DWF™ is the Autodesk method of publishing design data. It offers an alternative to printing to PDF (Portable Document Format).
DWF files let you share design information securely and easily. Using the DWF format, you can avoid unintended changes to project files, and you can share project files with clients and others who do not have Vasari. DWF files are significantly smaller than the original RVT files, making them easy to send by electronic mail or post to a web site.
DWF files can be viewed by recipients using Autodesk® Design Review, which is available for free download from http://www.autodesk.com/designreview.
The meaning of the term DWF has expanded to include DWFx. DWFx is based on the XML Paper Specification (XPS) from Microsoft, making it easier to share design data with reviewers who do not have Design Review installed. DWF and DWFx files contain the same data (2D and 3D); the only difference is the file format.
DWFx files can be opened and printed using the free Microsoft XPS Viewer, which can be downloaded directly from Microsoft if it is not already installed on the system. Unlike DWF files, DWFx files include additional information to display design data in the Microsoft XPS Viewer. As a result, DWFx files are larger than corresponding DWF files.
Currently, the Microsoft XPS Viewer does not support views containing 3D content, password-protected content, restricted content, or georeferenced map coordinates. In the Microsoft XPS Viewer, when attempting to open views containing any of these unsupported features, a warning directs you to view the DWFx file in Design Review.
You can export all Revit views or sheets to 2D DWF files. If you export multiple views in a project to a single DWF file, in Autodesk Design Review you can click a link to jump to a related view.
You can export 3D views to 3D DWF files. Using Autodesk Design Review, you can open a 3D DWF file and manipulate the 3D representation of the building. You can rotate the building, zoom in on a portion of it, select an element (such as a roof), make it transparent to see what is beneath or behind it, and so on.