DXF File Format (.dxf)
A DXF file is Autodesk's tagged ASCII or binary interchange format for AutoCAD drawings, introduced with AutoCAD 1.0 in December 1982 to move CAD data between systems that couldn't read AutoCAD's native DWG format directly.
DXF at a glance#
| Full name | Drawing Interchange Format |
|---|---|
| File extension | .dxf |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | Autodesk |
| First released | 1982 |
| MIME types | image/vnd.dxf |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .dxf file can hold#
These are the things a DXF file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Layers | Yes |
|---|---|
| Human readable | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of DXF#
What DXF does well
- Supported as an import and export target by essentially every CAD package, more universally than DWG itself
- The ASCII form can be opened and diffed in a plain text editor, which makes debugging a broken drawing possible
- Layers, block references and entity properties translate consistently across CAD systems
Where DXF falls short
- Best supported for 2D drawings; documented support for 3D solids like ACIS bodies and regions is incomplete
- A DXF written by a newer AutoCAD release can carry entity types an older reader has never seen
- ASCII files grow large fast, since every coordinate and property is written as a separate tagged line
Use DXF to move a 2D drawing between CAD packages that don't share a native format, which is exactly what it was built for.
Convert DXF to a 3D interchange format like OBJ or glTF once the goal shifts from CAD exchange to rendering or 3D printing.
How to open a .dxf file#
A .dxf file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts DXF into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | AutoCAD, Autodesk Fusion, LibreCAD, QCAD |
| macOS | LibreCAD, Autodesk Fusion |
| Linux | LibreCAD, QCAD |
| Web | FileFlip |
DXF questions people ask#
What is a DXF file used for?
A DXF file moves CAD drawings between systems that can't open AutoCAD's native DWG format directly. Autodesk introduced it alongside AutoCAD 1.0 in 1982 specifically as a documented interchange format, and it remains the closest thing CAD has to a universal exchange format.
Is DXF 2D or 3D?
DXF supports both, but it's used far more in practice for 2D drawings; its documentation for certain 3D object types, such as ACIS solids and regions, is incomplete, which limits how reliably 3D data survives a round trip between different CAD applications.
What's the difference between DXF and DWG?
DWG is AutoCAD's native, proprietary binary file format, while DXF is Autodesk's published interchange format meant to represent the same drawing data in a form other software can read without needing AutoCAD's own file structure. A DXF export from AutoCAD aims to be an exact representation of the DWG it came from.
Can I open a DXF file in a text editor?
Yes, if it's the ASCII variant, which is what most software writes by default. An ASCII DXF is a tagged text file, readable line by line, though it's verbose enough that even a simple drawing produces a large file. A binary DXF, supported since AutoCAD Release 10, is not readable as text.
Converting DXF files#
Convert DXF to another format
FileFlip does not write .dxf files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.