DWG and DXF thumbnails in Windows Explorer

SageThumbs 2K shows AutoCAD drawings (.dwg) in File Explorer using the preview image saved inside the file. DXF files get a thumbnail too, when they carry such a preview.

What you see

DWG: the preview stored in the drawing is extracted and shown, with no AutoCAD install needed.
DXF: the preview AutoCAD and BricsCAD save into the file is shown.

Limits

Most DXF files written by other programs carry no preview and keep the stock icon.
SageThumbs does not draw the CAD geometry itself, so a drawing saved without a preview keeps its icon.
In OneDrive and other synced folders, files stored on the PC get thumbnails as anywhere else. Online-only files are left to the cloud app, since nothing is downloaded just to draw a thumbnail.

Extensions this covers

.dwg .dxf

See every format SageThumbs 2K supports or browse all format guides.

Get SageThumbs 2K

Install it with winget:

winget install LunarWerxs.SageThumbs2K

Or download the installer from GitHub and run it.

Download the installer

Windows 11 and 10, 64-bit, on x64 and Arm. The same page has a portable zip that needs no installing.

Free for personal use

Home, hobby and other non-commercial use is free: every format and every tool. A company, a shop or anyone doing paid work needs a business licence for each PC.

A business licence is US$49 per PC once, with 12 months of updates, or US$2.99 per PC a month. See business licence pricing

Thumbnails not showing?

Windows caches thumbnails, and a file it failed on once stays failed. In SageThumbs, Settings ▸ Advanced ▸ Rebuild thumbnail cache clears the cache and restarts Explorer.
Make sure File Explorer's "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option is off, and that the format is ticked in SageThumbs Settings ▸ File types.
Run st2k doctor in a terminal. It only reads, checks the whole chain, and prints a fix under anything that is wrong.