of resources.
What are the alternatives to Autodesk Viewer?
If you need a more robust solution with more options than just detailed views and measurements, then give Autodesk DWG TrueView a try. It's a dedicated Windows app where you can also convert and print DWG files. You can download Autodesk DWG TrueView for free. When compared to Autodesk Viewer, it has more advanced and extensive measurement and markup tools and is better suited for technical drawings and projects. With them, you can inspect everything more accurately and get very detailed information from the design file.
DWG FastView is software for those who require a tool that works on systems other than just Windows, as it's also available on macOS, iOS, and Android. You can use it to work with multiple formats, including the most common ones, DWG and DXF, and you can decide whether the free version is enough or if you need to upgrade to a paid license. The first one offers just the most essential tools that allow you to view, measure, and annotate the file. If you choose the paid option, then you will get better markup tools, faster performance, and various collaboration features. Users also appreciate the fact that DWG FastView is available on many systems so that they can preview something quickly on different machines and devices.
A great open-source tool that combines the options to view designs as well as create them is called FreeCAD. Even though you would primarily use it as a standard CAD software for editing projects, it has remarkable viewing options and is available for free. You can download FreeCAD on Windows, Linux, and macOS, work with multiple file formats, and use its special module to review, modify, and analyze different components. Because it comes from an open-source project, there's a vibrant community of developers behind FreeCAD, which regularly releases new updates.
