Tech Tip: Importing and Exporting DXF Files

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,

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

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.

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.

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.”

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

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

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