Sooner or later an architect, structural engineer, or CAD technician will ask for your plan as a DXF rather than a PDF. A PDF is a picture; a DXF is editable geometry they can drop straight into AutoCAD, BricsCAD, or a free viewer and keep working on. This guide explains what a DXF is, when to send one, and how to export a clean CAD file from a floor plan you scanned or drew on your iPhone.
What a DXF is - and when to send one
DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) is the universal interchange format for 2D CAD. Unlike a PDF or an image, a DXF stores the actual lines and polylines that make up your plan, so the person on the other end can snap to them, measure them, and trace over them. Send a DXF when your plan is going to a professional who works in CAD: an architect drawing up an extension, an engineer marking structural changes, or a draughtsperson producing tender drawings. For a client, a council officer, or a tradesperson on site, a PDF is usually the better call.
Export a DXF from RoomPlot
Open the plan you want to share, then choose Export and the More submenu, where you'll find DXF alongside the 3D scan option. Before it writes the file you can set a few things that matter to the receiving CAD seat:
- Mode. Clean CAD gives bare walls and openings; Detailed Plan adds notes and zone polygons for a richer drawing.
- Units. Export in the project's units, or force Metres, Millimetres, or Feet so the drawing opens at the right scale (the file sets its own unit flag).
- Appearance. Black and white for a classic CAD look, or colour.
- Furniture. Include objects and symbols, or keep it to the shell.
- Source. Your live edited plan, or the original LiDAR scan if the floor was scanned.
Tip. If the recipient only needs the building outline to start their own drawing, send a Clean CAD export with furniture switched off. It opens faster, traces cleaner, and there's nothing to delete before they begin.
What lands in the file
RoomPlot writes the walls (split neatly around every door and window, with exterior and interior walls classified automatically), the door swing arcs, window mullions, and furniture or symbol paths. The geometry is written as LINE and POLYLINE entities so it opens reliably in any CAD package or free viewer - think of it as "opens anywhere" rather than a heavily layered native AutoCAD file. Text labels and solid fills aren't part of the DXF, so if your recipient needs room names spelled out, send a PDF alongside it.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sending a DXF to a non-CAD user. A client can't open it. Match the format to the desk.
- Wrong units. If the drawing opens a thousand times too big or too small, re-export and set the unit explicitly to Millimetres or Metres.
- Expecting fonts and fills. A DXF carries geometry, not typography. Pair it with a PDF when labels matter.
Frequently asked questions
Will my DXF open in AutoCAD?
Yes. It's written as standard LINE and POLYLINE geometry that opens in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, LibreCAD, and the common free DXF viewers.
Can I export a DXF without a LiDAR scan?
Yes. A hand-drawn plan exports to DXF exactly like a scanned one - the export works from your live edited geometry either way.
Do room labels come through?
Not in the DXF itself - it carries geometry for maximum compatibility. Send a PDF alongside it when the recipient needs the names and areas written out.
Need the same plan in other formats too? Browse more floor-plan guides, or export a DXF from your next survey in a couple of taps.
