DraftSight questions & answers

Functions like creation, editing, viewing and markup for 2D drawings
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Question by Guest
1 view
May 8, 2025

Drawing appear and disappear when the mouse is moved

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Answer by Ashish Bajaj

The issue described where the drawing appears and disappears when moving the mouse in DraftSight could be related to several factors. Here are some steps you can try to resolve this issue:

  1. Graphics Driver: Ensure that your graphics drivers are up to date. Outdated or corrupted drivers can cause display issues in graphics-intensive applications like CAD software.

  2. Graphics Configuration: Check the graphics settings in DraftSight. Try switching between hardware acceleration and software rendering to see if it resolves the issue.

  3. Zoom Extents: Use the 'Zoom Extents' command to ensure the drawing is visible in the current view. Sometimes drawing elements might be placed far from the origin or camera.

  4. Regenerate Model: Try using the 'REGEN' command in DraftSight to regenerate the drawing’s display.

  5. File Corruption: Test with another file to see if the issue persists. If the problem is specific to one file, there might be corruption in that particular file.

  6. Reinstall DraftSight: If none of the above works, consider reinstalling DraftSight to ensure it's correctly installed and configured.

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If the problem continues, you may want to reach out to DraftSight support or check their online forums for similar issues reported by other users.

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Answer by Saumya Sharma

This issue may be occurring due to a setting within DraftSight or a bug in the software. You could try checking your settings to see if there is an option to save toolbar configurations or contact DraftSight support for assistance.

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Question by Guest
236 views
October 11, 2023

When I save a drawing (.dwg) in DraftSight, it always automatically saves 1 additional .dxf file in the same directory.
Have anyone experienced this and how to disable?

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Answer by Akash Shah

Yes, there is a way to disable the automatic saving of the additional .dxf file in DraftSight. You can go to the "Options" menu, then select the "System Options" tab, and under the "Save" section, uncheck the "Create DXF Automatically" option. This will prevent DraftSight from saving the .dxf file every time you save a drawing.

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Question by Guest
4K views
February 19, 2015

The cursor disappears only in drawing window. How do I make it visible again?

Stephen Prastman
Answer by Stephen Prastman

There is a quick solution for this problem. The issue has been discussed over and over again. The cause is the drivers that are causing a conflict. However, a simple fix is to press F9 to disable GRID SNAP, because if you are zoomed in, the mouse will point somewhere outside the viewing area. Other users fixed it by using an older version of the DraftSight application.

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Question by Ioan
2K views
January 30, 2018

if I want install Draftsight, I receive an error Error 1722. I have Windows XP. Here is the picture from my desktop with the error: https://imgur.com/8ESW7lU


What can I do to make DraftSight install properly? Thank you.

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Answer by Sean Hill

It seems to me that the package is corrupted. Try installing the latest version because I've just downloaded DraftSight 2018 SP1 and it worked out of the box without errors.


There might be a possibility that the package you are trying to install isn't compatible with the operating system currently running on your PC.

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Question by Börje Ivegård
2K views
February 23, 2011

It is an interesting program, but on my Windows 7 computer the cursor moves far too slow. Can you help?

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Answer by Pete Clapp

In order to fix this issue, I suggest you upgrade the application to the latest version. After you save the file to your computer and install the application following the self-explained steps, go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Mouse and click the Pointer Options tab. Increase the pointer speed by dragging the the icon below Motion from Slow to Fast, click Apply and then OK.

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Question by Guest
1K views
March 5, 2018

I am looking to open DraftSight with a blank screen, no drawing/template loaded. The same screen you get when you close all open drawings. Is this possible? Presently on DraftSight 2018.

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Answer by Sean Hill

There is an easy fix to this inquiry. Open the application, then type Smartnew and a new drawing will be created with the name NONAME_n.dwg.


To set this as default, follow the instructions:

  • Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).
  • In the Options dialog box, click System Options .
  • Expand Open / Save As > Template file name for SmartNew.
  • Click Browse to set a different template drawing.
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Question by Guest
917 views
March 28, 2017

I want a specific template to be used at startup on DraftSight, but it keeps using no name.dwt and not the file I want. I went to Tools > Options > System options > Open/Save As template file name for smart new.

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Answer by Robert Polubinski

Try running the application as Administrator and then follow the official instructions regarding the way to change the template in DraftSight.


Instructions:

  • Click Application menu > Preferences (or type Options).
  • In the Options dialog box, click System Options .
  • Expand Open / Save As > Template file name for SmartNew.
  • Click Browse to set a different template drawing

It should work after this procedure and you can then assign a new name for documents.

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Question by Guest
912 views
June 23, 2014
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Answer by Julia Bocchetta

DraftSight is a CAD viewer application that is used to display various files in known CAD file formats. It does not require a password to be used. You just download the application and install it and then use the File > Open to open supported files. If you still have problems with the application, re-install it and then repeat the procedure.

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Answer by Robert Polubinski

The official website allows you to download the application without any bundles. To do this, simply go to the official website and click on DraftSight 64bit.


If you can't browse the website, use the following direct download URL to obtain the package: http://dl-ak.solidworks.com/nonsecure/draftsight/V1R5.2/DraftSight64.exe

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