Expert: Bob - 3/19/2008

Question
Hi We often get material sent to us in CAD format but we only need to read and possibly print the drawings onto A4 standard office printers. Is there a software or free read only offer that will allow us to do this (without buying CAD itself)?

Answer
Hi-- You are someplace Metric, obviously. And you are getting drawings which make sense on letter sized paper, so I presume you are in a field where the items drawn are not huge.

First, gently: "CAD" is an old fashioned and poor nickname for AutoCAD. since there are dozens of CAD programs, so I will assume you mean AutoCAD --- but my best answer would apply to all.

EASIEST
You dont give me your relationship to the people sending the drawings. but if you have any sway over them, simply ask them to "plot or publish to pdf" and send you the pdfs. (some think you can simply convert to pdf, but it is a form of paperless printing, more or less.)

MORE TROUBLE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE DRAWINGS BETTER ONSCREEN:
--- Autodesk is promoting the DWF format as a better subsititute for pdf. In an ideal world, all your people would save the drawings as dwfs, and you would download a free viwer from Autodesk.  

OR:
Google "autocad viewer" amd find free softwear that will let you view and print dwg files.

IF IT WERE I:
If doing this constantly, and with many many drawings from many sources, thus having to police the senders to give you the right format. I would try a free viewer. If that did not do it, I would buy a copy of AutoCAD LT 2009, which is due out shortly. for less than $1000. The DWF thing is free to you, but an extra task on the other end.
Again, not knowing the relationships, I have to write out a much longer answer --- hope it helps.

BOB