DWF Viewer Online | View DWF and DWFx Files in Browser

60+

Formats CUBE can view in a project, with the DWF Viewer Online as the public .dwf and .dwfx route

50 MB

Maximum .dwf or .dwfx size this page accepts

0 licences

No AutoCAD® seat or Design Review install needed. No account is required to open the sheets

14 days

How long a file on this viewer is kept before automatic deletion

How to Use This DWF Viewer Online

Two steps from a published .dwf to sheets you can work with. The file is checked on your device, then it opens inside CUBE.

Step 1 of 2

Choose a .dwf or .dwfx File

The browser checks the extension and size before anything leaves your device. Maximum size is 50 MB. Single-sheet and multi-sheet sets both qualify.

A .dwf file dropped into the viewer and checked in the browser for format and size, still on your device

Step 2 of 2

View It in CUBE

The sheets open in the CUBE viewer. Pan, zoom, switch sheets, toggle published layers, measure. Upgrade to share them, raise issues, and run reviews.

What This DWF Viewer Shows in a Sheet Set

A DWF is what an author publishes for review: plotted sheets, the layers they chose to include, and the properties attached to them. It is a record of the drawing, not the editable source.

Sheets and Layers

Each sheet in the package opens as its own tab. Layers that were published with the file can be turned on and off while you review.

View Without a Licence

Open the published sheets without AutoCAD® or Design Review.

Hand-off Into CDE

Your sheet set is already stored in CUBE, not a throwaway preview. Upgrade and it becomes a controlled document with versions, reviews, and transmittals.

Measure

Measure distances on the sheet. Sharing and issues come with an upgrade.

DWF Viewer Workflow, Step by Step

Upload and preview your files, directly in the browser.

From Dropzone to Viewer

Four steps between choosing a file and working on it in CUBE.

Choose

Extension lock to .dwf and .dwfx and size check at 50 MB, both in the browser. Nothing is uploaded yet.

Upload and scan

The file uploads for this viewing session, visible only to you. Malware scan runs before translation and fails closed.

Translate and view

The CAD translator used in Spaces renders each sheet. Sheets, layers, and measure load.

Keep or expire

Files are deleted after 14 days. Upgrading keeps them as controlled project documents.

What a DWF File Contains

DWF (Design Web Format) is the publishing format from Autodesk®, made so drawing sets could be shared for review without sending the editable source. AutoCAD®, Revit®, and other Autodesk® products can publish it, and many design teams still issue DWF review sets because the recipient sees exactly what was plotted and cannot change the geometry.

A DWF is a package. Inside sit a version header, a manifest that lists the contents, one section per published sheet, and the resources each section draws on, such as vector graphics, images, and property data. DWFx carries the same content in a container based on Microsoft XPS. The DWF Viewer Online accepts both, as long as the file is under 50 MB.

DWF Package Map

What a translator unpacks, in order, before the first sheet appears.

VERSION

Format Header

The first bytes name the DWF version, so the reader knows how to unpack the rest of the file.

MANIFEST

Package Contents

manifest.xml lists every section and resource in the package and how they relate.

SECTIONS

Published Sheets

One section per sheet, in the order the author set when publishing.

RESOURCES

Graphics and Images

Vector graphics, raster images, thumbnails, and fonts that each section draws from.

METADATA

Properties

Sheet titles, object properties, and descriptor XML published with the set.

Compressed DWF

The classic .dwf is a ZIP-based package. AutoCAD® publishing settings list compressed binary as the recommended output, which keeps large sheet sets small enough to email.

DWFx

DWFx carries the same sheets in a container based on Microsoft XPS. Authors can publish it as single-page or multi-page output, and both open here.

Common content in a published DWF:

Sheets

Plot sections

2D vectors

Layers

Named views

Raster images

Fonts

Hyperlinks

Object properties

Sheet properties

Thumbnails

manifest.xml

descriptor.xml

ePlot

W2D

A DWF shows only what the author chose to publish. If layers, fonts, images, or properties were left out at publish time, they cannot be recovered here. An unreadable file shows a parse error instead of a blank canvas.

DWF Viewer Compared With Autodesk® Viewers

Compare with Autodesk® Viewer in the browser and Design Review on the desktop, the two tools most people try first.

