Guide

DXF vs DWG: what is the difference?

Both are CAD drawing files made by Autodesk. DWG is AutoCAD's own working format. DXF is the exchange format, designed so other programs can read and write drawings.

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At a glance

	DWG	DXF
Made for	Saving work in AutoCAD	Swapping drawings between programs
File contents	Binary (not human-readable)	Usually plain text
File size	Smaller	Larger
Opens in	AutoCAD and programs that licence DWG support	Nearly every CAD program, CNC and laser software

Which should I send?

Send DWG to someone who uses AutoCAD and needs everything exactly as you had it. Send DXF to anyone else — another CAD program, a fabricator, a laser cutter, or someone on a phone.

I only have a DWG

Open it in the program that made it and choose Save As → DXF. Most CAD programs can do this. Then open the DXF in BenCAD with DXF import.

What BenCAD saves

DXF export saves DXF R12 in millimetres, with shapes on named layers. R12 is old but almost universally readable. BenCAD does not save DWG.

Questions

Is DXF worse than DWG?

Not for 2D geometry. Lines, arcs, circles and text come across well. Some advanced AutoCAD objects only survive in DWG.

Can BenCAD open DWG?

No. Save it as DXF first.

Tools for this

DXF import PROOpen DXF files from other CAD DXF export PROSave for AutoCAD, CNC and laser