Two clicks in SolidWorks
File → Save As → STEP AP214. That's the entire export. Parts and full assemblies both work — each body becomes its own drawing.
Drawing conventions kept
Third-angle views projected with true hidden-line removal, counted hole callouts (4×Ø8), radii, angles, thickness chains and overall dimensions — measured on the exact solid SolidWorks exported.
No seat required to view or refine
Anyone on the team can upload, orient, name parts and adjust dimensions in the browser — useful when the SolidWorks seats are busy and someone just needs a drawing.
How it works
- 1In SolidWorks: File → Save As → choose STEP (.step, AP214) — for assemblies, save the assembly document.
- 2Upload the STEP file to Drawlytic (25 MB, up to 30 parts).
- 3Orient each part in the 3D preview and give it your part number.
- 4Generate, refine with the free measure tool, and download PDF / SVG / DXF / STL.
When this beats making the drawing in SolidWorks
SolidWorks makes excellent drawings — if you have a seat free, the drafting time, and the templates set up. Drawlytic is for every other moment: a supplier asks for 'something dimensioned' today; a colleague without a license needs a readable document of your model; an RFQ package needs one sheet per part of a 20-part assembly and nobody wants to create 20 drawing files; or you need a 1:1 DXF for the laser alongside the drawing, from the same geometry, in one step.
Because the input is the STEP AP214 file SolidWorks itself exports, the geometry is exact — the same solids, the same dimensions. Drawlytic loads that file into the OpenCascade CAD kernel, projects front/top/right and isometric views with hidden-line removal, and dimensions the features automatically: hole groups get counted Ø callouts, fillets get R values, chamfers get angles, and the part gets its overall dimensions and thickness chains, all in millimetres.
Assemblies, configurations and refinement
Save an assembly as STEP and Drawlytic splits it automatically: each component becomes its own part with its own complete drawing package — vector SVG, PDF sheets in A4–A1 and Letter with a filled title block, orthographic projection DXF with VISIBLE/HIDDEN layers, a 1:1 cut-layer DXF and an STL reference — plus an assembly overview drawing of the whole model. Rename parts to your numbering in the 3D preview; the names flow into the drawing headers and title blocks.
For a specific SolidWorks configuration, activate it before exporting — STEP captures the geometry as saved. After generation, the free Measure & adjust mode adds any dimension the automatic pass didn't pick: click edges, measure point-to-point, add angles, drag labels, switch the sheet to a true paper scale (1:1–1:8) and re-render. Cross sections with proper 45° hatching are also free.
What you download per part: the multi-view drawing as vector SVG; PDF sheets in every paper size, fit-to-page or at true scale so a printed sheet measures correctly with calipers; the orthographic projection DXF for continued CAD work; the 1:1 top-view DXF on a CUT layer for laser, plasma or waterjet; and an STL reference mesh. Everything is stored in your account's project list — quote today, pull the same package when the order lands, no SolidWorks session needed in between.
Frequently asked
Which STEP flavor should I export from SolidWorks?
AP214 is the safe default (File → Save As → STEP, then Options if you want to check). AP203 and AP242 work too — Drawlytic reads all three.
Can I upload SLDPRT or SLDASM files directly?
Not directly — SolidWorks' native formats are proprietary. Export as STEP first; it's two clicks and preserves the exact geometry.
Do SolidWorks assemblies work?
Yes — save the assembly as STEP and each component gets its own drawing package (up to 30 parts, largest first), plus an assembly overview drawing. You can exclude components before generating.
Will the dimensions match SolidWorks?
Yes — dimensions are measured on the exact B-rep geometry in the STEP file, which is the geometry SolidWorks exported. What SolidWorks measures, the drawing shows.
What about sheet metal parts?
The drawing shows the part as modelled. For flat patterns, export the flattened state as STEP (or the flat face as DXF) — the 1:1 top-view cut DXF then matches the laser blank.
What does it cost?
3 drawings a month free, no credit card. Pro is $19/month (or $190/year) for 100 drawings, every paper size, DXF export and no watermark; credit packs from $0.28/drawing beyond that.
Related guides
Try it on your own part
Upload a STEP file and get your drawing in about a minute — or use the built-in sample part.
Convert your SolidWorks model →