IDW File

What are IDW files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an IDW file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your IDW files.

What is an IDW file?

IDW files have multiple uses, and Aldus IntelliDraw Drawing is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Aldus IntelliDraw Drawing

We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

How to open IDW files

Important: Different programs may use files with the IDW file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your IDW file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested six different IDW openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 7, 2026

All known file formats using extension .IDW

While Aldus IntelliDraw Drawing is a popular type of IDW-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .IDW file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

AutoDesk Inventor Drawing

Autodesk Inventor Drawing files (extension .idw) are 2D technical drawing files created by Autodesk Inventor. They store drawings such as sheet layouts, projected views, section or detail views, dimensions, annotations, title blocks, and notes to document mechanical parts or assemblies based on external 3D models. These files do not contain full 3D geometry themselves but reference part (.ipt) or assembly (.iam) files so the views can automatically update when the model changes.

Inventor writes .idw files using its native drawing environment. Users invoke them when producing detailed documentation of designs. Although Inventor now recommends saving new drawings in the Inventor-native DWG format for better compatibility and sharing, the .idw format remains fully supported. Only Inventor or its read-only viewer, Inventor View, can open, edit, and fully interact with .idw files; other Autodesk applications like Fusion 360 can import them only for viewing, not editing.

Technically, .idw files are stored as OLE2 Compound File Binary (CFBF) containers (also used by older Microsoft Office files and other Inventor file types) and begin with the magic bytes D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1 at offset 0. Internal data streams inside this container identify the content as an Inventor Drawing.

IDW opener for Windows

We have identified one IDW opener that is compatible with this specific type of IDW file.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of IDW files. Remember, different programs may use IDW files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about IDW file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.