File extension

.dxf

AutoCAD DXF version 13 File Format

.dxf files are AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format: an openly documented, tagged CAD interchange format (usually ASCII) for exchanging 2D and 3D drawings between AutoCAD and other CAD systems.

Known meanings

Formats and reference material for .dxf

AutoCAD DXF version 13 File Format

AutoCAD DXF version 13 File Format

  • 2d-graphics cad
  • Autodesk Inc.
  • Historical
Missing file

AutoCAD DXF version 14 File Format (Windows Help format)

AutoCAD DXF version 14 File Format (Windows Help format)

  • 2d-graphics cad
  • Autodesk Inc.
  • Historical
Missing file

AutoCAD DXF version 14 File Format (html format)

AutoCAD DXF version 14 File Format (html format)

  • 2d-graphics cad
  • Autodesk Inc.
  • Historical
Missing file

AutoCAD DXF version 12 File Format

AutoCAD DXF version 12 File Format

  • 2d-graphics cad
  • Autodesk Inc.
  • Historical
Missing file

AutoCAD DXF version 10 File Format

AutoCAD DXF version 10 File Format

  • 2d-graphics cad
  • Autodesk Inc.
  • Historical
Missing file

Minimum Requirements for DXF Files

Minimum Requirements for DXF Files

  • 2d-graphics cad
  • Paul Bourke
  • Historical
Missing file

Details

Format notes

Drawing Exchange Format (DXF)

DXF is a CAD data format created by Autodesk to exchange drawings between AutoCAD and other programs. Where AutoCAD’s native DWG is a proprietary binary format, DXF was published as a documented interchange format, and it became a de facto standard that most CAD, CAM, and GIS tools can read and write. It represents the same kinds of content as a drawing: layers, line types, blocks, and geometric entities in 2D and 3D.

Most DXF files are ASCII text organized as tagged pairs: each value is preceded by an integer “group code” that says what the value means (for example, group code 10 introduces an X coordinate). The file is divided into sections — HEADER, TABLES, BLOCKS, ENTITIES, and OBJECTS — that describe drawing settings, reusable definitions, and the entities themselves. A binary DXF variant exists but is far less common than the text form.

Compatibility Notes

DXF is versioned in step with AutoCAD releases (R12, R13, … and the AC10xx formats), and newer entity types may not be understood by older readers, so tools often export to an older DXF version for maximum compatibility. Round-tripping complex drawings can lose application-specific data that DXF does not model.

Preservation And Security Notes

DXF’s open, text-based nature makes it a good archival interchange format for vector CAD geometry; recording the DXF version and units aids later use. As tagged text with cross-referenced handles, a parser handling untrusted files should guard against malformed group codes, dangling references, and extremely large entity counts.

Further Reading

  • AutoCAD DXF reference (Autodesk): https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2024/ENU/?guid=GUID-235B22E0-A567-4CF6-92D3-38A2306D73F3