AutoCAD is a powerful tool for computer-aided design and drafting. The software is used internationally in a variety of industries, such as engineering, architecture, and production plant management. An economical way to share drawing files (created with the ".dwg" file extension) is with the AutoCAD drawing viewer.

The AutoCAD drawing viewer is a stand-alone program, working independently of any drafting software. The viewer is efficient, offering powerful viewing, but also conversion capability, with minimal system requirements. Any CAD file can be opened and viewed. Zoom and edit features augment the viewing of design files. Additionally, the program includes a find and replace feature, capable of searching the drawing for specific text and then replacing the located text with an updated description.

The product is ideal for users who work with CAD files often but do not need the system overhead or expense of a full featured design application. Other users may have need to see design layouts in a different format, one which does not require the installation of a separate viewer. With this need in mind, the AutoCAD drawing viewer also offers a conversion tool. Drawings can be converted to bitmap images, from the .DWG file extension to .BMP. The software also gives the viewer a four-dimensional layer view of drawings, with slices searchable for editing. Full screen viewing, clipboard copying, and printing make the program remarkably full featured and capable.

AutoCAD drawing viewer is an economical, yet not under-powered, alternative to the more expensive full-fledged design applications and is a viable solution to making drawing files distributable and available to a wide variety of users.