Convert EDRW to STEP

Manufacturing, CAM, and many CAD systems require STEP geometry, while an EDRW file is usually supplied only for viewing or review. The dependable solution is to obtain the original CAD model and export it as .step or .stp.

What the EDRW format is

.edrw is a Dassault Systèmes eDrawings publishing format used mainly by SOLIDWORKS users, designers, suppliers, and customers to share CAD designs without distributing the native files. An EDRW can contain drawing sheets, 3D views, sections, dimensions, annotations, measurements, and review markups.

The format is intended for viewing and review, not parametric editing. An EDRW may represent a 2D drawing or a published view of a part or assembly, but it does not normally provide the original feature tree, sketches, mates, configurations, or design history. eDrawings Viewer can inspect the file, but it does not provide a general EDRW-to-STEP export function.

What the STEP format is

STEP is the ISO 10303 neutral exchange format for transferring CAD geometry between applications. Files normally use .step or .stp and can contain solid bodies, surface bodies, parts, and assemblies.

STEP is suitable for downstream CAD editing, CAM, simulation, inspection, quoting, and manufacturing. Unlike STL, it normally preserves precise solid and surface geometry instead of reducing the model to a triangular mesh. STEP AP214 and AP242 are common mechanical-CAD options; AP242 is preferable when both applications support it, while AP214 can provide wider compatibility with older systems.

How to perform the conversion

1. Open the EDRW in eDrawings Viewer and determine whether it contains a drawing sheet, a single part, or an assembly. Record dimensions and identify the source model if the file includes descriptive information.
2. Request the native source from the sender: .SLDPRT for a part, .SLDASM for an assembly, or a neutral CAD file such as .x_t, .igs, or .sat. If only interchange is required, request a STEP file directly.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the source part or assembly and select File → Save As. Choose the available STEP format, such as STEP AP242 (*.step; *.stp) or STEP AP214 (*.step; *.stp), then open Options and configure units and other export settings.
4. For an assembly, retain the assembly structure when the receiving system needs separate components and their placements. Export a single merged body only when the recipient needs the overall shape and not the component structure.
5. Open the exported STEP in the target CAD or CAM application. Check units, body and component counts, assembly placement, hole diameters, critical dimensions, surface gaps, and small fillets before manufacturing or further editing.

SOLIDWORKS is the most reliable desktop choice when the native source is available. CAD Exchanger or another CAD translator can convert a supported native or neutral source to STEP, but support depends on the source format and version. FreeCAD can export STEP after a model has been opened or rebuilt in a format it supports; it cannot recover editable geometry from an EDRW alone.

There is no generally dependable online converter for extracting STEP geometry from EDRW files. Services that accept common CAD sources may be useful after the sender provides .SLDPRT, .SLDASM, or another supported model, but an online service should not be expected to convert a view-only EDRW. Do not upload proprietary designs to an unverified website.

Quality and compatibility limits

An EDRW can be a drawing container with no complete 3D model. Even when published 3D data is present, it may omit editable features, suppressed components, lightweight component data, materials, mates, configurations, manufacturing metadata, and design intent. A file opening successfully in eDrawings does not prove that a STEP-capable B-rep model can be extracted.

If the EDRW is the only available file, rebuild the part or assembly in SOLIDWORKS, FreeCAD, or another CAD system using visible dimensions, sections, and annotations as references. This produces new geometry rather than restoring the original model. A STEP export also transfers geometry rather than the SOLIDWORKS feature tree; some PMI, colors, names, and assembly information may transfer, but support varies by exporter and receiving application.

Confirm units because a unit mismatch can make an otherwise valid STEP model the wrong size. Re-export using AP214 instead of AP242, or the reverse, when the receiving application reports unsupported entities or loses assembly information. Check imported geometry for missing faces, invalid solids, tolerance changes, and altered small features before relying on it for fabrication.