Draft DXF
Description
Draft DXF is a software module used by the Std Open, Std Import and Std Export commands to handle the DXF file format.
Qcad drawing exported to DXF, which is subsequently opened in FreeCAD
Importing
Two importers are available, which one is used can be specified under Edit → Preferences... → Import-Export → DXF. One is built-in, C++-based and fast, the other is legacy, coded in Python, slower, and requires the installation of an add-on, but can handle some entities better and can create more refined FreeCAD objects. Both support all DXF versions starting from R12.
3D objects inside a DXF file are stored under a binary ACIS/SAT blob, which at the moment cannot be read by FreeCAD. Simpler entities like 3DFACEs are supported though.
C++ importer
This importer can import the following DXF objects:
- lines
- polylines (and lwpolylines)
- arcs
- circles
- ellipses
- splines
- points
- texts and mtexts
- dimensions
- leaders
- blocks (only geometry, texts, dimensions and attributes inside blocks are skipped)
- layers
- paper space objects
Legacy importer
This importer can import the following DXF objects:
- lines
- polylines (and lwpolylines)
- arcs
- circles
- ellipses
- splines
- texts and mtexts
- leaders
- layers
Exporting
There are also two exporters. The legacy exporter exports to the R12 DXF format, the C++ exporter to the R14 DXF format. Both formats can be handled by many applications.
C++ exporter
Some of the features and limitations of this exporter are:
- All FreeCAD 2D geometry is exported, except Draft CubicBezCurves, Draft BezCurves and Draft Points.
- Straight edges from faces of 3D objects are exported, but curved edges only if they are on a plane parallel to the XY plane of the global coordinate system. Note that a DXF created from 3D objects will contain duplicate lines.
- Texts and dimensions are not exported.
- Colors are ignored.
- Layers are mapped from object names.
Legacy exporter
Some of the features and limitations of this exporter are:
- All FreeCAD 2D geometry is exported, except Draft Points. But ellipses, BSplines and Bézier curves are not exported properly.
- 3D objects are exported as flattened 2D views.
- Compound objects are exported as blocks.
- Texts and dimensions are exported.
- The colors in the DXF are based on the line color of objects. Black is mapped to "ByBlock", other colors are mapped using AutoCAD Color Index (ACI) colors.
- Layers are mapped from layer and group names. When groups are nested, the deepest group gives the layer name.
Installing
For licensing reasons, the required DXF import/export libraries needed by the legacy version of the importer are not part of the FreeCAD source code. For more information see: FreeCAD and DXF Import.
Preferences
See Import Export Preferences.
Scripting
See also: Autogenerated API documentation 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")
- Drafting: Line, Polyline, Fillet, Arc, Arc by 3 points, Circle, Ellipse, Rectangle, Polygon, B-spline, Cubic Bézier curve, Bézier curve, Point, Facebinder, ShapeString, Hatch
- Annotation: Text, Dimension, Label, Annotation styles, Annotation scale
- Modification: Move, Rotate, Scale, Mirror, Offset, Trimex, Stretch, Clone, Array, Polar array, Circular array, Path array, Path link array, Point array, Point link array, Edit, Subelement highlight, Join, Split, Upgrade, Downgrade, Wire to B-spline, Draft to sketch, Set slope, Flip dimension, Shape 2D view
- Draft Tray: Select plane, Set style, Toggle construction mode, AutoGroup
- Snapping: Snap lock, Snap endpoint, Snap midpoint, Snap center, Snap angle, Snap intersection, Snap perpendicular, Snap extension, Snap parallel, Snap special, Snap near, Snap ortho, Snap grid, Snap working plane, Snap dimensions, Toggle grid
- Miscellaneous: Apply current style, Layer, Manage layers, Add a new named group, Move to group, Select group, Add to construction group, Toggle normal/wireframe display, Create working plane proxy, Heal, Show snap toolbar
- Additional: Constraining, Pattern, Preferences, Import Export Preferences, DXF/DWG, SVG, OCA, DAT
- Context menu:
- Layer container: Merge layer duplicates, Add new layer
- Layer: Activate this layer, Select layer contents
- Text: Open hyperlinks
- Wire: Flatten
- Working plane proxy: Write camera position, Write objects state
- Getting started
- Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
- Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate
- Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
- Workbenches: Std Base, Arch, Assembly, CAM, Draft, FEM, Inspection, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Points, Reverse Engineering, Robot, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework
- Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub