DXF files: open, edit and export online
DXF is the file format CAD programs use to swap 2D drawings. BenCAD opens, edits and saves DXF files in your web browser, on a phone, tablet or computer, with no AutoCAD and nothing to install.
START DRAWING — FREEWhat is a DXF file?
DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) was created by Autodesk so drawings could move between AutoCAD and other programs. A DXF holds the lines, arcs, circles, text and layers of a drawing as plain text, which is why almost every CAD program, CNC router and laser cutter can read one.
How to open a DXF file online
In BenCAD, open the side menu and tap IMPORT DXF under File, then choose the file. The drawing opens in a new tab, zoomed to fit, with its units converted to millimetres. BenCAD reads lines, polylines, arcs, circles, ellipses and text.
Step by step: how to import a DXF.
How to edit a DXF
An imported DXF becomes ordinary BenCAD geometry. Trim and extend lines, offset outlines, add dimensions and notes, then save it again as a DXF.
How to export a DXF
Tap EXPORT DXF in the side menu. The file is saved in millimetres as DXF R12, the most widely supported version, with shapes sorted onto layers (walls, openings, furniture, dimensions, notes, fixtures). It opens at real size in AutoCAD, QCAD, LibreCAD, DraftSight and cutter software.
Step by step: how to export a DXF.
How to convert a DXF to PDF at the right scale
Import the DXF, then open the print-ready sheet. Choose A4, A3 or A2 and a scale such as 1:50 or 1:100, add a title block, and save the PDF. Print it at 100% and the measurements on paper are true to scale.
DXF vs DWG
DWG is AutoCAD's own file format; DXF is the open exchange format. Most programs that read DWG can save a DXF. BenCAD does not open DWG directly, so save the DWG as a DXF first, then import it.
DXF for laser cutting and CNC
Cutters need clean outlines at real size. Draw or import your part, close any gaps with extend and join, remove stray pieces with trim, and export the DXF in millimetres.
Common DXF problems
It opened at the wrong size. BenCAD converts the units saved in the file (millimetres, centimetres, metres, inches or feet). A file with no units set is read as millimetres, so a drawing made in metres without units comes in 1000 times too small; fix it with the scale tool using a reference length.
Something is missing. Blocks, hatches and dimensions saved in complex forms may not import; lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, polylines and text do.
Questions
Can I open a DXF file on my phone?
Yes. BenCAD runs in the browser on iPhone and Android, so you can open, view and edit a DXF without installing an app.
Is DXF import and export free?
DXF import and export are part of BenCAD Pro. Drawing, dimensions and PNG download are free.
What DXF version does BenCAD save?
DXF R12 in millimetres, which nearly every CAD and cutting program can read.