What is the HWSM Viewer?

The HWSM Viewer is a free, browser-based tool for viewing documents created with HandWrite Pro — the Android note-taking and vector drawing application. It lets you open, inspect, and navigate .hwsm and .svg files directly in your web browser, without installing any software or uploading your files to a server.

All processing happens locally on your device. Your handwritten notes, drawings, and vector graphics never leave your computer, making the viewer both fast and privacy-friendly.

Supported File Formats

The viewer supports two file formats:

.hwsm — HandWrite Pro’s native document format (ScribMaster). Contains vector strokes, layers, text, and embedded images with full pressure-sensitivity and pen-style data.
.svg — Standard SVG export files from HandWrite Pro. The viewer renders SVG paths, text elements, and images with the same precision as the native format.

Opening a Document

There are two ways to load a file into the viewer:

File Picker

Click the Open File button in the toolbar
Navigate to your .hwsm or .svg file in the file dialog
Select the file — it will load and display automatically

Drag and Drop

Open the viewer page in your browser
Drag a .hwsm or .svg file from your file manager
Drop it onto the viewer canvas area
The document loads instantly with no server upload

Navigation & Zoom

The viewer provides full zoom and pan controls for inspecting your documents at any magnification:

Mouse Controls

Scroll wheel — Zoom in or out, centered on your cursor position
Middle-click drag or right-click drag — Pan the document

Touch Controls

One finger drag — Pan the document
Two finger pinch — Zoom in or out
Two finger drag — Pan while pinched

Toolbar Buttons

Fit — Reset the view to show the entire page, centered and scaled to fit the window
Zoom indicator — Shows the current zoom level as a percentage

Multi-Page Documents

HandWrite Pro documents can contain multiple pages. Navigate between them using the Previous and Next buttons in the toolbar, or the Arrow Left / Arrow Right and Page Up / Page Down keyboard shortcuts. The page counter shows your current position, e.g. Page 2 / 5.

Layer Management

One of the most powerful features of HandWrite Pro is its layer system, and the viewer fully preserves it. Click the Layers button to open a sidebar showing all layers on the current page.

Each layer is listed by name with an eye icon
Click a layer to toggle its visibility on or off
Hidden layers show a faded eye icon, making it easy to identify them
The canvas updates immediately when you change layer visibility

This is especially useful for inspecting complex documents where text, drawings, and annotations are organized on separate layers.

What Gets Rendered

The viewer faithfully reproduces the visual content of your HandWrite Pro documents:

Vector strokes — All pen types including speed pen, pressure pen, normal pen, marker, and calligraphy
Pressure-sensitive lines — Variable-width strokes rendered from stylus pressure data
Calligraphy — Fixed nib-angle calligraphic strokes with direction-dependent thickness
Filled shapes — Filled export paths and shape fills
Text elements — Text blocks with multiple lines (tspans)
Embedded images — Photos and imported graphics stored in the document
Page background color — Preserved from the original document

Browser Compatibility

The viewer uses standard web technologies (Canvas 2D API, DOMParser, FileReader) and works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. No plugins or extensions are required.

Privacy & Security

Your documents stay on your device. The viewer runs entirely in your browser — files are never uploaded to any server. This means:

Your handwritten notes and drawings remain private
The viewer works offline once the page is loaded
No account or login is required

Troubleshooting

File won’t open

Make sure the file has a .hwsm or .svg extension. If the file was created with an older version of HandWrite Pro, try re-exporting it from the app.

Document looks blank

Try clicking the Fit button to reset the view. The document content may be outside the current viewport. You can also try toggling layers on and off in case the content is on a hidden layer.

Some strokes look different from the app

The viewer renders strokes using a simplified algorithm compared to the full HandWrite Pro engine. Most pen types look identical, but certain advanced effects (wet brush texture, pencil grain) may appear as standard strokes in the browser viewer.

Try It Now

Ready to view your documents? Head over to the HWSM Viewer and open your first file.

HWSM Viewer Help