DXF (and DWG) files are industry standards in the world of 2D CAD. They have been around for many years. CAD users work with DXF files everyday. Let’s take a look how Onshape handles importing and exporting DXF’s.

To import a DXF or DWG file, click the import icon in the top left corner of the Documents page,

Onshape documents 

or click the “+” icon in the bottom left corner of a Document and choose “Import.”

import selector

 

After clicking import, browse for the file or files that you want to import and click “Open.” This will import your DXF into a Document.

After importing your DXF into a Document, two tabs will be created for each DXF you import. One tab holds the original DXF file, and the other tab contains the translated drawing.

DXF black background

 

Here, you can view your drawing inside your Document and even make simple changes to it. You can also insert your DXF into a sketch in your Part Studio and use it to create a 3D model.

DXF sketch

 

Now that we’ve discussed importing DXF files, let’s talk about exporting them. There are two ways to export DXF files from Onshape. The first is to right-click any drawing tab in Onshape and choose “Export.”

seal retainer

 

The second is to right-click any face or sketch in an Onshape Part Studio and choose “Export as DXF/DWG.”

export nagivation list

 

After doing this, a dialogue will appear with options for the DXF export. Simply set any options that you would like and click “Export.”

export drawing image

If you’re working with DXF files, try these tips out!