Free online DWG to DWT converter

A DWG is converted to DWT when an existing drawing must become a reusable template for new AutoCAD projects, company standards, or consistent plotting. The template preserves selected setup information while keeping the original project file separate.

What the DWG format is

DWG is the native drawing format associated with Autodesk AutoCAD and is supported by CAD applications such as AutoCAD LT, BricsCAD, DraftSight, and ZWCAD. It can store 2D geometry, 3D models, layers, blocks, dimensions, text, annotation styles, layouts, viewports, metadata, and application-specific objects.

Architects, engineers, surveyors, manufacturers, contractors, and other CAD users exchange DWG files as editable project drawings. Support for custom objects, proxy entities, styles, and settings varies between applications and product versions.

What the DWT format is

DWT is the drawing-template format used primarily by AutoCAD and compatible CAD programs. A template can contain layer definitions and states, units, limits, linetypes, text and dimension styles, multileader styles, blocks, title blocks, layouts, page setups, plot settings, and reusable geometry.

Starting a new drawing from a DWT creates a separate drawing based on its contents; the template remains unchanged. This makes DWT suitable for office standards, project seed files, title blocks, annotation conventions, and repeatable plotting configurations.

DWT is closely related to DWG rather than being a different geometric representation. Saving as DWT changes the file’s intended role and file type; it does not automatically remove project data, clean unused definitions, standardize settings, compress the drawing, or embed external resources.

How to convert a DWG file to DWT

AutoCAD provides the most reliable workflow when the drawing contains Autodesk-specific objects, layouts, annotative settings, or plotting configurations.

1. Open the source .dwg in AutoCAD.
2. Remove project-specific geometry, confidential information, notes, layouts, and external references that should not be copied into future drawings. Keep title blocks, sample geometry, or other content that the template is meant to provide.
3. Check units, layer names and states, linetypes, text and dimension styles, annotative scales, title blocks, layouts, page setups, plot styles, and output devices.
4. Run AUDIT and allow AutoCAD to fix detected errors. Use PURGE only after confirming that unused layers, styles, blocks, or other definitions are not required by the template.
5. Choose File → Save As.
6. Set the file type to AutoCAD Drawing Template (*.dwt), enter a template filename, and save it. If AutoCAD asks for a description or measurement units, enter the appropriate values.

The command-line alternative is SAVEAS. The original DWG remains unchanged because the operation creates a separate file. Renaming drawing.dwg to drawing.dwt in a file manager does not perform a template-aware save.

To test the result, choose File → New, create a drawing from the DWT, and inspect the layers, units, styles, layouts, annotation scales, title block, and plot output. In BricsCAD and other compatible desktop CAD programs, use the equivalent Save As command and select the application’s drawing-template file type. If the program cannot write DWT files, use AutoCAD or another application that supports DWT export.

You can also convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software: upload the DWG, select DWT as the output format, start the conversion, and download the result. An online conversion is appropriate only when the file does not require precise preservation of proprietary objects, custom plotters, external dependencies, or application-specific settings.

Quality and compatibility limits

Creating a DWT does not automatically make a clean template. Project geometry, confidential data, unused definitions, external references, and project-specific layouts remain unless they are removed before saving.

External references, raster images, SHX and TrueType fonts, CTB or STB plot-style tables, PC3 printer configurations, and other support files may remain separate from the DWT. Distribute those dependencies separately and use approved relative paths where appropriate; saving as DWT does not normally embed them.

Custom objects from AutoCAD vertical products may require the originating product or an object enabler. Another CAD application or an older AutoCAD release can display such objects as proxies, omit application-specific data, or alter their behavior. Saving to an older file version can also convert newer objects or remove unsupported features.

Save the template in the oldest AutoCAD-compatible version required by its users, then test it in the target CAD versions. Verify model space, paper space, title blocks, fonts, lineweights, dynamic blocks, fields, annotative scaling, layer behavior, page setups, external references, and printed or plotted output before distributing the file.