How to convert DWG to DXF (and why you'd want to)

DXF is the documented cousin of DWG: once a drawing is DXF, open-source tools, browsers and non-Autodesk software can read it — including the converters on this site.

Why there is no uploader on this page

DWG is a closed format that no browser can read, so an in-page converter would have to send your file to a server. The procedure below does the job properly in the application that owns the format — and where a browser-side route exists, it is linked underneath.

Converting DWG to DXF, step by step

1In AutoCAD: File → Save As → choose AutoCAD DXF (*.dxf) and pick the oldest version your recipient can open (R12 is the most compatible, ASCII the most readable).
2No AutoCAD? Install the free DWG TrueView and use DWG Convert, or open the file in LibreCAD, BricsCAD Shape or ODA File Converter and export DXF.
3For a folder of drawings, ODA File Converter (free) batch-converts a whole directory in one pass.
4Check the result: purge unused blocks (PURGE) and audit (AUDIT) before sending.

What to watch out for

R12 DXF drops newer entity types such as MLEADER and dynamic-block intelligence — geometry survives, parametrics do not.
DXF files are much larger than DWG; zip before emailing.
Binary DXF is smaller than ASCII but less widely readable.

DWG — AutoCAD Drawing

AutoCAD's native binary drawing format. Closed and version-specific, so it needs AutoCAD or a licensed library to read.

DXF — Drawing Exchange Format

Autodesk's documented text interchange format for 2D/3D CAD geometry — readable by every CAD package and, unlike DWG, by open-source tools.

Questions

Does converting to DXF lose anything?

The geometry, layers and text survive. Dynamic block behaviour, custom objects from verticals (Civil 3D corridors, MEP fittings) and proxy objects degrade to plain geometry or vanish.

Which DXF version should I choose?

Match the recipient. If unknown, R12 ASCII opens almost anywhere; 2013 DXF preserves more.

Can I convert without owning AutoCAD?

Yes — ODA File Converter and DWG TrueView are both free downloads and handle DWG to DXF batch conversion.