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Notes on DWG, DXF and true-scale PDF

For architects and engineers who work in drawing files: practical writing on conversion, scale, layers and recovering damaged files.

Guide · 5 min read

How to convert a DWG file to PDF properly

Turning a drawing into a PDF is easy. Doing it without losing the scale, the colours and the hatches is not. Step by step.

Practical · 4 min read

Opening a DWG file without AutoCAD

You have no licence but you need to read the drawing. The options, what each is good for, and where each falls short.

Fundamentals · 4 min read

DWG vs DXF: what differs and which one to send

Both are drawing files, but they are not the same thing. One is binary, the other readable text — and that difference sometimes saves a project.

Scale · 5 min read

1:50, 1:100 — how to export a PDF at true scale

A scaled export is one you can measure with a ruler. What scale means, which to use when, and why it sometimes comes out wrong.

Troubleshooting · 4 min read

Recovering a DWG file that refuses to open

A "file is corrupt" message is rarely the end of the story. What to try, in order, and how the version ladder works.

Concept · 4 min read

Vector PDF against image PDF, and why it matters

Same extension, two entirely different things inside. How to tell which you have, and why one of them is the right one for drawings.

What changed · 4 min read

Acrobat no longer converts DWG — what to do instead

Adobe switched off DWG conversion in Acrobat. If you hit the error, nothing is wrong on your side — here is what still works.

Troubleshooting · 4 min read

Hatch missing in the PDF: why, and how to fix it

Walls that look filled on screen come out as empty boxes. The cause is usually one of five things — in order.

Troubleshooting · 4 min read

Text missing or mangled in the PDF export

An empty title block, missing levels, accented letters turned into boxes. Four causes of lost text and what to do about each.

Comparison · 5 min read

Free DWG viewers: which one is for what

DWG TrueView, Autodesk Viewer, desktop alternatives and browser tools. What each solves, and where each stops.