Convert DXF drawings into structured vector JSON natively.

DXF (Drawing eXchange Format) is publicly documented by Autodesk, which makes it far more approachable than DWG. But reading raw DXF still means parsing a multi-section ASCII or binary file, resolving block inserts, following entity references across sections, handling version differences from R12 to the latest release, and mapping AutoCAD color indices to hex values.

CADLens handles all of that. You upload a DXF file; you get back clean, versioned JSON with no parser code on your side.

DXF is the preferred input format when you control the upstream toolchain and can export from CAD software in a choice of formats. Common scenarios:

• Fabrication software — accept DXF uploads from customers using any CAD tool (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, FreeCAD, LibreCAD), parse geometry for nesting or quoting without format negotiation.
• GIS and mapping tools — ingest DXF exports from surveying software and convert vector geometry to GeoJSON or other spatial formats.
• PCB and enclosure design — extract board outlines, cutouts, and mounting holes from DXF files exported by KiCad or Eagle.
• Content management pipelines — index layer names, entity counts, and drawing extents for a library of DXF assets without opening a CAD viewer.

Authentication is an API key in the Authorization: Bearer header. The base URL is https://api.cadlens.co/v1.

Step 1 — Upload the DXF file:

POST /v1/parse
Content-Type: multipart/form-data
Authorization: Bearer <api_key>

file=<your-drawing.dxf>

// Response
{ "jobId": "job_02jk..." }

For files under roughly 2 MB, append ?wait=true to receive the complete result synchronously. For larger files the job is queued; add a webhook_url field to be notified on completion without polling.

Step 2 — Check status:

GET /v1/jobs/job_02jk...
Authorization: Bearer <api_key>

// Response
{
  "jobId": "job_02jk...",
  "status": "COMPLETED",   // PENDING | PROCESSING | COMPLETED | FAILED
  "fileName": "bracket.dxf",
  "fileSize": 48200,
  "createdAt": "2024-10-14T11:00:00Z",
  "completedAt": "2024-10-14T11:00:03Z"
}

Step 3 — Retrieve vector data and image:

GET /v1/jobs/job_02jk.../result   // vector JSON
GET /v1/jobs/job_02jk.../image    // signed PNG URL

The result schema is versioned at 2024-01. A typical DXF result for a mechanical part:

{
  "jobId": "job_02jk...",
  "status": "COMPLETED",
  "metadata": {
    "units": "mm",
    "boundingBox": { "width": 250, "height": 180 }
  },
  "layersJson": [
    { "name": "OUTLINE",  "colorHex": "#ffffff", "entityCount": 6  },
    { "name": "HOLES",    "colorHex": "#00bfff", "entityCount": 8  },
    { "name": "DIMS",     "colorHex": "#ffff00", "entityCount": 14 }
  ],
  "vectorJson": [
    {
      "type": "POLYLINE",
      "layer": "OUTLINE",
      "closed": true,
      "vertices": [
        { "x": 0,   "y": 0   },
        { "x": 250, "y": 0   },
        { "x": 250, "y": 180 },
        { "x": 0,   "y": 180 }
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "CIRCLE",
      "layer": "HOLES",
      "center": { "x": 20, "y": 20 },
      "radius": 5
    }
  ],
  "imageUrl": "https://cdn.cadlens.co/results/job_02jk.../preview.png?..."
}

• File size: approximately 10 MB per file on standard plans.
• Entity count: up to approximately 50,000 entities per drawing.
• Processing time: up to 30 seconds on standard plans; DXF files are typically the fastest to process.
• Model space only: paper space (layout) entities are not currently extracted.
• External references (Xrefs): referenced files are not resolved; only geometry in the submitted file is parsed.
• Raster images embedded in DXF: the image entity location is returned but the raster data is not extracted.