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File format guide

What is DXF? File format guide

DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) is an open CAD data format created by Autodesk for exchanging drawings between AutoCAD and other CAD applications.

Quick facts

File extension
.dxf
File packaging
Single file
Conversion options
10

How DXF works

DXF stores CAD entities on named layers and is a common interchange format for survey drawings, site plans, and engineering geometry. GeoConvert safely imports ASCII DXF points, lines, polylines, arcs, circles, SOLID/3DFACE entities, and straight-edged HATCH boundaries; arcs, circles, and bulges are linearized with a warning. TEXT/MTEXT, INSERT or block-contained geometry, RAY/XLINE, ELLIPSE/SPLINE, and unknown or incomplete entities are rejected instead of being silently dropped. DXF has no GIS attribute table, so geometry and layer names come across but arbitrary feature attributes do not; AutoCAD Binary DXF is not supported by the browser engine.

Coordinate systems and reprojection

DXF is a CAD format and carries no coordinate reference system — coordinates are plain model units. When converting to or from GIS formats you often need to know (or assign) the drawing’s real-world CRS; GeoConvert assumes WGS84 (EPSG:4326) only if you ask to reproject.

CRS guide

Convert DXF to another format

Choose a conversion below for the online converter, format-specific caveats, and step-by-step instructions for DXF.

Convert files to DXF

Frequently asked questions

What file extension does DXF use?
DXF uses .dxf.
Does DXF store a coordinate system?
DXF is a CAD format and carries no coordinate reference system — coordinates are plain model units. When converting to or from GIS formats you often need to know (or assign) the drawing’s real-world CRS; GeoConvert assumes WGS84 (EPSG:4326) only if you ask to reproject.
Can I convert DXF online?
Yes. GeoConvert can read or write DXF in your browser for the conversion paths listed above, without uploading free-tier files to a server.