Difference between .dwg, .dwf, .dxf(only viewer?), .pdf, .dwfx

[LisaLoop]

Hi you all,

 

could you please help me to understand the differences between

dwg, .dwf, .dxf(only viewer?), .pdf, .dwfx and furthermore, figure out

what are their pros and cons when using those file formats.

 

I want to save a technical drawing and also a big poster. Which once would be bet to choose?

 

 

Thanks in advance and I really hope one of you could help me.

 

Lisa

[Ritch7]

Hi Lisa, they are different drawing files, where .pdf is a pdf image file.

 

to help you understand better google them and but "define:" in front of your search results, it should all be pretty basic

 

Note: I myself am not quite sure what a .dwfx is I think it's just a newer version of a .dwf file:wink:

[NBC]

Note: I myself am not quite sure what a .dwfx is I think it's just a newer version of a .dwf file:wink:

 

This is correct

[LisaLoop]

Thank you both.

 

But do you maybe know which one to choose when wanting to share CAD files?

[NBC]

Thank you both.

 

But do you maybe know which one to choose when wanting to share CAD files?

 

This would depend on a number of factors - the main one being what the 2 sharing parties intend to use the 'cad' files for.

If it is simply to add their own data to; it is perhaps best to use dwg or dxf; although with this option it may be possible for the other party to send your work out to anyone they wish to do so; then this third party are free to do what they wish it.

However, pdf and dwf are more secure in that they can not be easily editted; there are the obvious limitations in that it can be quite cumbersome to use these formats as a basis for future 'cad' works.

[LisaLoop]

Thanks a lot NBC,

 

as it seems to me, that you know a lot about this, could you please explain to me also the differences between dwg and dxf

and pdf and dwf

?

 

which one is the most common used and which one the least?

 

I woudl highly appreciate your answer on that, too.

[LisaLoop]

This second I also came across hpgl...Please help me out.

[NBC]

The difference between dwg and dxf is that dwg is the native file format that AutoCAD predominantly saves its files as; I am not sure many other applications can handle this file type.

Dxf files can be imported / inserted into a varied range of other applications.

Pdf files are a native format of Adobe Acrobat; and can be viewed by pretty much everyone, as most computer's come with Acrobat already installed on them.

Dwf files are similar to pdf files; but these are native to Autodesk; and require the installation of a dwf program in order to view them.

Hpgl files are a particular type of plot file generated by a generic plotter. It is not so easy to manipulate these, and are generally only used to archive completed / closed jobs.

[LisaLoop]

Thank you a thousand. Really! You are helping a lot.

I have a few more, now that I know of the specialst.

Which one is more common for 2d,what for 3D and what for both?

So to say, .hpgl does not fit in in line with the other formats..?

Which once are most common to use for technical and which for posters and such?

I know, I am asking a lot now. But those questions are comming up now.

thanks a lot in advance

[Jack_O'neill]

Thank you a thousand. Really! You are helping a lot.

 

I have a few more, now that I know of the specialst.

 

Which one is more common for 2d,what for 3D and what for both?

 

So to say, .hpgl does not fit in in line with the other formats..?

 

Which once are most common to use for technical and which for posters and such?

 

I know, I am asking a lot now. But those questions are comming up now.

 

thanks a lot in advance

 

HPGL stands for Hewlett Packard Graphics Language, and is used by your computer and cad program to control your printer or plotter. It's not a drawing format at all.

 

DWF is Design Web Format, a file format that came out about the same time as Autocad 2000i if I recall correctly (those with better memories feel free to correct me here). This was Autodesk's attempt at making a web friendly drawing file.

 

DXF is Drawing Exchange Format (alternately Drawing Interchange Format) and was developed to make it possible to exchange drawings between different cad platforms.

[LisaLoop]

Hi, thank you a lot.

 

But all the others> .dwg, .dfx, .pdf and .dwf are drawing formats?

Or is pdf. as well as dfx a viewer?

 

I am sorry, I know nothing about this.

 

So I can use .dwf only in order to save something that is stored online, or how does it work?

[LisaLoop]

Xps offers better quality as pdf??

[Jack_O'neill]

Xps offers better quality as pdf??

 

I don't know what Xps is. I would second Rich7's suggestion for using google to get the definitions. On the line where you type in a search term, simply type define:dxf (or any of the other formats) and it will give you not only the definition, but a number of published links to how and why to use the different file formats.

 

Like NBC said, much will depend on what your intent is for sharing the files. If you just want the users to be able to see them, then DWF or PDF will work. The person on the other end will have to have either Autodesk's DWF viewer, or Adobe Acrobat Reader (to view PDF files). If you want to give them the ability to edit the files, then you can send the DWG file if they are using Autocad. If they are using a different cad program, you'll have to create and send a DXF file.

 

As for creating your poster, that will all depend on whether you are printing in house or sending it to a print shop. In house, I suggest that you contact your IT department for assistance with setting it up. There are far too many different printers and plotters to be able to tell you exactly how to do it here. If you go to a print shop somewhere, you'll need to contact the shop, explain what you are doing and see what file types they can accomodate.

[LisaLoop]

Thank you very very much.

 

And alright, I will do so, look again in google.

 

But one last question, if you would need to put all of those formats in an order of importance. How would it look like? Which one is the most successful? which one is comming up? And which one's popularity is going down.

 

Thanks again for all the information already

[Jack_O'neill]

Well, I don't know as there's any popularity contest going on or that one is more important than the other. They were all created to meet a specific need and set of circumstances.

 

What's that got to do with anything?

[NBC]

What's that got to do with anything?

 

It sounds like some form of assignment; which is why I backed away mid-thread.

The OP seems to know lots of questions, but is unwilling to do their own 'dirty work' of investigating for answers, short of coming on here.

I, personally, am not keen on this method of passing a course.

[Jack_O'neill]

You may be right. If you never use Autodesk's other file formats, they can be confusing, but I found it odd that she didn't know what a PDF was. They've been around forever (in relative computer terms)

[LisaLoop]

No, you totally got me wrong on that one.

I know what a pdf is, just not in comparison with xps.

And before I came to ask you I was researching for many hours online, but a host of pages kept telling opposite things.

 

I thought this would be a place to understand, I really do not understand your concerns at all.

 

But thanks anyways

[Jack_O'neill]

No, you totally got me wrong on that one.

I know what a pdf is, just not in comparison with xps.

And before I came to ask you I was researching for many hours online, but a host of pages kept telling opposite things.

 

I thought this would be a place to understand, I really do not understand your concerns at all.

 

But thanks anyways

 

Lisa,

 

My apologies if we gave offense, none was intended. Please, ask any questions you may have, but keep in mind that answers to most of the questions you've asked so far depend very much on knowing exactly what you are trying to accomplish. You've been rather vague about that. There is no right or wrong format to use, as long as the person on the other end has the software to view the file you send. If you could give a more detailed description of what you want to do, we'd be able to offer better help.