Which viewer do I need?

Find your file type

I have a .dwg or .dxf file

Created in: AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Plant 3D, or an Inventor drawing.

Best free option: DWG TrueView on Windows for full fidelity, printing and version conversion, or Autodesk Viewer in the browser for a quick look.

Also works: AutoCAD Web, which views DWG files free and can open them from OneDrive, Google Drive, Box and Dropbox.

I have a .rvt or .rfa file

Created in: Revit.

Best free option: Revit Viewer mode. Revit itself runs as a viewer with no licence. See the read-only modes below.

Also works: Autodesk Viewer in the browser, for files from Revit 2015 or later.

I have a .nwd file

Created in: Navisworks.

Best free option: Navisworks Freedom on Windows. You get the full navigation tools plus the viewpoints, redlines and comments saved in the file.

Also works: Autodesk Viewer in the browser, but it will not show point clouds embedded in the file.

Been sent an .nwc file instead? Freedom cannot open those. Ask the sender to publish an NWD from Navisworks Manage or Simulate; it takes them two minutes.

I have an .ipt, .iam, .idw or .ipn file

Created in: Inventor.

Best free option: Inventor Read-only Mode. It is part of Inventor and needs no licence. See the read-only modes below.

Also works: Autodesk Viewer in the browser.

I have an .rcp or .rcs point cloud

Created in: ReCap, from a laser scan.

Best free option: ReCap viewer mode. Install the ReCap Pro trial and it keeps working as a viewer after the trial ends. See the read-only modes below.

Also works: Navisworks Freedom, if the scan has been embedded in an NWD file. Autodesk Viewer in the browser does not display point clouds.

I have a .dwf or .dwfx file

Created in: Published from almost any Autodesk product.

Best free option: Design Review on Windows, which views, marks up, measures and prints DWF files and tracks changes between versions.

Also works: Navisworks Freedom for 3D DWF, or Autodesk Viewer in the browser.

I have an .f3d file

Created in: Autodesk Fusion.

Best free option: Autodesk Viewer in the browser.

I have a STEP, IGES, SAT, STL, OBJ, SolidWorks, CATIA, JT, IFC, SketchUp or PDF file

Best free option: Autodesk Viewer in the browser. It handles over 80 file types, and for exchange formats like these it is usually the only viewer you need.

I have an .fbx, .3ds or .obj file

Created in: 3ds Max, Maya, or exported from most 3D tools.

Best free option: FBX Review on Windows, Mac or iOS. It views 3D models and animations without any 3D authoring software.

Also works: Autodesk Viewer in the browser.

I have an .mfr Moldflow result file

Best free option: Moldflow Communicator, which lets an extended team visualise, quantify and compare simulation results.

The ones most people miss

Three read-only modes that need no licence

Revit, Inventor and ReCap each keep working as a viewer without a licence. Install the product, or its free trial, and use the viewer shortcut. The trial editing tools expire; the viewer does not.

  • Revit Viewer mode

    Opens any Revit model in the full Revit interface, so you see exactly what the designer sees, and prints views and sheets. Look for Revit Viewer in the Start menu once Revit is installed.

    You cannot save or export to CAD formats. Print and the other exports work as long as you have not changed anything in the model. The same applies to Revit LT.

    Download the Revit trial

  • Inventor Read-only Mode

    Opens parts, assemblies, drawings and presentations (.ipt, .iam, .idw, .dwg, .ipn) with the same navigation, 3D measuring and printing as the full product, and it never expires. Look for Inventor Read-only Mode in the Start menu.

    It replaced Inventor View, which Autodesk has retired.

    Download the Inventor trial

  • ReCap viewer mode

    Opens .rcp and .rcs point clouds so you can navigate the scan, view the RealView photos and take measurements. Install the ReCap Pro trial; when the 30 days end it carries on as a viewer.

    The expiry screens make it look as though it has stopped working. It hasn't. Close the prompt and carry on, and accept version updates when asked.

    Download the ReCap Pro trial

Free downloads

The viewers

Every one of these is free from Autodesk. Browser viewers need nothing installed; the Windows ones are downloads.

  • Autodesk Viewer (browser)

    The quickest option for a one-off look. Drag a file in and it opens on any device. Over 80 file types, including DWG, RVT, NWD, IPT, STEP, SolidWorks and CATIA, with measuring, mark-up and shareable links.

    Files are uploaded to Autodesk's cloud, so check your project's confidentiality rules first. It does not display point clouds.

    Open Autodesk Viewer

  • Navisworks Freedom (Windows)

    Opens NWD and 3D DWF files with the full navigation toolset and access to the model hierarchy, object properties, viewpoints, redlines and comments saved in the file.

    It cannot open native design files or NWC caches; the sender publishes an NWD from Navisworks Manage or Simulate.

    Download Navisworks Freedom

  • DWG TrueView (Windows)

    Opens, measures and prints DWG and DXF files with full fidelity. Its DWG Convert tool batch-converts drawings to older DWG versions, which is often the real reason people install it.

    It is a large install for a viewer; for a quick look use Autodesk Viewer or AutoCAD Web.

    Download DWG TrueView

  • AutoCAD Web (browser)

    Free DWG viewing in the browser, including files stored in OneDrive, Google Drive, Box and Dropbox. Creating and editing needs a trial or a subscription.

    Open AutoCAD Web

  • Design Review (Windows)

    Views, marks up, measures and prints DWF and DWFx files, and tracks changes between versions. Add it to DWG TrueView to mark up DWG files too.

    It has not had a new release for some years but is still available from Autodesk.

    Download Design Review

  • FBX Review (Windows, Mac, iOS)

    Views 3D models and animations in FBX, OBJ, 3DS and a dozen other formats without any 3D authoring software.

    For Moldflow result files, use Moldflow Communicator.

    Download FBX Review

Scan data

Point clouds and combined models

For scan data on its own, use ReCap in viewer mode. If the point cloud has been combined with a model, ask for it as an NWD published from Navisworks Manage or Simulate: the scan is embedded and the whole thing opens in Navisworks Freedom. When we deliver reality capture projects, we supply the scan in whichever form suits the people who need to open it.

What next?

Need to do more than view?

Viewers are for looking, measuring and marking up. If you need to edit, model or coordinate, you need the software and the skills to go with it.

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