digitizemypatternFree online DXF viewer
Open a DXF file right here and see it fit to the screen. Measure between two points, print it at true size on Letter or A4 sheets, save it as SVG or PNG, and read the size, cut length and area of every piece in inches and millimetres. It opens DXF files, including AAMA/ASTM pattern files, and the ZIP our editor gives you.
Open a DXF file
Drop it here or pick it from your computer or phone. Text DXF up to 20 MB.
Your file is opened in this browser tab only: it is never uploaded, and no request carries its content.
Have the pattern on paper? Make a DXF from a photo
Lay the piece flat next to a sheet of Letter or A4 paper, take one photo from straight above and drop it here. The outline opens in our editor in about a minute, ready to download as DXF, PDF, PLT and SVG.
What the viewer shows
The drawing as the file stores it: lines, polylines, arcs, circles, ellipses, splines, points, text, hatches, dimensions and filled shapes, in the colours of the file, and every block placed in the drawing. Pattern files on the AAMA/ASTM convention keep each piece in its own block, so each one shows up in the list with its name and its size. In files without blocks, each closed outline counts as a piece.
Sizes come from the file's own units. Many DXF files do not state them, and then you choose inches or millimetres yourself. Check one size you know, such as a seam or a test square, before you trust the rest.
What is a DXF file
DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) is a drawing file made by AutoCAD that almost every CAD, laser cutter and pattern program can read and write. It stores lines, curves, text and layers, usually at true size. Sewing pattern software exports pieces as AAMA/ASTM DXF: one block per piece, with the cut line, notches and grain line on separate layers.
How to open a DXF file
Press "Open a DXF file" at the top of this page and pick the file, or drop it on the box. On a phone, find it in Files or Downloads. If the file came in a ZIP, you can open the ZIP as it is. Nothing is installed and the file stays on your device. To change the drawing you need a CAD program such as LibreCAD, which is free.
Questions about the viewer
Is my DXF file uploaded anywhere?+
No. The file is read by your browser, inside this tab. Nothing about it is sent to our server or anywhere else, and closing the tab forgets it.
Which DXF files does it open?+
Text (ASCII) DXF of any version, up to 20 MB, including AAMA/ASTM pattern files where each piece sits in its own block. It draws lines, polylines, arcs, circles, ellipses, splines, points, text and blocks. Binary DXF and DWG files are not read: save them as ASCII DXF first.
Why do the sizes look wrong?+
Usually because the file does not say which units it uses. Then the viewer shows a switch between inches and millimetres: pick the one that gives a size you can check against a known measurement on the piece.
How do I measure a distance?+
Press Measure and click two points, or touch and drag on a phone: a magnifier shows where the point lands. Points stick to corners, line ends and midpoints. The distance shows in inches and millimetres. If you know the real length of a line, press Set scale after measuring it and type that length: every size on the page then uses your scale until you reset it.
How do I print a DXF at true size?+
Press "Print at true size", check the units, pick Letter or A4 and download the PDF. It is made in your browser. Print it at 100% (Actual size), with no fit to page, and measure the 2 in and 50 mm squares on page 1 before printing the rest. The other sheets overlap: cut on the dashed lines and match the diamond marks.
Can I edit or convert the file here?+
No, this page shows, measures and prints the file; SVG saves it as a drawing for Inkscape, a laser or a cutting machine. If you have the pattern on paper, photograph it next to a sheet of Letter or A4 paper and our editor gives you a DXF, PDF, PLT and SVG of the outline that you can correct before downloading.