DWG to DXF API
Convert AutoCAD DWG drawings to DXF with one HTTP request.
DWG is Autodesk's proprietary drawing format. Almost every CAD program can read it, but almost none can read it reliably without an Autodesk licence — which is why so many tools ask you to open AutoCAD and "Save As" by hand. DXF is the open, documented interchange format that solves this, and this endpoint does the conversion server-side so your software never touches a desktop CAD install.
Example
curl -X POST "https://apimycad.com/v1/dwg-to-dxf" \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
-F "file=@drawing.dwg" \
-o drawing.dxf
The response body is the DXF file — no JSON envelope, no polling, no
job queue to check. Upload as multipart/form-data in a field named
file. Maximum upload size is 25 MB.
What you get back
A complete ASCII DXF containing the drawing's entities: lines, polylines, arcs, circles, splines, text, dimensions, blocks and layer structure. Because DXF is a text format, it is straightforward to parse further with libraries like ezdxf or netDxf if you need the geometry rather than the file.
DWG version support — read this first
DWG is proprietary and changes between AutoCAD releases, so conversion quality depends on which version the file was saved in. We would rather tell you up front than let you find out on your own drawings:
| Saved as | Result |
|---|---|
| Up to ~AutoCAD 2013 | Very reliable — geometry converts cleanly |
| AutoCAD 2018 | Mixed; 3D solids and complex objects can fail |
| Newer than 2018 | Not recommended — re-save to an older version first |
Large or complex drawings can take a minute or more. Always check converted output before using it in production.
Common uses
- Accepting customer DWG uploads in a quoting or ordering portal, then working in DXF
- Feeding drawings into CAM, nesting or laser/waterjet software that only reads DXF
- Archiving drawings in an open format that will still be readable in twenty years
- Batch-converting a drawing library without opening each file by hand