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GuideIntermediate13 min

Export DXF for 3D CAD coordination

Choose a receiving-software profile, DXF release, encoding, mesh/entity policy, layers, units and origin for reliable 3D coordination exchange.

Applies to
Current Prism release · Navisworks Manage 2025–2027
Availability
Pro and higher
For
CAD and BIM coordination teams
Last reviewed

DXF scope and limitations

Receiving-software profiles

Profile table
ProfileResolved baseline
AutoCAD 2018–2026R2018 ASCII MESH, blocks, adaptive color and explicit edges; default.
BricsCAD V26R2018 ASCII MESH, blocks, adaptive color and explicit edges.
DraftSight 2025R2018 ASCII polyface mesh, blocks, adaptive color and explicit edges.
Rhino 8R2018 ASCII polyface mesh, blocks, source true color and viewer-style edges.
SOLIDWORKS 3DR2013 ASCII polyface mesh, blocks, adaptive color and explicit edges.
Maximum compatibilityR2010 ASCII polyface mesh, blocks, adaptive color and explicit edges.
CustomYour selected release, encoding, entity, structure, color and edge controls.

Configure compatibility and structure

  • ASCII has the widest interchange compatibility; Binary reduces size and parse time when the receiver supports the Autodesk binary representation.
  • MESH uses modern subdivision-level-zero mesh records. Polyface uses classic POLYLINE/VERTEX/SEQEND records for older consumers.
  • Blocks + INSERT preserves reusable geometry and structure; direct entities are simpler but can expand repeated content.
  • Choose automatic/source layers or a controlled mapping, and include explicit mesh edges when the receiver's visual style would otherwise hide faces.
  • Set source or explicit units and choose Federation center for stable local coordinates unless preserved world placement is required.
  • Identity/property data is bounded and optional; it is not a full IFC property model.

Verify in the CAD receiver

  1. Open the profile output

    Use the exact receiving application/version rather than only a generic DXF viewer.

  2. Check visibility

    Inspect shaded and wireframe/edge views, adaptive black/white color and transparency limitations.

  3. Check scale and location

    Measure a known dimension and compare origin/alignment with a reference.

  4. Check structure and layers

    Confirm block selection, source separation and layer naming support the downstream task.

  5. Check identity companions

    Verify required XDATA or JSON/CSV joins and keep companions with the DXF.

Related guidance

Choose an export format and compatible settingsCompare Prism output formats, plan availability, packaging, coordinate conventions and the most important interoperability limits.Choose exactly what Prism exportsUse whole-model, selection, saved/search-set, visibility, source-model and section controls without losing required context.Validate an export and read the reportsConfigure Prism checks, IDS validation, halt-on-blocking policy, HTML/JSON/CSV reports and BCF issue output, then decide whether a result is deliverable.