twineconvert

free · in-browser · no upload

DXF to JSON
Converter

Drop your DXF file. We'll convert it to JSON right here in your browser, your file never leaves your device.

or drop your file

Select your file here to get started

or drop your file here.

Accepts .dxf

nothing uploaded no file size cap no signup

How it works

Three steps. No upload, no signup.

  1. 1

    Drop your file

    Click the dropzone above or drag a DXF from your desktop. Files of any size, there's no upload, so there's no upload limit.

  2. 2

    Convert in your browser

    The conversion runs entirely in this tab using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Your file never touches our servers, we don't have any.

  3. 3

    Download

    Get your JSON the moment the conversion finishes. Convert another, or close the tab.

Files stay on your device

Your file is never uploaded. The entire conversion runs in your browser using WebAssembly. We can't see what you convert because we have no server to see it.

No file size limit

Server converters cap free users at 1-2 GB and gate larger files behind a paid plan. Since nothing uploads, our limit is whatever your browser can handle.

Free, no signup, no ads on conversions

No account required. No watermark on the output. No queue. Drop a file, get a converted file.

Why convert DXF → JSON

What this conversion is actually for

Working programmatically with CAD geometry is brutal in DXF's pair-based ASCII wire format (group code on one line, value on the next, repeated for every property of every entity). Converting to JSON gives you a clean structured entity array your code can map, filter, transform, and serialize. Useful when building CAD pipelines, generating reports from drawings, or feeding geometry into a custom renderer.

A real example

You're scripting a quantity takeoff from a set of `*.dxf` site plans. Each entity has a layer name encoding its category (Walls, Doors, Windows). Convert each DXF to JSON, filter `entities` by `layer`, sum LINE lengths or count CIRCLE entities by layer — far easier than parsing the raw DXF in your language of choice.

Troubleshooting

I want geometry from a BLOCK (a reusable component referenced by INSERT).

INSERT entities are currently dropped on output. To get the geometry, EXPLODE the INSERT in your CAD tool first (AutoCAD: EXPLODE; LibreCAD: Modify → Explode), then re-export the DXF. The exploded entities will appear as LINE/CIRCLE/ARC/etc. in the resulting JSON.

Polyline vertices look out of order.

DXF LWPOLYLINE stores vertices as repeated (10, 20) group code pairs in the original drawing order. We preserve that order verbatim. If they look wrong, it's the CAD export — open the DXF in a text editor and confirm the 10/20 pairs appear in the same order you expect.

Formats involved

About DXF and JSON

DXF, AutoCAD Drawing Exchange Format

DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) is AutoCAD's interchange format and the closest thing 2D CAD has to a universal lingua franca. Every meaningful CAD tool reads it: AutoCAD, LibreCAD, QCAD, BricsCAD, FreeCAD, OnShape (export), Fusion 360 (export), TinkerCAD, KiCad, EAGLE, plus laser-cutter and CNC-control software. Wire format is pair-based ASCII (a group code followed by a value, one per line), organized into sections — HEADER, TABLES, BLOCKS, and the ENTITIES section that carries the actual geometry: LINE, CIRCLE, ARC, POLYLINE, LWPOLYLINE, POINT, TEXT, INSERT, HATCH, DIMENSION, and several dozen others. Spec dates to AutoCAD 1.0 (1982) and is still emitted by current AutoCAD 2025; binary DXF exists but is rare. We render the ENTITIES section's drawable entities (LINE, CIRCLE, ARC, polylines, points, text) to SVG or structured JSON.

How to open

AutoCAD opens DXF natively. LibreCAD and QCAD are free desktop alternatives (Linux/macOS/Windows). FreeCAD imports DXF via its Draft module. ShareCAD.org views them in-browser. Any text editor opens ASCII DXF as plain text (the format is human-readable, group code then value pairs).

Full DXF format guide →
JSON, JavaScript Object Notation

JSON is a lightweight text format for structured data, nested objects, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans. It's the lingua franca of web APIs, configuration files, and data interchange between programs. Human-readable when formatted, machine-parseable in every programming language, and roughly half the size of equivalent XML.

How to open

Any text editor reads JSON. Browsers display .json files in a formatted tree view. VS Code and similar editors highlight syntax.

Full JSON format guide →

Related tools

Convert other files to JSON

Convert your DXF to other formats

FAQ

Common questions

Is this DXF → JSON converter really free?

Yes. No signup, no watermark, no daily file count limit. Every conversion runs in your browser, your file never touches our servers because there are no servers.

Where does my file go when I convert it?

Nowhere. The conversion runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Your file is never uploaded to our servers. We don't have any servers handling files, there's nothing for us to log, store, or accidentally leak.

What's the maximum file size?

Whatever your browser can hold in memory. Practically, this means a few hundred MB on most computers, significantly larger than the 1-2 GB caps that server-upload converters charge for. Very large files (multi-GB) may require closing other browser tabs first.

Why convert DXF to JSON?

2D CAD interchange — sharing drawings between AutoCAD and other CAD/CAM tools, importing into laser-cutter and CNC software, embedding into web pages as SVG. API responses, configuration files, structured data interchange. The most common reason to convert is compatibility, JSON works in places where DXF doesn't, or vice versa.

How do I open a DXF file in the first place?

AutoCAD opens DXF natively. LibreCAD and QCAD are free desktop alternatives (Linux/macOS/Windows). FreeCAD imports DXF via its Draft module. ShareCAD.org views them in-browser. Any text editor opens ASCII DXF as plain text (the format is human-readable, group code then value pairs).

Does this work offline?

Once the page is loaded, the conversion itself runs entirely offline. The first time you use a tool, your browser downloads the conversion library (a one-time cache). If you reload while offline, the page won't load, but you can install the site as a Progressive Web App for full offline use.

Can I convert multiple files at once?

Single file at a time for now. Batch conversion is on the roadmap, for now, drop one file, download the result, then convert the next.