# CADLens

> CAD file parsing API — upload DWG, DXF, or DWF files and get structured vector JSON, layer metadata, and PNG previews.

## Overview

CADLens is a hosted REST API for parsing CAD files. Developers send a CAD file and receive machine-readable output without installing any CAD software or managing conversion infrastructure.

Supported input formats: DWG, DXF, DWF (stable). PDF (vector), DWFx, and DGN V7 are in beta.

## API Endpoints

Base URL: `https://api.cadlens.co/v1`

Authentication: API key via `Authorization: Bearer <api_key>` header.

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| POST | /v1/parse | Upload a CAD file and create a parse job |
| GET | /v1/jobs/:job_id | Get job status (PENDING, PROCESSING, COMPLETED, FAILED) |
| GET | /v1/jobs/:job_id/result | Get structured vector JSON result |
| GET | /v1/jobs/:job_id/image | Get signed URL for PNG preview |
| DELETE | /v1/jobs/:job_id | Delete job and associated artifacts |

## Workflow

1. POST a CAD file to `/v1/parse` — returns a `job_id`
2. Poll `GET /v1/jobs/{job_id}` or register a webhook URL to be notified on completion
3. Retrieve results: vector JSON from `/v1/jobs/{job_id}/result`, PNG preview from `/v1/jobs/{job_id}/image`

For files under ~2 MB, pass `wait=true` on the parse request to get a synchronous response.

## Response Schema

The vector JSON result (schema version `2024-01`) includes:

- **File metadata**: units, layers list, drawing extents (bounding box), creation date
- **Entities array**: polylines, arcs, circles, splines, text, hatches, block inserts — each with coordinates, layer name, color, and bounding box
- **Layer metadata**: layer names, colors, line types, visibility flags
- **PNG preview**: rendered image of the drawing accessible via signed URL

## Pricing

| Plan | Parses/month | Price |
|------|-------------|-------|
| Free | 50 | $0/mo |
| Starter | 1,000 | $19/mo |
| Builder | 5,000 | $49/mo |
| Growth | 25,000 | $99/mo |
| Scale | 100,000 | $249/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |

Failed jobs (parser errors, timeouts, invalid files) are never billed. Only successful parses count against plan limits.

## Key Pages

- What is CADLens? — https://cadlens.co/ai-overview
- DWG to JSON API — https://cadlens.co/dwg-to-json-api
- DXF to JSON API — https://cadlens.co/dxf-to-json-api
- DWF to JSON API — https://cadlens.co/dwf-to-json-api
- CAD file preview API — https://cadlens.co/cad-file-preview-api
- CAD viewer vs CAD parser — https://cadlens.co/cad-viewer-vs-cad-parser
- DWG to image vs DWG to JSON — https://cadlens.co/dwg-to-image-vs-dwg-to-json

## Links

- Website: https://cadlens.co
- API Documentation: https://cadlens.co/docs
- Pricing: https://cadlens.co/#pricing
- Full LLM context: https://cadlens.co/llms-full.txt