Extract text from CATDRAWING files
To convert your CATDRAWING file to another format, you need CATIA or other Cad software.
To convert other file formats to the "2D Technical Drawing" file type, you need software like CATIA or a similar tool.
The .CATDrawing format is the native 2D drafting file type used by Dassault Systèmes CATIA V5, containing engineering views, dimensions, and annotations linked to 3D parts.
While essential for aerospace and automotive engineering, the format presents significant barriers for external collaboration. Because it is a proprietary binary format, opening a .CATDrawing requires a specialized, high-cost license for CATIA or the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It is not supported by standard operating systems or web browsers. Furthermore, the file is often "associative," meaning it pulls geometry dynamically from linked CATPart or CATProduct files; if those source files are missing or moved, the drawing may display as empty frames or broken links. Version compatibility is also a frequent hurdle, as older CATIA installations cannot open drawings saved in newer releases (e.g., V5-6R2023).
To overcome these accessibility and compatibility issues, conversion is the standard workflow. For manufacturing review, quoting, or archiving, converting to PDF ensures the drawing is viewable by anyone without specialized software. For 2D editing in other CAD tools like AutoCAD or DraftSight, the file should be converted to DWG or DXF.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CATDRAWING file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted CATPART, CAT, CATPRODUCT, ZIP, CATDRAWING_TMP, PDF, DWG, 3DXML, DFT, STP, BIN, CGM and PDX files.
If you want to convert CATDRAWING file to PDF, STEP, DWG, CATPART, STP, DXF, DGN, RVT, RFA, SKP, 3DM or IGES, you can use CATIA or similar software from the "2D Engineering Drafting" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SLDASM, DGN, PRT, IAM, X_B, CATPRODUCT, SLDPRT, RVT, ASM, DWG, CATPART or DXF files to CATDRAWING, try CATIA or another comparable tool in the "2D Engineering Drafting" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CATDRAWING converter.