You can open a supported CAD file without an account. Start with a CADProps-authored sample, then follow the controls below. Files are uploaded to the server for processing. Conversion, saving and sharing require sign-in; viewing and supported measurement do not.
1. Open a file and confirm what loaded
Choose Open CAD file, drag a file into the upload area, or choose Try a real sample. Wait for processing, then read the warnings before using any number. A visible model can still have missing assembly components. Native assemblies may need their referenced parts in a ZIP; check format and version limits first.
Use assembly.step for the following 3D exercises. Its two block instances make selection, visibility and assembly totals easy to distinguish. The instance case records the verified 12,000 mm³ total; this does not prove compatibility with a native assembly format.
2. Rotate, pan, zoom and recover your view
Drag with the left mouse button in the active navigation mode to rotate or pan; right-drag pans and the wheel zooms. On touch screens, one finger follows the active navigation mode; two fingers pan and pinch to zoom. Click the model area before using shortcuts: F fits, 0 restores an isometric view, H selects pan and R selects rotation. The view cube selects standard views.
Fit changes the camera, not the file's scale. Undo and Redo restore supported review states; they are not native CAD modeling history or a way to recover deleted files.
3. Select a component, then control visibility
Open Structure, expand the assembly and search by component name. Click a component to select it. Multi-select allows several selections. Hide selected hides those components; Isolate shows the selected scope; Show all restores visibility. These operations do not delete geometry.
Open Properties to check whether the panel describes a selected component or the whole model. Use Show whole model to return to model scope. Hiding a part is not a reliable way to recompute whole-model totals; record the actual property scope.
4. Read dimensions, units, area, volume and mass
The X/Y/Z dimensions follow the source axes, not the camera. They are an axis-aligned envelope, not three local feature dimensions. Choose Metric, Imperial or custom display units; switching units does not repair an incorrectly scaled source file. Check one known size first.
Volume needs suitable closed geometry. Unavailable is not zero. For mass, open Material & density, choose a preset or enter a confirmed density. Mass in grams is volume in mm³ × density in g/cm³ ÷ 1,000. A material preset is an assumption, not proof of the source material. One density describes one calculation scenario, not a different material for every component.
5. Choose one of seven measurement modes
Open Measure, choose a mode and follow the selection prompt. B-Rep modes need processed CAD geometry; a triangle-only file cannot provide all of them.
| Mode | Selection and result | Check before using it |
|---|---|---|
| Two points | Click two model points; read distance and X/Y/Z deltas | Mesh picking is approximate |
| Face distance | Select two planar faces | Uses extended planes, not closest trimmed boundaries |
| Edge | Select a CAD edge; read length | Confirm the intended edge |
| Angle | Select two planar faces | A plane angle is not a drawing tolerance |
| Hole / circle | Select a circular edge or cylindrical wall | A cylinder may be an outer surface; simple hole depth may be available, complex holes remain undetermined |
| Surface area | Select a B-Rep face | Local face area differs from whole-model area |
| Solid volume | Select a closed B-Rep solid | One solid differs from an assembly total |
Check the resulting measurement in the numbered list. Drag its label to improve placement, delete one mistaken measurement, or clear the list. Back stops measuring. More displayed decimals do not make an approximate pick more accurate.
6. Export the correct CSV
For overall file properties, open Files and choose Export CSV · mm / g. For local picks, use Download CSV in the measurement list. These are separate reports; the property report does not automatically include your local measurements.
The measurement CSV includes kind, value, unit, precision, basis, part and point deltas. It uses mm, deg, mm² or mm³ regardless of display units. Check basis to distinguish mesh points from B-Rep measurements. The export's exact label describes the geometric calculation, not engineering certification. Reopen each CSV, check units and scope, and preserve unavailable values rather than replacing them with zero.
7. Look inside with Section
Open Section and choose Single plane, Multiple planes or Section box. Move the arrow handles or use the visible position controls in Section. Plane modes also offer axis selection, rotation and reverse side; multiple planes allow enabled X/Y/Z planes. Look at section changes the view and Center section repositions the cut.
Hide cutting plane hides the manipulation aid while the cut stays active. Use Exit section or the active Section chip to stop cutting. Fill applies to suitable closed meshes in solid view; holes remain open. This is a visual cut: it does not modify the CAD file, calculate a section area or export a newly cut solid. Measurements still use original geometry.
8. Separate an assembly and adjust its appearance
Open Explode and increase Separation to inspect components; choose Assembled position to restore them. At least two visible component occurrences are needed. Exploded positions are a display aid; properties and measurements refer to original assembly geometry.
Open Display for shaded, wireframe or transparent views, solid edges, color, background, roughness and lighting. Apply color to a selection or all visible parts; Original colors restores source colors. Reset display restores display settings. Use transparency to locate a feature, then choose the actual measurement geometry rather than estimating from the picture.
9. Add a note at an actual model location
Open Annotations, choose Add annotation, click a model surface, enter text and choose Save annotation. Clicking the numbered note returns to its stored viewpoint; locating a note can reveal its component and turn off a section. Review the selected location before writing a conclusion.
