Opening DXF and DWG files

i3d writes drawings as DXF, an open format that CAD programs read. DWG is a closed format: i3d cannot read or write it directly.

Opening our DXF files

Every DXF from i3d opens in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, LibreCAD and DraftSight. Lengths are in millimetres. Each kind of line sits on its own layer, so you can hide dimensions or turn off hidden lines.

You have a DWG file

i3d does not read DWG. Convert the file to DXF first with the free ODA File Converter, then upload the DXF.

Converting with ODA File Converter

  1. Open ODA File Converter and choose the folder that holds your DWG files as the input folder.
  2. Choose an output folder.
  3. Set the output version to a recent ASCII DXF (for example 2018) and the output type to DXF. Binary DXF is not supported.
  4. Click Start. The converted files appear in the output folder.
  5. Upload the new DXF file in i3d.

If i3d says it received a DWG, the file was not converted: the file still starts with a DWG header.