What Is an EASM File?

This is a drawing exported from a CAD program

By
Tim Fisher
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Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on November 29, 2022

What to Know

  • An EASM file is an eDrawings assembly file.
  • CAD software can use the eDrawings Publisher plugin to export designs to this format.
  • Some programs that open EASM files include eDrawings Viewer (free), SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and Sketchup.

This article explains what an EASM file is, how to open one, and how to convert one to a different file format.

What Is an EASM File?

A file with the EASM file extension is an eDrawings assembly file. It's a representation of a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing, but it isn't the full, editable version of the design.

In other words, one reason EASM files are used is so that clients and other recipients can see the design but not have access to the design data. They're a bit like Autodesk's DWF format.

Another reason EASM files are used is because they're made up of compressed XML data, which makes them the perfect format for sending CAD drawings over the internet where download time/speeds are a concern.

Screenshot of several EASM files in Windows 10 that open with eDrawings
Tim Fisher / Lifewire

EDRW and EPRT are similar eDrawings file formats. However, EAS files are completely different; they're symbol files used with Logix Designer.

How to Open an EASM File

eDrawings Viewer is a free CAD program from SolidWorks that will open EASM files for viewing.

These files can also be opened with SketchUp, but only if it's used with the eDrawings Publisher plug-in. The same goes for Autodesk's Inventor and its eDrawings Publisher for Inventor plug-in.

The eDrawings mobile app for Android and iOS can open EASM files, too. You can read more about this app on their respective download pages, both of which are available through that link.

If you upload the file to Dropbox or Google Drive, you should then be able to import them into MySolidWorks Drive to view the drawing online.

If you find that an application on your PC does try to open the file, but it's the wrong application, or you'd rather have another installed program open it, you can learn how to do that in our Windows guide on changing which program opens EASM files by default.

How to Convert an EASM File

The EASM format was built for the purpose of viewing a CAD design, not for editing it or exporting it to some other 3D format. So, if you need to convert EASM to DWG, OBJ, etc., you'll actually need to have access to the original file.

However, the Windows View2Vector program is advertised as being able to export this file type to formats like DXF, STEP, STL (ASCII, binary, or exploded), PDF, PLY, and STEP. We haven't tried it ourselves to see what this type of conversion actually accomplishes, but there is a 30-day trial if you want to try it out.

eDrawings Professional can save an EASM file to non-CAD formats like JPG, PNG, HTM, BMP, TIF, and GIF. Also supported is an export to EXE, which embeds the viewer program in a single file—the recipient doesn't even need to have eDrawings installed to open the assembly file.

If you convert to an image file, it will look exactly as it did when you saved the file—it won't be in a 3D form that lets you move around the objects and view things from different angles. If you do this, be sure to position the drawing how you want it to appear, before you save it.

Still Can't Open the File?

If you can't get the file to open properly, make sure you're reading the file extension correctly. It's really easy to confuse different formats for each other because the file extensions are similar.

EAP, ACSM, and ASMX are a few other examples of this. Another is ASM, which, among other formats, could be an assembly language source code file.

FAQ
  • How do I export a STEP file from EASM?

    Since an EASM file is a preview and doesn't contain the original file data, you can't export a STEP file from an EASM file.

  • How do I save a SolidWorks file as an EASM?

    In your SolidWorks file, select File > Save as > Save as type > Assembly document (*.sldasm). eDrawings (*.easm). Select Save, then, in the Save Configurations to eDrawings dialog box, choose Options > EASM.

  • How do I print an EASM file?

    After you open your EASM file in a compatible application, such as eDrawings or Dassault Systemes SolidWorks eDrawings Viewer, access the application's print function to print your EASM file.

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