Introduction

eDrawings is a lightweight CAD viewing application that allows users to open and inspect 2D drawings and 3D models without having a full CAD application installed. The free viewer is particularly useful when receiving models from customers, suppliers, or other engineering groups.

eDrawings supports files like STEP (.step, .stp) and Parasolid (.x_b, .x_t). This makes it useful for quickly checking whether a received model opens correctly and is accurate. It includes tools to measure, section, and explode views.

System Specifications Needed

The requirements below are intended as a baseline. Complex assemblies may require more hardware.

Hardware

• 64-bit processor
• 16 GB of RAM
• An SSD with sufficient free space for large STEP/Parasolid files

Software

• Windows 11
• MacOS
• Administrator rights may be required if eDrawings is installed for all users on the computer.

Download, Install and Setup

The following procedure is for a typical Windows installation of the eDrawings Viewer.

Download

1. Open a web browser and go to the official eDrawings download site: www.eDrawingsViewer.com.

2. Locate the Windows download for the eDrawings Viewer and start the download. The Viewer is available as a free version; eDrawings Professional is a separately licensed product with additional functionality.

3. Save the installer to a location, such as the Downloads folder.

Install

1. Close any open CAD applications before starting the installation.
2. Run the downloaded eDrawings installer.
   • If Windows displays a User Account Control prompt, select Yes when appropriate.
3. Follow the installation wizard. For a normal workstation installation, the default installation options are appropriate.
4. Prerequisite files may need to be installed prior to eDrawings, and a series of reboots may be required before proceeding with the main installation.
5. Complete the installation and launch eDrawings from the Windows Start menu.
6. Open a known-good STEP or Parasolid file to confirm that the installation is working.

Configure File Extensions

After installation, configure Windows so that STEP and Parasolid files open in eDrawings when they are opened. Repeat the process for each extension.

Recommended method: Windows Default Apps

1. Open Windows Settings.
2. Select Apps, then select Default apps.
3. In the search field, enter .step and select the current default application shown for that file type.
4. Select eDrawings from the list of available applications. If eDrawings is not listed, select the option to choose an application on your PC and browse to the eDrawings executable (eDrawings.exe) in the eDrawings installation folder.
5. Repeat the process for .stp.
6. Repeat the process for .x_t.
7. Test the configuration by double-clicking one STEP file (.step or .stp) and one Parasolid file (.x_t). Each file should open in eDrawings.

Alternative method: Open With

1. In File Explorer, locate a file with the extension you want to associate, such as a .step file.
2. Right-click the file and select Open with > Choose another app.
3. Select eDrawings. Enable the option to always use this app for the selected file type, then select OK.
4. Repeat the procedure for .stp and .x_t. Windows treats each extension as a separate file association, so configuring .step does not automatically configure .stp or .x_t.

Verification

After all three associations are configured, verify that .step, .stp, and .x_t files display the eDrawings icon in File Explorer and open in eDrawings when double-clicked. If another application takes over an association later, repeat the Default apps procedure for that extension.