Need	CUBE DWF Viewer	Autodesk® Viewer	Autodesk® Design Review
Open .dwf without a licence	Yes. No account and no CAD licence.	Yes, with a free Autodesk® account.	Yes. A free Windows install, last released in 2018.
File leaves the device	Yes. Uploaded for viewing, scanned, and deleted after 14 days.	Yes. Files are uploaded to Autodesk®.	No. Files open from local disk.
Matches project CDE preview	Yes. Same production translator.	No. A separate viewer.	No. A separate desktop tool.
Sheets and layers	Yes, when they were published.	Depends on the file.	Yes. Built for DWF review.
Edit geometry	No. View only.	No. Viewing and sharing only.	No. Review only.
Save into a controlled project	Already stored in CUBE. Upgrade to keep and share.	No CDE hand-off.	No CDE hand-off.

Who Uses a DWF Viewer on a Construction Project

DWF exists so that people outside the CAD team can review a drawing set without editing it. Those are the people who open the DWF Viewer Online.

Before issue

Architects and Engineers

Check a published issue set before it goes out. Confirm every sheet made it into the package and the title blocks match the register.

A drawing sheet with the title block checked and the sheets list

On site

Contractors and Site Teams

Open the package a design partner sent without installing Design Review or asking for a PDF instead.

A laptop on site showing the drawing in a browser, with no install and no named user

Document control

Document Controllers

Check that an incoming DWF opens before it is logged against a transmittal. Unreadable files show a parse error, not a blank page.

A received transmittal list with each file checked: opens, saved to the CDE, or a parse error

Sign-off

Owners and Consultants

Review the issued set without buying CAD seats for every stakeholder. Upgrade when the sheets should become the project record.

Three reviewers, an owner, a consultant and a guest, marking up one drawing with no CAD seats

DWF Viewer FAQ

Do I need AutoCAD® or Design Review to open a DWF?

No. CUBE opens .dwf and .dwfx files in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. You do not need AutoCAD®, Design Review, a plugin, or an authoring licence to inspect the sheets.

Is the CUBE DWF viewer free?

Yes. Viewing on this page is free. No account is required.

Does this DWF viewer upload my file?

The browser checks the file first, then uploads it so it can be scanned and translated by CUBE’s production CAD engine.

What files does the DWF Viewer Online accept?

.dwf and .dwfx, up to 50 MB. DWG, DXF, DGN, RVT, and IFC have their own viewer pages, so each page covers one format.

Can I switch between sheets and layers?

Yes, when the author published them. Each sheet in the package opens as a tab, and published layers can be turned on and off.

Does the DWF Viewer Online edit geometry?

No. A DWF is a published record, so changes belong in the source drawing in AutoCAD® or another CAD seat, followed by a new publish.

What is the difference between DWF and DWFx?

They carry the same drawing content. DWFx uses a container based on Microsoft XPS instead of the classic ZIP-based package. CUBE reads both with the same translator, and shows a parse error if a file cannot be read.

Notes and Trademarks

Trademark notice. Autodesk®, AutoCAD®, Revit®, Navisworks®, DWG™, DXF, DWF, DWFx, and Design Review are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates in the USA and other countries. MicroStation® and DGN are registered trademarks or trademarks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Microsoft and XPS are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. IFC is an open standard of buildingSMART International. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari are trademarks of their respective owners. All other product names, logos, and brands are the property of their respective owners and appear on this page only to identify file formats and compatible software. CUBE is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Autodesk, Inc., Bentley Systems, Incorporated, Microsoft Corporation, or any other trademark owner named on this page.

Use of this tool. Use of the CUBE DWF Viewer does not require a CUBE account. It is subject to the CUBE Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. By uploading a file, you confirm that you own the file or are authorised to share it, and that it does not contain material you are not permitted to disclose. Files are used only to generate the preview and are handled as described above.

File retention. Uploaded files are deleted automatically 14 days after upload. You can delete a file yourself at any time before then. Paid plans keep files as controlled project documents.

Preview only. Rendered drawings are provided for reference. Some entities, proxy objects, fonts, or custom objects may not display exactly as in the authoring application. Do not rely on the preview for construction, fabrication, setting out, or measurement without checking the original file. The tool is provided as is, without warranty of any kind.

Availability. This tool is not offered in countries or regions subject to comprehensive U.S. or other applicable trade sanctions, or to persons on restricted-party lists.

DWF Viewer Online for Design & Construction Teams

Drop a .dwf or .dwfx File Here