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How to convert and import DWG into designer without Autodesk?


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Hi,

I need to open a received DWG-file into Designer, but never used that file format before. Unfortunately Designer doesn't support DWG and according to a six years long open request thread elsewhere on this forum no support would be expected in the near future.

I'm not using Autodesk, nor Adobe anymore, so can't use that to convert the file format. I saw that Inkscape is able to import dxf files, but not dwg files either. 

(using Windows btw)

Other than this I only see online converts, but that's a no go as I can't put private client files through there for obvious reasons (a free product is free for a reason).

Anybody here got a workaround to convert DWG to a vectorfile Affinity can import (Preferably SVG or PDF)? Any experiences with installable desktop converter tools either payed or free that can do this? Would it really be a one to one conversions, and/or are there differences in versions in the DWG fileformat I should be aware of (or things that could get lost during a conversion)?

[edit] Just did a quick test with AutoDWG (DWG to SVG Converter) to convert the DWG to SVG and than open it in Designer and that seems to work. But it's generating huge files with very inefficient conversions to vectors in the svg (could very well be inefficient in the original though). I'm not experienced in the DWG fileformat, don't know about DWG file format versions/compatibilities issues and at the moment I am not familiar with the original design as I can't view the DWG. So not sure if I am missing something in the export. So still open for experiences on the best workflow or things to take into account!

Thanks a lot!

 

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1 hour ago, Fixx said:

I use DWG Tools for mac app. It offers all kinds of in-app purchases but basic version can export PDF simply enough.

Thanks. I'm not on a Mac, but on Windows though. After a quick search I've found a site that has a 'DWG Tools' for windows, which looks like the 'official' website, but both shopsites it's pointing to for downloads actually don't have that software in their lists.

BTW As a graphical designer for many years I've never got a customer ever before coming with this file format. I've found by searching that it's the main format for Autocad and it's obviously a well known format in the area of cad-systems. And obviously it's a propriatory fileformat by Autodesk. But are there, next to the cad world, also professional graphical designers working with this file format when using only graphical (creative) design software? Or is this pure a main thing in the CAD world?

 

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2 hours ago, Friksel said:

But are there, next to the cad world, also professional graphical designers working with this file format when using only graphical (creative) design software? Or is this pure a main thing in the CAD world?

DWG is as you say a propriety file format from Autodesk and so it is pretty much just in the CAD and 3D modelling world. Autodesk also created DXF which is an open format for easier file exchange between the CAD and plain graphics worlds, and no Affinity applications won't read those either.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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41 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

DWG is as you say a propriety file format from Autodesk and so it is pretty much just in the CAD and 3D modelling world. Autodesk also created DXF which is an open format for easier file exchange between the CAD and plain graphics worlds, and no Affinity applications won't read those either.

Thanks for the confirmation @Old Bruce

I saw that Inkscape is able to directly import DXF, so not sure if everything imports 100%, but guess it will and should as it's an open format, so we could than import DXF in Inkscape, save it to SVG and open the SVG with Affinity without (much) issues I guess.

Is 'plain graphics' a wellknown term used for what I would describe as 'graphical design', normally done with tools like from Adobe, Affinity etc., like graphical design, webdesign, UI design, illustrations etc. as being somewhat the opposite of 'technical design' like CAD, or via another route 3D graphics like made with Blender, Maya, Max and such? Or is that just a term only you use? For me it would be nice to know a term others understand immediately to address the type of user instead of fiddling around with descriptions like 'creative' and 'graphical' (which they all are in some way).

 

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3 minutes ago, Friksel said:

Is 'plain graphics' a wellknown term

Only in my particular world, consisting of me, myself and I. I wanted to differentiate between CAD and the rest of the world's various graphics drawing packages.

Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac OS 12.7.4 
Affinity Designer 2.4.0 | Affinity Photo 2.4.0 | Affinity Publisher 2.4.0 | Beta versions as they appear.

I have never mastered color management, period, so I cannot help with that.

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