Draft DXF

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Draft Module

Menu location
Draft DXF
File → Export → Autodesk DXF 2D (*.dxf)
Workbenches
Draft
Default shortcut
Ctrl+E
Introduced in version
-
See also
FreeCAD and DXF Import, FreeCAD and DWG Import

Description

Draft DXF is a software module used by the Std_Open, Std_Import and Std_Export commands to handle the DXF file format.

This function opens a DXF file, any version from 12 to 2007, to a new document.

Qcad drawing exported to DXF, which is subsequently opened in FreeCAD

Importing

DXF versions R12 - 2007 are supported.

The following DXF objects can be imported:

lines
polylines and lwpolylines
circles
arcs
layers (layers containing objects are converted to FreeCAD Groups)
texts and mtexts
dimensions
blocks (only geometry. texts, dims and attributes inside blocks will be skipped)
points
leaders
... List is incomplete.

Exporting

The following FreeCAD objects can be exported:

lines and wires (polylines)
arcs and circles
texts
colors are mapped from objects RGB colors to autocad color index (ACI). Black will always be "by layer"
layers are mapped from group names. When groups are nested, the deepest group gives the layer name.
dimensions, which are exported with "Standard" dimstyle.
... List is incomplete.

Installing

For licensing reasons, the DXF import/export libraries are not part of the FreeCAD source code. For more information see: FreeCAD and DXF Import.

Preferences

For more information see: Import Export Preferences.

Scripting

See also: Draft API and FreeCAD Scripting Basics.

You can export elements to DXF by using the following function:

importDXF.export(objectslist, filename, nospline=False, lwPoly=False)

Example:

import Draft, importDXF

Polygon1 = Draft.makePolygon(3, radius=500)
Polygon2 = Draft.makePolygon(5, radius=1500)

objects = [Polygon1, Polygon2]

importDXF.export(objects, "/home/user/Pictures/myfile.dxf")