DraftSight provides professional 2D drafting and 3D design tools that enable the easy creation, editing, viewing, and marking up of any DWG file. If you have used other market-leading 2D CAD tools, you will find the DraftSight user interface and functionality very similar, plus additional productivity tools and more flexible licensing options, often resulting in a lower cost of ownership.
Whether you are a hobbyist, student, or large corporation, DraftSight has a package to help you get products designed, manufactured, and to the customer as quickly and effectively as possible.
DraftSight Professional and Premium offer essential 2D tools for DWG-based tasks, plus productivity tools. Premium adds advanced capabilities, including 3D design tools.
DraftSight Enterprise and Enterprise Plus are intended for organizations with multiple users and more frequent usage. Perpetual and network licenses are available, allowing for software ownership and license sharing, so fewer licenses can serve a larger user base. Users also receive dedicated technical support from Hawk Ridge Systems.
AutoCAD users who collaborate with SOLIDWORKS users, and those who use (or are considering using) SOLIDWORKS for 3D CAD themselves. The tools work efficiently together to share files, re-use or update legacy data, or transition from 2D to 3D. See our blog article to compare licensing models of AutoCAD and DraftSight.
3D CAD users requiring light electrical schematic work or P&ID documentation. While DraftSight does not offer associative design intelligence, basic edits and documentation can often be done with DraftSight at a low price point.
PROFESSIONAL
PREMIUM
ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRISE +
Additional Productivity Tools, Including:
Mechanical Toolbox
Batch Printing
Pattern Along a Path
Automatic Trim Dimension Extension Lines
Thumbwheel on the Dimension Palette
Right Click to Select Arrow Heads
Split Dimension
Auto-Completion Commands
Arrow Key Nudging Entities
Quick Input Methods
Curved Text
Spiral and Helix
Using Formulas in Table Cells
Viewport Layer Freezing
Block Attribute Manager
G-Code Generator
Predefined Layer Support
Dimension Snap Offset Distances
Dimension – Auto-Placing with Widgets
Drawing Compare (PC version only)
Image Tracer (PC version only)
Essential 2D Drafting and Design Tools
Create, edit, annotate, and review 2D geometry in DWG/DXF files
LISP Automation
Load and use LISP code (including AutoLISP and Visual LISP) to
automate repetitive/tedious tasks
Import/Create Dynamic (Custom) Blocks
Import and use dynamic blocks created within AutoCAD while
retaining configurability, or create your own in DraftSight (known
as Custom Blocks)
Sheet Set Manager
Organize drawings into subsets for simplified management and
publication
Geometric/Dimensional Constraints
Create and maintain geometric relationships between sketch
entities and define driving dimensions for geometry
Network/Perpetual Licensing
Share licenses between multiple users and own the software
indefinitely without a required annual fee
Dedicated Technical Support
Take advantage of a dedicated team of DraftSight technical
specialists at Hawk Ridge Systems for any issues involving
installation, usage, etc.
Power Trim
Left-click and drag across geometry using Power Trim to
automatically trim to the nearest intersection
Design Reuse Library
Develop a library of reusable features such as blocks and notes,
which can be added to drawings with a simple drag and drop
Customization Reuse
Reuse existing AutoCAD LISP routines, user interface and line type
customization files, and drawing templates to avoid extra rework
Easily import PDF documents into DraftSight to convert into DWG
files for revision, editing, and design.
HOW CAN HAWK RIDGE SYSTEMS HELP?
At Hawk Ridge, we’re driven by the need to provide best-in-class service and support to our customers. We have been diving in with engineers like you to help solve business and design challenges for over 20 years.
We helped a customer that manages legacy drawings in DWG format by providing a network license, which allowed their staff to use the software as needed while keeping their software costs down. A team of 10 was able to share 2 network licenses, saving significant money compared to the subscription-based named user licensing offered by another vendor.
One of our customers used DraftSight to directly prepare DXF files for their laser cutter, seamlessly supplementing their SOLIDWORKS-based design process.
The use of DraftSight helped a customer that makes products for the architectural industry by providing a solution for their staff to quickly and easily read and edit files provided to them by architects and suppliers, while designing their products to fit in SOLIDWORKS 3D.
SERVICES
MORE THAN JUST A PROVIDER
We can provide advice and consulting assistance with the automated deployment of DraftSight Enterprise, allowing you to get your entire team set up with 2D CAD with a single action.
TRAINING
IMPROVE PERFORMANCE THROUGH TAILORED LEARNING
Through our partnership with SolidProfessor, we provide hours of self-paced video training content broken into short, easy to learn videos for you to access at any time.
SUPPORT
TOP-RANKED SUPPORT, COMMITTED TO YOUR SUCCESS
DraftSight Enterprise and Enterprise Plus include complete technical support from us here at Hawk Ridge Systems, meaning you’ll get rapid assistance for technical issues in our 12-hour support window from 5 AM PT to 5 PM PT.
The features of DraftSight overlap almost exactly with the features of AutoCAD, but at a fraction of the cost. DraftSight is also integrated into SOLIDWORKS and PDM to help with document management.
How do I activate DraftSight?
Start DraftSight and click on the down arrow beside “Help?” at the top right of your DraftSight screen. Then click on “Activate DraftSight” and take note of your serial number.
Can I try DraftSight for free?
Yes, you can download and start a 30-day free trial of DraftSight Premium.
Can I roll back my installation to the free version?
All free versions of DraftSight can no longer be activated. These versions have been discontinued since 12/31/2019.
Does DraftSight offer perpetual or network licensing?
Yes. Both DraftSight Enterprise editions are network licenses, meaning the license may be shared freely between multiple users. However, you may choose between a perpetual network license (no required annual fee) or a term (subscription) network license.
Is there a minimum number of licenses required in the initial purchase of DraftSight Enterprise editions?
There is no minimum number of licenses required to purchase DraftSight Enterprise editions if the term (subscription) licensing model is selected. For perpetual licenses, a minimum initial purchase of two Enterprise edition licenses is required. Subsequent licenses may then be added one at a time if desired.
