Import DXF/DWG Objects

Import custom CAD objects from DXF or DWG files to place on your floor plans. Create reusable furniture, equipment, and symbol libraries.

Overview

The import wizard allows you to bring AutoCAD drawings (DXF and DWG formats) into the Drawing Measure tool as placeable objects. Common uses include:

• Conference tables and furniture layouts
• Custom equipment rack elevations
• Architectural symbols and fixtures
• Manufacturer-provided CAD blocks

Starting the Import

1. Click Custom in the ribbon's OBJECTS group (requires calibration first)
2. Select Import DXF/DWG... from the dropdown
3. The 4-step import wizard opens

Step 1: Upload File

Select a DXF or DWG file to import:

• DXF — AutoCAD 2000–2018 format
• DWG — AutoCAD native format (converted automatically)
• Maximum file size: 10 MB

Step 2: Select Layers

Choose which CAD layers to include in your object:

• Each layer shows its color and entity count
• Toggle individual layers on/off to customize the import
• Use Select All / Deselect All for bulk selection
• Preview updates in real-time as you toggle layers

Preview Tools

Use the preview toolbar to inspect and crop your DXF before importing:

• Zoom Rect - Click and drag a rectangle to zoom into a specific area. Double-click to reset zoom
• Crop - Draw a rectangle to manually crop the DXF to a specific region
• Select - Draw a rectangle to highlight elements, then use Crop to Selection for pixel-perfect cropping based on actual geometry bounds
• Pan & Scroll - Drag to pan, scroll wheel to zoom

Zoom rect, crop, and select modes are mutually exclusive — selecting one deactivates the others.

Select Tool (Recommended for Multi-View Sheets)

The Select tool makes it easy to isolate individual views from a multi-view DXF sheet:

1. Click Select in the Configure Views panel
2. Draw a rough rectangle around the view you want — selected elements highlight in cyan
3. Review the element count to verify the right elements are captured
4. Click Crop to Selection — the crop snaps to the exact geometry bounds of the selected elements
5. Click Clear to start over if needed

This is more accurate than manual cropping because it calculates the tight bounding box from the actual element geometry, regardless of how precisely you drew the selection rectangle.

Multi-View Support

Create multiple views from a single DXF file (e.g., floor plan + elevation):

1. Use Select or Crop to isolate the region you want
2. Select the View Type (Floor Plan, Elevation, or Sectional)
3. Click Add This View
4. Repeat to add additional views from the same file

Each configured view will be saved as a separate placeable object. Crop preserves your current zoom and pan position.

Step 3: Set Scale & Units

Configure how the DXF dimensions translate to real-world measurements:

Source Units:

• Select the units your DXF file was drawn in
• Options: Inches, Feet, Millimeters, Centimeters, Meters
• The system may detect units automatically from the file

Additional Scale Factor:

• Apply extra scaling if needed (default: 1.0)
• Useful if the CAD file was drawn at a non-standard scale

Line Color Override:

• Optionally override all line colors
• Useful for PDF export on white paper (e.g., set to black)
• Leave empty to preserve original CAD colors

The Result Dimensions preview shows the final size in inches and feet.

Step 4: Name & Save

Finalize your custom object:

• Object Name - Required. Appears in the Custom dropdown menu
• Description - Optional notes about the object
• Category - Organize objects (Custom, Furniture, Equipment, etc.)

Click Save to complete the import. The object immediately appears in your Custom dropdown.

Placing Imported Objects

1. Click Custom in the ribbon's OBJECTS group
2. Select your imported object from the dropdown
3. Click on the floor plan to place it
4. Objects can be moved, rotated, and duplicated like built-in objects

Custom DXF objects are visible in both the floor plan and electrical views, so they remain on the drawing when you switch views.

Managing Imported Objects

Access the management panel from Custom → Manage Objects...:

• View all imported objects with their categories
• See object dimensions and view types
• Delete objects you no longer need
• Import new objects directly from the management panel