The popular adage states that there is no such thing as a free lunch. However, there is such a thing as a free online file viewer. Autodesk recently introduced their “A360 Viewer”, which is a free CAD file viewer that supports over 50 different file formats. With its straightforward drag and drop interface, it’s child’s play when it comes to uploading and viewing your CAD files. The best part about the A360 Viewer is you don’t have to download or install any software, or create a login and password to use it. Simply visit https://360.autodesk.com/viewer in your web browser (Chrome, Firefox or another browser that supports WebGL 3D graphics) and upload your CAD file for free!
Supports Over 50 Different File Formats
To get started, drag and drop your CAD file on to the hard to miss blue plus sign. Subsequently, you can wait for your file to be uploaded for viewing, or email yourself a link to view your design once the file is ready. Once you receive the email with the link, feel free to share it with anyone until the link automatically expires after 30 days. If you would like to instantly deactivate the link for any reason, you will have to login with your Autodesk account or sign up for a free Autodesk account to accomplish this task.
Easy To Use Interface
Email And Share The Link
Once your design is uploaded and visible on the A360 Viewer, you can access its many features by clicking on the array of buttons located at the bottom of the web browser. The key features of the viewer include:
- View Cube
- Orbit/Pan/Zoom
- Section Analysis
- Model Browser
- View Object Properties
- Manage Layers
- Live Review
At the bottom of this list is my favorite feature of the viewer, the “Live Review” with instant messaging capabilities. This feature allows multiple users to collaborate on the same design and comment on anything from design changes to how great the design looks.
Online Live Review
When you click on the live review button and enter your name, you are able to invite others to collaborate on your design in real-time.
Invite Others For Collaboration
By clicking on “Invite” in the live review dialogue box, you are given a link to the file to copy and paste into an email. When the other user or users receive your email, all they have to do is click on the link to join your live review and enter their name.
Remotely Review And Send Messages In Real-Time
Once all the invitees have joined, they can now start to review and post messages about the design and collaborate remotely.
In conclusion, if you receive a CAD file that you can’t view due to not having the required software, go online and check out the Autodesk A360 Viewer. It’s easy to use, it supports over 50 file formats and most importantly it’s free!!!