Local notes use browser storage; clearing it can lose them. Export annotations creates a JSON backup, including a retained draft when relevant; JSON import is not currently offered. A new share captures saved notes as a fixed snapshot. Later local edits do not update old links. See the annotation walkthrough for storage and sharing checks.
10. Download a picture for review
Finish an active Measure or Annotations mode with Back, open Share, and choose Export current view as an image. Inspect the preview and choose Download to save cadprops-view.png. Visible measurement overlays and annotation markers can appear; check their visibility before sending the image. The PNG is a picture, not a CAD conversion, vector drawing or CSV, and downloading it does not create a public model link.
11. Compare two versions with a clear coordinate frame
Open the comparison tool, choose two files and confirm A and B. Side by side separates views; Overlay combines them; A / B switches the displayed version. Review camera synchronization and centering options. Centering is not automatic geometric registration.
Solid differences needs supported valid STEP solids and compatible coordinates. Read added, removed and shared volume together with diagnostics and Boolean tolerance. If calculation fails, visual layouts remain a separate review route. Matching totals or a convincing overlay do not prove equivalent features or manufacturing acceptability.
12. Inspect a batch before exporting it
In Batch processing, choose several files within the displayed limits. Each row has its own processing status and warnings. Use Inspect for a successful row, or select a file again to retry a failed one. A failed or open-surface row must not silently become a zero-volume part.
Open Mass calculation settings and confirm density before Export CSV · mm / g. One density applies to the batch; use separate exports for different material scenarios. The table's display units can change, but the CSV remains in mm and g.
13. Convert, download and reopen the output
Open Convert files or choose Convert in the workspace. Sign in, choose an available output format and run the conversion. Availability depends on the source; changing a filename extension is not conversion. Wait for success and choose Download converted file.
Reopen the downloaded output and check units, loaded components, dimensions and available volume. A mesh output does not preserve STEP B-Rep or native editing history. Keep the original file and the controlling drawing alongside the output. The conversion checklist provides handoff checks.
14. Save the file and control sharing
Guest files are automatically deleted about one hour after upload; use the displayed expiry as the deadline. You can delete them earlier from the file menu. Closing the browser does not immediately delete server files. Sign in to save the selected source and eligible derivatives; other guest files are not moved automatically. Check My files and the save status, especially when storage is full.
Signed-in uploads are saved to your private My files space (200 MB, up to 100 files) and automatically deleted after 30 days without use for free accounts or 90 days for paid members. Opening a saved file or downloading its original extends the deadline using the account’s retention period while honoring any later existing date. You can delete saved files anytime; their results are removed and their share links stop working too.
For a ready, saved supported 3D model, choose Share and copy the free 7-day link. A Pro link (1 point) adds 30 days to 1 year, a password and an optional original-file download. A recipient can view the fixed snapshot without an account; the original CAD file is offered only when you allow it on a Pro link. Public link previews can expose their title and cover without the model password. Review that option before creating a link. Revoke a link when access should end. Read the sharing steps and expiry rules.
15. Use the drawing controls for 2D files
Open a supported DWG/DXF and check the selected layout and warnings. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom and use Fit drawing to recover the view. With a supported complete CAD entity scene, Layers and entity-type filters control visibility. Hidden, off or frozen layers can explain missing geometry.
Choose Measure and a Measure type: distance, horizontal distance, vertical distance or angle. Selecting a circle or arc makes radius and diameter available; selecting a polyline offers length and area, subject to the geometry being suitable. Confirm drawing units and any approximate label. A static preview does not provide the same entity tools. After selecting the required points or entity, click Calculate to obtain the result. Before calculating, check Selected entity. An overlapping outline may be selected instead of the intended circle; confirm the entity type and do not report a polyline result as a circle diameter. Some feature results currently use the generic “Distance” label; interpret the number using the selected mode and displayed unit, and keep both with your record.
When the scene is editable, selecting an entity exposes Move right, Copy and Delete, with supported Undo/Redo. These are limited 2D operations, not native 3D modeling. Export DXF is available only for editable supported content; unsupported entities can disable it while Export SVG remains available as a preview. Reopen an exported drawing before handoff. 3D volume, explosion and STEP solid differences do not apply to these drawings.
Practice and keep evidence you can explain
Try this sequence: open assembly.step, select one block, isolate it, restore all parts, read whole-model volume, measure one solid, export both CSV types, section the model, restore the assembly and export a picture. Explain which operation changed the view and which result described original geometry.
For 2D inputs, use the drawing viewer's pan, zoom, layer and supported measurement/export controls; 3D solid volume, explosion and STEP Boolean comparison do not apply. Keep the model format and measurement basis with any result.
The embedded images are real English-interface captures from an isolated local application on 2026-10-01, using CADProps-authored STEP and DXF samples; no customer models are shown. They document the displayed operations and representative results, not universal format support. See the sample provenance and verification record. This guide's explanations were reviewed against the current controls on 2026-10-02.
Original article: CADProps · https://www.cadprops.com/guides/get-started-with-cadprops/