Caddis guides
Practical CAD review, one field question at a time.
Clear, source-safe workflows for opening, measuring, and marking up supported drawings away from a workstation.
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Field-review workflows
How to measure a stair run in a DWG on iPhone
A focused workflow for checking a stair run on site while keeping measurements and markup separate from the source drawing.
Read the guideOpening, converting and sharing
CAD file guides
- Why won't my DWG file open?A DWG that won't open is usually too new for your software, damaged, missing references, or not really a DWG. Here's how to tell which, and the free fix for each.
- How to open DWG files on a MacDWG TrueView doesn't run on macOS. Here are the free ways to view, convert and share DWG files on a Mac, and when you actually need AutoCAD for Mac.
- How to prepare a DXF file for laser cuttingLaser cutters reject or miscut DXF files for predictable reasons: version, units, open shapes, duplicate lines and text. A checklist to get a clean cut the first time.
- STEP vs STL: which file should you use?STEP holds exact CAD geometry; STL is a triangle mesh for 3D printing. What each format keeps, when to use which, and why converting STL back to STEP doesn't restore precision.
- How to share a CAD drawing with someone who doesn't have AutoCADClients, inspectors and crews rarely have CAD software. The best ways to send a DWG so anyone can open it: PDF, a free viewer, images, or a DWG package for CAD users.
Free tools
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The free CAD converter and DWG version checker run in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.