Opening drawings, tabs and units
Open a drawing
- File ▸ Open… (Ctrl+O, or
OPEN): choose one or more DWG or DXF files. Each opens in its own tab. - Drag and drop: drop one or more DWG or DXF files on the drawing area; each opens in its own tab. A dropped file keeps its location, so Save writes back to it and xrefs and images beside it are found.
- File ▸ Recent files…: the drawings you opened recently. See Tabs and sessions.
- Double-click a file in Windows Explorer, or use Open with.
If the file is already open, its tab is brought to the front. A blank, untouched Untitled tab is replaced by the drawing you open.
DWG conversion and progress
A DWG is converted before it is shown. The message at the bottom shows Converting DWG… with the elapsed time; after 30 seconds it adds (large drawings can take a few minutes). Click Cancel in the message to stop.
If the file needs the ODA File Converter, Cannot open this file explains why; Open download page takes you to it. See DWG converter.
Messages you may see
| Dialog | What it means |
|---|---|
| Incomplete DXF file | The file ends early. Open anyway shows what was read; Save then writes a new file and never overwrites the original. |
| Opened with limitations | Lists what could not be shown (for example skipped object types or missing images). Converter messages shows the converter's own output. |
The drawing opens on the layout it was saved on, as in AutoCAD.
External references and images
Xrefs and raster images are loaded with the drawing. If they are outside the drawing's folder you are asked first whether to load them. Images that cannot be found are shown as a red frame with the file name. See External references and images.
Units
The status bar shows the drawing units (In the app: Help ▸ Show me). Click it, or use Format ▸ Units… (UNITS, UN), to open Drawing units:
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Drawing units | The unit lengths are labelled in. |
| Precision | Decimal places shown. |
| Unitless: 1 unit is (this session) | Shown for drawings without units: what one unit stands for, for this session only. |
Important
Changing units changes how lengths are labelled; it does not scale the drawing. The change is one undo step.
If a drawing says millimetres but its coordinates look like a map or survey grid in metres, a note appears over the drawing with a Units… button. Nothing changes unless you choose so.