How is this different from Forge / APS, or open-source DWG libraries?

Forge is powerful but heavyweight and viewer-oriented. Open-source libraries (LibreDWG, ezdxf) get you started but break on real-world drawings and don't ship a hosted, billable API. CADLens is a single REST endpoint with a stable schema, fair pricing per parse, and zero infra to maintain.

What exactly do I get back in the JSON?

File metadata (units, layers, drawing extent), a versioned vector array (polylines, arcs, circles, splines, text, hatches, inserts) with coordinates and per-entity layer/color/bbox, plus a signed URL to a rendered PNG preview. Schema is versioned (currently 2024-01) and we never make breaking changes within a version.

Both. POST /v1/parse returns a job ID immediately. Poll GET /v1/jobs/{id} or register a webhook URL on the request. For files under ~2 MB you can pass wait=true to block on the response.

Do you store my CAD files?

Originals are stored encrypted, accessible only via signed URLs, and deleted after 7 days by default (configurable down to 1 hour on Builder+). You can issue a delete via the API or dashboard at any time.

Failed jobs — am I billed?

No. System-side failures (parser crash, timeout, infra error) are never billed. User-caused errors that we detect early (invalid file, unsupported version, oversized) also don't bill. Only successful parse jobs count against your plan.

Enterprise plans include a private VPC deployment with the same API surface. Talk to us about volume, SLA and data residency.

Overview · What is CADLens?

CADLens turns CAD drawings into structured vector JSON.

CADLens is a hosted REST API. You upload a CAD file — DWG, DXF, or DWF — and get back a clean, machine-readable description of the drawing: every entity with its coordinates and layer, the layer list, drawing metadata, and a rendered PNG preview. No CAD software to install, no conversion infrastructure to run.

Join the beta · Free 50/mo →Read the docs

01 — WHAT IT DOES

Not just a picture — usable data.

Most tools that touch CAD files stop at rendering an image. CADLens goes further: it extracts the underlying vector geometry as JSON so your code can read, measure, and transform the drawing.

For every parsed file you receive:

Vector JSON — polylines, arcs, circles, splines, text, hatches, and block inserts, each with coordinates, layer, color, and bounding box.
Layer metadata — layer names, colors, and per-layer entity counts.
Drawing metadata — units and drawing extents (bounding box).
PNG preview — a rendered image of the drawing via a signed URL.

02 — HOW IT WORKS

A simple async workflow.

The API is asynchronous by default, so large files never block your request:

POST /v1/parse with your file — you get a job_id back immediately.
Poll GET /v1/jobs/{job_id} or register a webhook URL to be notified on completion.
Fetch the result JSON from /v1/jobs/{job_id}/result and the preview from /v1/jobs/{job_id}/image.

Files under ~2 MB can pass wait=true for a synchronous response. Authentication is an API key in the Authorization: Bearer header.

03 — WHAT IT IS NOT

Clear about scope.

CADLens is intentionally focused. It is not a CAD editor, not a design-collaboration platform, and not a general file converter with a UI. It is a programmatic API that software calls to get CAD data — reliably, at scale, behind a stable versioned schema.

04 — FAQ

Common questions.

CADLens is a hosted REST API that converts CAD drawings (DWG, DXF, DWF) into structured vector JSON, layer metadata, and a PNG preview image.

Software teams that need CAD data inside their own product — manufacturing quotation tools, laser/CNC cutting software, construction-tech and floor-plan apps, and document automation pipelines — without building and maintaining CAD parsing infrastructure.

No. A viewer renders a drawing for a person to look at. CADLens returns machine-readable vector data (entities, coordinates, layers) your software can process, and optionally a preview image.

DWG, DXF, and DWF are stable and production-ready. PDF (vector), DWFx, and DGN V7 are available in beta.

There is a free tier with 50 parses per month. Paid plans start at $19/month (Starter, 1,000 parses) and scale up to Scale ($249/month, 100,000 parses), with custom Enterprise pricing.

JOIN THE BETA

Get an API key. Parse your first drawing today.

Free tier includes 50 parse requests per month. No credit card required.

Join the beta · Free 50/mo Read the docs

— RELATED

Keep reading.

DWG to JSON API

Parse AutoCAD DWG drawings into vector JSON.

DXF to JSON API

Convert DXF files into structured entities.

DWF to JSON API

First-class DWF parsing.

CAD viewer vs CAD parser

When you need data, not just a render.

API documentation

Endpoints, schema, and examples.