Opening DWF file in AutoCAD seems the obvious answer to the question. However, AutoCAD is expensive and unless you have a good reason for the investment in specialist software, a waste of money. Therefore, you need to find an AutoCAD DWF viewer and file converter that will help you see the contents of the file for free, or without costing the earth.
CoolUtils offers the Total Cad Converter, which will allow you to save your DWF file as a PDF or a TIFF. This software will allow you to share the data easier with those who do not have AutoCAD, resolving the problem at the source. This is a great choice, as DWF files are prone to corruption, so converting them to PDF or TIFF helps a costly loss of work.
Here are some other packages that offer a means of opening DWF files.
AutoDesk Viewer
AutoDesk offers another simple viewer viewer.autodesk.com. If all you want to do is share a design or view a design quickly, then use this online tool to see it instantly. You merely need to share the URL of your design and anyone you share it with can view the design. If the person wants to print the design, then they are invited to click print screen, copy in another program and select print. It couldn’t be simpler really.
Autodesk offers a few other packages you can choose to open, view, mark-up or even edit your DWF file. You can also convert the file to multiple other graphics file choices, as well as PDF. The software offered can with 2D and 3D files. Although you can trial the full package free online, you will pay for the complete package. The price depends on your needs. How if you only want to open and view DWF files, then you can get the free DWF Writer. Check out the Ts and Cs on the site for any end-user agreements before downloading the software.
SysTools AutoCAD DWF viewer
This is freeware software that allows you to open DWF in AutoCAD, without the need for the AutoCAD software. The viewer offers unlimited file size viewing and allows for a view of the DWF file on any computer, no matter the machine used. What is valuable about this viewer is that you could rescue corrupt DWF files. The viewer is designed to open inaccessible AutoCAD files, making a particularly useful piece of freeware.
ABViewer
A final option for the viewing, measuring and converting is ABViewer. This allows you to work with 2D and 3D designs, whether a single image or a group of images. You can take advantage of a free trial, but after this period you will need to pay $48 for a standard license. You can do a lot with the software, and it is relatively easy to use, so it could be worth the investment.