What is CAD Drawing?
CAD drawing is the bridge between a 3D model and the underlying size, proportions, and interaction between its parts. While a 3D model is exciting to look at, it excludes some valuable information required by certain stakeholders. A CAD drawing can include geometric dimensions and tolerances (GD&T), parts and assemblies while allowing for author customization. Onshape’s drawing features use industry standards, plus the importing of custom drawing templates that allow for a seamless transition from other 3D modeling platforms.
Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing
Use Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) features to communicate essential characteristics about the design that are excluded from the 3D model. Adding tolerances to dimensional lengths and widths allow engineers to set margins of error for manufacturing. GD&T also allows engineers, managers and R&D and quality control teams to analyze the CAD drawing’s raw dimensions, parts, and assemblies. Onshape’s semi-automated GD&T process allows you to customize your CAD blueprint to your needs and those of your stakeholders.
Sheets, Views and Annotations
Create CAD drawing views of a part, surface, assembly, or sketch either on a single sheet or across multiple sheets. Create projected views, aligned views, sections with jogs, broken out sections, detail, broken and cropped views. Onshape’s CAD drawings can be annotated to comply with ANSI and ISO drawing standards. Add dimensions, ordinate dimensions, hole callouts, datums, geometric tolerances, weld and surface finish symbols, notes, tables, images and balloon callouts. Link part and assembly properties into drawing borders and notes with full associativity to ensure drawing details are always up to date.
DXF and DWG Support
Collaborating with 2D CAD systems is easy with Onshape's CAD drawing comprehensive import / export and sharing capabilities. DWG and DXF file formats can be exported in current and older versions for compatibility and interoperability. Imported DWG/DXF files can be viewed directly without any conversion required. Sharing a Document (with export permissions) to a supplier on a different CAD system enables them to choose the correct file type to download for compatibility with their system.
CAD Drawings on the Cloud
Once your CAD drawing has been constructed, sharing it with stakeholders is easy. With Onshape’s cloud-based data management and CAD collaboration features, a CAD drawing can be shared with manufacturers, vendors and managers who can access it on the cloud using any device at any time.
"As our company grows, Onshape has made it so much easier for me to manage our different engineering groups and review their progress in real time."
"We appreciate Onshape’s easy collaboration, not having to worry about document management, not having to worry about having our high-powered computers crash or shut off. We’re happy we switched."
Suggested Content
Webinar: Drawings Tips & Tricks to boost your productivity in Onshape Drawings
Watch our Drawing Tips & Tricks webinar to make you and your team more productive in Onshape Drawings
Tech Tip: How to Show a Sketch in a Drawing View | Onshape
Drawings Documentation for Onshape
You have the ability to create mechanical drawings from within Onshape Part Studios and Assemblies and also of entire Part Studios. All Onshape drawings are based on the .DWG file format (drawing database) and the .DXF file format (Drawing Interchange File) is also supported.