AutoCAD Drawing Database (DWG) and AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format (DXF)
AutoCAD Drawing Database (DWG) files are vector files used as a native format for AutoCAD drawings.
The Drawing Interchange Format (DXF) is a tagged data representation of the information contained in an AutoCAD drawing file. The Drawing Interchange format is a native file format of AutoCAD. It has become a standard for exchanging CAD drawings and is supported by many CAD applications. The Drawing Interchange format is vector-based and supports up to 256 colors.
To import an AutoCAD Drawing Database file (DWG) or AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format (DXF)
1
Click
File
Import.
2
Locate the folder in which the file is stored.
3
Choose
DWG - AutoCAD (*.dwg) or
DXF - AutoCAD (*.dxf) from the list box next to the
File name box.
6
From the
3D projection list box in the
Import AutoCAD file dialog box, choose a plane projection of a three-dimensional object as seen from a given focal point.
If you want to reduce the number of nodes on the imported object, enable the
Auto-reduce nodes check box.
7
In the
Scaling area, enable one of the following options:
•
Automatic — scales the drawing using the scale of the AutoCAD source file
•
English (1 unit = 1 inch) — lets you scale the drawing in inches
•
Metric (1 unit = 1 mm) — lets you scale the drawing in millimeters
If the file is password protected, type the password in the
Password box.
![*](images/note.svg)
If views are specified in your file, they appear automatically in the 3D projection list box.
If your computer is missing a font that is included in a file you are importing, a PANOSE font matching dialog box appears and lets you substitute the font with a similar font.
To export an AutoCAD Drawing Database file (DWG) or an AutoCAD Drawing Interchange file (DXF)
1
Click
File
Export.
2
Locate the folder in which you want to save the file.
3
From the
Save as type list box, choose one of the following options:
4
Type a filename in the
File name list box.
6
In the
Export to AutoCAD dialog box, choose an AutoCAD version from the
Export version list box.
7
Choose a unit of measure from the
Export units list box.
8
In the
Export text as area, enable one of the following options:
•
Curves — lets you export text as curves
•
Text — lets you export text as editable characters
9
In the
Export bitmap as area, enable one of the options to export the bitmaps in a drawing to a supported bitmap format.
10
In the
Fill unmapped fills area, enable one of the following options:
•
Color — fills all unmapped fills with color. To change the color, click the
Color picker and choose a color on the
palette.
•
Unfilled — leaves unmapped fills unfilled
AutoCAD Data Interchange Format (DXF) technical notes
•
The program supports AutoCAD files from version R2.5 to 2018.
•
Layers are retained on import and export.
Importing an AutoCAD DXF file
•
If a DXF file is too complex to import into CorelDRAW, you can configure your AutoCAD output device as an HP7475 plotter and perform a plot-to-file of the drawing. Then you can try importing this plot file with the HPGL import filter. Newer versions of AutoCAD allow you to create EPS files.
•
Corel graphics programs try to center the imported image. The image is scaled down if the coordinates are larger than the maximum page size available in CorelDRAW — 150 × 150 feet.
•
Solid and trace entities are filled.
•
Dimension lines are imported as dimension objects.
•
A point is imported as an ellipse of minimum size.
•
Files exported as "Entities only" may not appear as expected in the Corel program because of a lack of header information.
•
Imported AutoCAD files that contain formatted paragraph text preserve text formatting such as spacing, alignment, and indents.
•
Justification of text entries may not be preserved, especially if fonts are replaced in the imported files. For best results, avoid justification of text.
•
If the DXF file contains a font that is not on the user’s computer, the
PANOSE font matching dialog box lets the user replace the font with an available one.
•
3D objects are not supported.
Exporting an AutoCAD DXF file
•
CorelDRAW saves drawings in a vector format accepted by computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) programs and devices, such as AutoCAD and certain computer-driven sign and glass cutters.
•
Files exported to AutoCAD version 2007 may not display correctly in AutoCAD 2007.
•
Password protection is not available in the exported files.
•
Only the outlines of objects are exported.
•
Filled objects with no outlines have an outline appended to them on export.
•
All text is exported by using a generic font. Text formatting is not preserved.
AutoCAD Drawing Database (DWG) technical notes
•
CorelDRAW can import AutoCAD and export files from version R2.5 to 2018.
•
Password protection is not available in the exported files.
•
If the DWG file contains a font that is not on your computer, the
PANOSE font matching dialog box lets you replace the font with an available one.