Extract text from CAD drawings (DRW)
To convert DRW drawings to another format, you need PTC Creo or other Vector Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "CAD and Vector Drawing File" file type, you need software like PTC Creo or a similar tool.
The .DRW file extension is primarily used for vector graphics created by the defunct Micrografx Windows Draw software, or for 2D engineering drawings generated by PTC Creo (formerly Pro/ENGINEER). Because 'drw' simply means 'drawing', the extension has been adopted by over a dozen unrelated programs over the last three decades, including Caddie, DraftSight, and 2020 Design.
This extreme fragmentation makes the .DRW format incredibly frustrating to handle today. If you have a Micrografx file, the original software hasn't existed for over 20 years, making the files practically inaccessible on modern operating systems. If it is a PTC Creo drawing, it is a heavy, proprietary format that requires a costly, specialized CAD subscription to view or edit. Regardless of the origin, a .DRW file cannot be natively previewed in web browsers, embedded in standard text documents, or easily shared with clients who lack the exact matching CAD software.
To overcome these strict limitations, converting the file is highly recommended. For vector editing or modern CAD work, convert your .DRW to DXF, DWG, or SVG so you can open it in standard industry tools. For web publishing and simple sharing, WebP or PNG are ideal formats. If you need a reliable, unalterable version for printing or archiving, convert it to PDF (specifically PDF/A).
Convert.Guru analyzes your DRW file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DWG, 1, AD_DRW, DWR, 2, 3, 53, 10, 9, 6, 45, SLDDRW and PDF files.
If you want to convert DRW file to PDF, DWG, DXF, SRW, JPG, KML, STEP, DGN, RVT, RFA, SKP or 3DM, you can use PTC Creo or similar software from the "Vector Graphics and CAD Drawings" 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 DRW, try PTC Creo or another comparable tool in the "Vector Graphics and CAD Drawings" 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 DRW converter.