Draftsight 2D and 3D CAD Software
For creating, editing, and viewing .dwg files.
What is DraftSight?
DraftSight is a professional-grade, open 2D CAD product designed for users who want a better way to create, edit, and view DWG files. Whether you’re a professional CAD user, student, or educator, DraftSight offers support options tailored to your needs.
Most popular uses for DraftSight
AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction)
DraftSight provides professional-grade 2D CAD capabilities that are suitable for a wide range of industries, including architecture, engineering, and construction. Features like snap and grid, chamfer and fillet, tracking guides, and polar guides help users create accurate and efficient designs.
Education and academia
DraftSight is a cost-effective and user-friendly alternative to traditional CAD software, making it popular among students and educators. Features like customizable coordinate systems, rich line styles, and a layer manager allow users to create and edit DWG files with ease.
Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
DraftSight provides a powerful tool for creating and editing 2D CAD models, with features like notes, tables, blocks, and block attributes. For mechanical engineers, DraftSight offers capabilities like ellipses, elliptical arcs, rich lines, poly lines, and 3D poly lines, enabling the creation of complex designs
2D CAD drafting and design
DraftSight is a versatile 2D CAD solution that allows users to create, edit, view, and markup any kind of 2D drawing, making it suitable for a wide range of professional applications. DraftSight’s compatibility with industry-standard file formats, such as DWG and DXF, and its integration with other CAD programs like SOLIDWORKS, make it a valuable tool for collaborative design workflows
Why use DraftSight?
DraftSight provides a range of benefits to enterprises looking to improve their 2D drafting and 3D design capabilities:
DraftSight Enterprise and Enterprise Plus offer network licensing, allowing organizations to maximize their CAD software investment by sharing licenses across users and sites.
Compared to other CAD programs, DraftSight Enterprise Plus is quite cost-effective due to its lower license fees, maintenance costs, and training expenses.
DraftSight Enterprise includes features that make it easier for teams to work together on projects, such as the ability to track changes, compare different versions of a drawing, and collaborate in real-time. The seamless file sharing and efficient communication enabled by DraftSight Enterprise can help accelerate project timelines.
DraftSight Enterprise offers effortless license management and deployment, saving time and resources for IT administrators. The software uses the same Network License Manager as SOLIDWORKS, making it easy to add DraftSight to existing network license pools.
DraftSight Enterprise offers a range of customization options, including the ability to create custom menus and toolbars, import and export custom blocks, and use APIs and automation tools to streamline workflows. The software is optimized for performance, with features like multi-threading and large-drawing support that can help users work faster and more efficiently.
DraftSight Enterprise is compatible with a range of file formats, including DWG, DXF, DGN, PDF, JPG, TIF, AutoLISP, and Visual LISP, making it easy to import and export drawings and share them with other CAD software.
2D CAD
DraftSight is a professional-grade, open 2D CAD product that allows users to create, edit, and view DWG files. It offers features like a Cartesian coordinate system, command line input, traditional toolbars and menus, and wheel-mouse pan and zoom.
File compatibility and conversion
DraftSight provides read and write support for DWG/DXF files, the ability to save DWG/DXF files back to previous versions, and the creation of binary or ASCII DXF files. It also allows users to open reference drawings from within the base drawing, clip references and images, and edit blocks in-place or isolate them for editing.
Productivity and customization
DraftSight includes features like a consolidated options dialog, enhanced command prompts, a home palette, a smart calculator, and quick print. You can customize the software with features like a customizable coordinate system, rich line styles, a layer manager, table styles, points format, and text styles.
Advanced 2D drafting
DraftSight offers advanced 2D drafting tools, such as snap and grid, chamfer and fillet, tracking guides, polar guides, distance or coordinate information, and double-click editing. It also includes features like notes and simple notes, tables, blocks and block attributes, ellipses and elliptical arcs, rich lines, poly lines, and 3D poly lines.
3D capabilities
DraftSight Premium, the top-tier offering, includes full 3D capabilities and parametric constraints to allow for easy collaboration and management of DWG file designs from 2D to 3D.
Why Choose DraftSight for 2D and 3D CAD?
DraftSight is a professional-grade 2D design and drafting software solution that caters to the needs of engineers, architects, and other professional CAD users.
The software allows users to create, edit, view, and markup any type of 2D drawing, making it an essential tool for the planning and prototyping process. DraftSight is particularly useful for working with DWG files, which are a standard format in CAD, and it can be used in conjunction with other design software, such as SOLIDWORKS, for more detailed 3D design work.
One of the key advantages of DraftSight is its cost-effectiveness, as it offers a range of subscription levels that cater to different needs and budgets. The Standard subscription is best suited for students and enthusiasts, while the Professional and Premium subscriptions provide more advanced features and capabilities, including APIs for customization and automation. DraftSight also offers a 30-day free trial, allowing users to test the software before committing to a subscription.
DraftSight is used in various stages of the design process, from initial conceptualization to detailed planning and drafting. It is particularly useful for making edits on DWG files, which are essential for creating accurate and high-quality designs.
The software’s compatibility with industry-standard file formats and integration with other CAD programs make it a versatile tool for professionals working in the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry, where collaboration and compatibility are crucial.
How to buy DraftSight
Looking to purchase DraftSight licenses? Want to see a demo to understand what DraftSight can do? Or do you need to speak to an expert before you can make your decision?
DraftSight comes in all shapes and sizes. We’re here to make sure that you’re getting the right software package for your team.
Need help with DraftSight?
Jake Taylor and team are on-hand to provide tailored guidance and support with a deep knowledge of the full Dassault Systèmes portfolio. Reach out for a free consultation today.
DraftSight FAQs
Troubleshooting and Support
Looking for help with DraftSight?
The key system requirements for DraftSight are:
Operating systems:
- Windows 10 64-bit
- Windows 11 64-bit
- Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit
- Windows Server 2016 64-bit
- Windows Server 2019 64-bit
Hardware:
- Minimum 2GB RAM, recommended 8GB RAM
- Minimum 500MB free disk space, recommended 1GB
- Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core processor, recommended Intel Core i5 or AMD Athlon/Phenon X4 or better
- 3D Graphics accelerator card with OpenGL 1.4 or better, recommended OpenGL 3.2 or better
- Mouse, including mouse wheel or 3D mouse
- Internet connection for installation, download, and optional activation
Network license manager compatibility:
- SolidNetwork License (SNL) 2021 and 2022
- Dassault Systemes License Server (DSLS) R2017x, R2018x and later
Please note that Windows 7 and 8.1 are no longer supported starting from DraftSight 2020.