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Guide · Design / CAD

How to open a DWG file on a Chromebook

Quick answer: Install the free DraftLens extension, click its icon and drop the .dwg file onto the page. The drawing opens in Chrome in a few seconds; you can pan, zoom, turn layers on and off and measure. Nothing is uploaded and no CAD software is needed.

ChromeOS can't open .dwg files on its own, and AutoCAD doesn't run on Chromebooks. Most people only need to look at a drawing, check a dimension or print it, and for that a viewer that runs inside Chrome is enough.

DraftLens

Step by step

  1. Add DraftLens to Chrome

    Open the DraftLens page in the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. It's free and needs no account.

  2. Open the viewer

    Click the DraftLens icon in the toolbar (pin it from the puzzle-piece menu so it's always one click away).

  3. Drop in your drawing

    Drag the .dwg or .dxf file from the Files app onto the page, or click Open and choose it. DWG versions R13 to 2018+ and ASCII DXF work.

  4. Look around

    Scroll or pinch to zoom, drag to pan, and double-click or press F to fit the whole drawing on screen. Use the layer list to hide or show layers.

  5. Measure or print

    Pick the measure tool to check distances with snapping to endpoints and centers, in the drawing's own units. Save the view as a PNG or print it.

Tips

Other ways to do it

If you need to edit drawings, you need CAD software: online editors such as AutoCAD Web need an Autodesk account and upload your file, and Linux CAD apps need the Linux environment turned on. For viewing, measuring and printing, a viewer is simpler and keeps the file private.

Add DraftLens to Chrome, it's free

More about DraftLens · Privacy policy

Questions

Can I open DWG files on a Chromebook without uploading them?

Yes. DraftLens reads the file inside Chrome with the open-source LibreDWG library, so the drawing never leaves your device.

Can I edit the drawing?

No. DraftLens is a viewer: open, navigate, toggle layers, measure, save as PNG and print.

Does it work on Windows and Mac too?

Yes, anywhere Chrome runs.

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