DXF
DXF (Drawing Interchange Format) is Autodesk's open exchange format for CAD data. LinkCAD supports all DXF versions from Release 12 through 2018.
| Property |
Value |
| Extensions |
.dxf |
| Encoding |
ASCII or Binary |
| Import |
|
| Export |
|
| License |
Basic |
| Hierarchy |
BLOCK/INSERT with scale and rotation |
| Layers |
Named layers with colors |
Supported Entity Types
| Entity |
Import |
Export |
Notes |
| LINE |
|
|
Basic line segments |
| POLYLINE |
|
|
2D/3D with width and bulge arcs |
| LWPOLYLINE |
|
|
Lightweight polylines (R14+) |
| ARC |
|
|
Circular arcs |
| CIRCLE |
|
|
Complete circles |
| ELLIPSE |
|
|
Elliptical arcs and full ellipses |
| SPLINE |
|
|
Approximated to polylines |
| TEXT |
|
|
Single-line text |
| MTEXT |
|
|
Multi-line text |
| INSERT |
|
|
Block references with scale/rotation |
| REGION |
|
|
Filled regions with hole detection |
| HATCH |
|
|
Configurable import mode |
| SOLID |
|
|
Filled triangular/quad areas |
| POINT |
|
|
Configurable display modes |
Import Options
Units & Scaling
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Units value |
Physical units per DXF unit |
1 |
| Units type |
Microns, millimeters, inches, etc. |
Micron |
| Scaling |
Additional scaling multiplier |
1.0 |
Arc Resolution
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Precision value |
Tolerance or segments for arc conversion |
Auto |
| Precision mode |
Absolute tolerance or segments per 360° |
Segments |
Entity Handling
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Ignore text |
Skip TEXT/MTEXT entities |
Off |
| Text line width |
Stroke width for text (0 = relative) |
0.0 |
| HATCH processing |
On HATCH layer / Separate layer / Skip |
On HATCH layer |
| Polyface mesh |
Import polyface mesh entities |
Off |
| Polyline end caps |
Flat, Round, or Square extended |
Flat |
| Resolve layers |
Obey BYBLOCK/BYLAYER attributes |
Off |
Point Import
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Import points |
Import POINT entities |
On |
| Point mode |
Dot, Cross (+), X-Cross (×), Tick |
X-Cross |
| Point size |
Marker size in drawing units |
1.0 |
Export Options
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| DXF version |
Release 12, 14, 2000, or Abaqus |
2000 |
| Binary DXF |
Write binary instead of ASCII |
Off |
Geometry
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Fill polygons |
Fill zero-width polygons using SOLID entities |
Off |
| Export as regions |
Use REGION entities with hole detection |
Off |
| Hatch polygons |
Export polygons as hatched areas |
Off |
| Explode text |
Convert text to polyline outlines |
Off |
| Flatten hierarchy |
Remove blocks, write flat geometry |
Off |
| Explode arrays |
Write array instances as separate inserts |
Off |
Units & Precision
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Units value |
Physical units per DXF unit |
1 |
| Units type |
Target unit system |
Micron |
| Scaling |
Additional scaling multiplier |
1.0 |
| End cap type |
Round, Flat, or Square for polyline caps |
Round |
Export Version Compatibility
| Version |
Max Name Length |
Character Set |
Notes |
| Release 12 |
31 characters |
Alphanumeric + $_- |
Maximum legacy compatibility |
| Release 14 |
255 characters |
Extended |
Enhanced polyline support |
| Release 2000 |
255 characters |
Unicode |
Recommended for most use cases |
| Abaqus |
— |
— |
Special FEA export format |
Common Workflows
GDSII → DXF
Standard IC-to-mechanical conversion. Set DXF output units to match your target CAD system.
DXF → GDSII
Convert mechanical drawings to IC mask layout. Layer names map to GDSII layer numbers via layer maps.
DXF → Gerber
Generate photoplotter output from DXF mechanical drawings.
Technical Notes
- DXF files are inherently unitless — the unit interpretation depends on application settings
- Arc-to-polyline conversion quality is controlled by the precision settings
- HATCH entities can be placed on their own layer or the HATCH-designated layer
- Block names longer than 31 characters are automatically truncated when exporting to R12
- Binary DXF is more compact but less portable than ASCII DXF
CLI / Command-File Options
These option keys can be used on the command line (e.g. --DxfOutScaling 1000) or in command files (e.g. DxfOutScaling=1000).
Import
| Key |
Type |
Description |
DxfInScaling |
float |
Import scaling factor |
DxfInUnitsUnit |
int |
Unit enum (see Units) |
DxfInUnitsValue |
int |
Units scaling value |
DxfInEndcapType |
int |
Wire endcap style — 0=round, 1=flat, 2=square extended |
DxfInExplodeSplines |
flag |
Explode splines to polylines |
DxfInHatchProcessing |
int |
Hatch mode — 0=ignore, 1=import on separate layer, 2=fill |
DxfInIgnoreText |
flag |
Ignore TEXT/MTEXT entities |
DxfInImportPoints |
flag |
Import POINT entities |
DxfInPointMode |
int |
Point display mode (PDMODE bit field: base 0=none, 1=dot, 2=cross, 3=x, 4=diamond; add 32 for circle, 64 for square) |
DxfInPointSize |
float |
Point size in drawing units (PDSIZE) |
DxfInReadPolyfaceMesh |
flag |
Read polyface mesh entities |
DxfInTextLineWidth |
float |
Text stroke width |
Export
| Key |
Type |
Description |
DxfOutScaling |
float |
Export scaling factor |
DxfOutUnitsUnit |
int |
Unit enum (see Units) |
DxfOutUnitsValue |
int |
Units scaling value |
DxfOutFormatVersion |
int |
DXF version — 0=DXF 12 Abaqus, 12=DXF 12, 14=DXF 14, 2000=DXF 2000 |
DxfOutBinary |
flag |
Write binary DXF format |
DxfOutEndcapType |
int |
Wire endcap style — 0=round, 1=flat, 2=square extended |
DxfOutExplodeArrays |
flag |
Explode array references |
DxfOutExplodeText |
flag |
Explode text to polylines |
DxfOutExportAsRegions |
flag |
Export polygons as REGION entities |
DxfOutFillPolygons |
flag |
Fill polygons with SOLID entities |
DxfOutFlatten |
flag |
Flatten hierarchy |
DxfOutHatchPolygons |
flag |
Hatch polygons |