What is the EDRW file format?
.edrw files represent mechanical designs published in the eDrawings format by SolidWorks (now Dassault Systèmes). It is an eDrawings CAD design draft used to reduce the file size of any project, enabling effective sharing and emailing of drawing data. The format compresses a drawing significantly without distorting the geometry or views. A .edrw file can represent tools, building materials, or casings for any mechanical design - it is the 2D drawing counterpart to .easm (eDrawings assembly) and .eprt (eDrawings part) files.
A .edrw file can be published from various CAD tools using the eDrawings Publisher plug-in, including AutoCAD, Inventor, Solid Edge, and Siemens NX (formerly Unigraphics). The source file in SolidWorks is typically a .slddrw native drawing. SolidWorks itself - available in Standard, Professional, and Premium editions - can export .edrw directly.
Recipients can open .edrw files with the free eDrawings Viewer, available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android - no CAD license needed. Viewers can pan, zoom, measure, and add markup, but cannot edit the underlying design geometry.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWEDRW files are CAD viewing data and are generally safe to open in eDrawings Viewer. The realistic concern is confidentiality, not malware: a drawing may reveal proprietary product or building design, so treat shared .edrw files as sensitive. Only download the viewer from the official eDrawings/SOLIDWORKS site to avoid bundled-installer/"universal CAD viewer" scam sites that target rare CAD extensions.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open EDRW files
Windows2 apps
SolidWorks
Paid Opens eDrawings files; if the original .slddrw is available, edit there instead. eDrawings Viewer is enough just to view. 
eDrawings Viewer
Free Install the free eDrawings Viewer, then double-click the .edrw to pan, zoom, measure and mark up the drawing. 
macOS1 app
eDrawings Viewer for Mac
Free Download the macOS build of eDrawings, then open the .edrw to view and review the drawing. 
Android1 app
eDrawings (Android app)
Free Open the .edrw in the eDrawings Android app to view and zoom the drawing.
eDrawings (iOS app)
Free Open the .edrw from Files/email in the eDrawings app to view the drawing on iPhone/iPad. Technical details
deep spec| Developer | Dassault Systèmes (SolidWorks) |
| Format type | Compressed binary publication container for 2D CAD drawings |
| Drawing content | Engineering drawing sheets with views, dimensions, tolerances, and annotations |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Magic bytes | None publicly documented; identified by `.edrw` file extension rather than a fixed header signature |
| Source formats | `.slddrw` (SolidWorks Drawing), plus plug-in exports from AutoCAD, Inventor, Solid Edge, and Siemens NX |
| Sibling eDrawings formats | `.eprt` (part file), `.easm` (assembly file) |
| Native SolidWorks counterpart | `.slddrw` (SolidWorks Drawing) |
| Platform support | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Free viewer | eDrawings Viewer - official app, no CAD license required |
| Viewer capabilities | Pan, zoom, cross-section, linear measurement, markup and annotation |
| Edit capability | View and review only; underlying geometry cannot be modified in the viewer |
| Compression | Proprietary; significantly reduces file size compared to the native source drawing |
| Format openness | Proprietary, closed format; no public specification available |
| Released | 2000 (eDrawings, SolidWorks Corporation) |
| Specification | www.edrawingsviewer.com |
EDRW conversions
Community Q&A
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