View DXF Online — No AutoCAD Required
Upload a DXF file and Maparz renders the geometry on an interactive map. DXF is AutoCAD's open exchange format for engineering and architectural drawings. Preview your CAD geometry in a geographic context without AutoCAD, QGIS, or any desktop software.
DXF viewer & converter
About the DXF format
Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) is the open interoperability format developed by Autodesk for AutoCAD. It is widely used in civil engineering, architecture, and urban planning workflows. DXF files contain geometric primitives like lines, arcs, polylines, and text. When converting DXF files to GIS formats like Shapefile or GeoJSON, the geometry is preserved but attribute data may be minimal since DXF layers are mapped to feature properties. Conversely, GIS data exported to DXF can be brought into CAD workflows for drafting.
Strengths
- +Universal in CAD workflows
- +Supported by AutoCAD, Revit, FreeCAD, LibreCAD
- +Good for precise engineering geometry
Limitations
- −No native CRS metadata
- −Limited attribute support
- −Not optimised for spatial analysis
Frequently asked questions
Q.What DXF geometry types are supported?
Lines, polylines, arcs, and polygons are supported. Text entities are not rendered on the map preview but may be included as properties during conversion.
Q.Why does my DXF not appear in the right location on the map?
DXF files often lack a coordinate reference system. If your file uses local or project coordinates rather than geographic coordinates (WGS 84), the preview may not align correctly. Use QGIS to set the CRS before uploading.
Q.Can I convert DXF to GeoJSON or Shapefile?
Yes. After the preview loads, select GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML, or another format and click Convert. This is one of the most popular ways to bring CAD data into GIS workflows.
Q.Is there a file size limit?
Up to 50 MB. Most DXF files for civil engineering or architecture are well within this limit.