Extract text from SolidWorks drawings (SLDDRW)
To convert SLDDRW drawings to another format, you need SolidWorks or other Cad software.
To convert other file formats to the "2D CAD Drawing" file type, you need software like SolidWorks or a similar tool.
A .SLDDRW file is a 2D drawing created by SolidWorks. Engineers and designers use this format to document manufacturing details, exact dimensions, and technical annotations. These drawings are typically generated by extracting orthographic views directly from 3D part (SLDPRT) or assembly (SLDASM) files.
Users primarily open and edit these files using SolidWorks. For users who just need to read the document, the free eDrawings Viewer is the standard fallback tool.
The main disadvantage of the .SLDDRW format is its heavily proprietary nature. A commercial SolidWorks license costs thousands of dollars. Standard web browsers, email clients, and default operating system image viewers cannot display this format natively. Sharing native .SLDDRW files with clients, machine shops, or external vendors who lack the software creates significant workflow delays and communication bottlenecks.
To share these drawings effectively, users must convert them. The best conversion target for universal document viewing and printing is PDF. For importing the line data into other 2D CAD programs like AutoCAD, the best targets are DXF or DWG. Keep in mind that converting a .SLDDRW to a flat PDF or JPG permanently removes the parametric link to the original 3D models.
This file format is notoriously difficult to open or convert outside of its native ecosystem. The internal architecture relies on a Microsoft Compound Document (OLE) structure, but the exact geometry algorithms are completely closed. Standard online converters almost always fail to process .SLDDRW files correctly because only the original software can properly render the parametric relationships. If our analysis detects supported underlying elements or embedded preview images, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SLDDRW file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SLDPRT, SLDASM, SLDDRT, PDF, EDRW, ZIP, SLD, DRW, DWG, JPG, DXF, STEP and 3D files.
If you want to convert SLDDRW file to PDF, DWG, STEP, DXF, STL, SLDDRT, SLDPRT, JPG, DGN, RVT, RFA or SKP, you can use SolidWorks or similar software from the "2D CAD Drawing Storage" 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 SLDDRW, try SolidWorks or another comparable tool in the "2D CAD Drawing Storage" 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 SLDDRW converter.