AutoCAD DXF converter

DXF is Autodesk's exchange format for CAD drawings. The common ASCII form is a long list of group-code and value pairs, starting with 0 and SECTION, that describes layers, blocks and entities such as lines, arcs, polylines, hatches, text and dimensions; a binary form exists but is rare. Almost every CAD, CNC and laser-cutting tool reads and writes it, which is why DXF is how floor plans, parts and schematics leave the CAD office.

Our office engine draws the model space of ASCII DXF files from R12 through AutoCAD 2018, keeping line work, colours, hatches and single-line text. The drawing is fitted to a small page, about 10 cm across, and trimmed, so the output is a viewing copy without CAD units or scale. Binary DXF and DWG are refused, and so are drawings that come out empty, such as files holding only 3D solids.

The big gap is multi-line text. MTEXT notes are not drawn, and because dimension measurements are stored the same way, a floor plan with 63 dimensions came out with every dimension line and none of its numbers. When a file contains dimensions or MTEXT we say so in the result. For a drawing whose measurements matter, use a CAD viewer or plot from the CAD program.