← All posts

DXF to G-code: convert a drawing straight to a cut program

Not every job needs nesting. Sometimes the part is already drawn exactly how you want to cut it — a sign, a bracket, a gasket, a logo — and all you want is the G-code. The new Convert tool does precisely that: drop in a drawing, get a clean cut program back.

How it works

  • Upload a DXF, DWG, or SVG. The drawing's original layout is preserved exactly — parts keep their real positions, nothing is rearranged.
  • Geometry is read the way you'd expect. Closed outlines become profile cuts, interior loops become cut-outs, and engrave / score features on other layers are kept and traced as separate operations.
  • Preview before you cut. The same viewer the nesting tool uses opens on the converted toolpath: a 2D or tilted 3D view, a step-through simulation, estimated cut and rapid time, and the highlighted G-code line by line.
  • Export for your machine. Tabs, lead-in/out, kerf, router-mode Z (plunge / retract / stepdown), and a post-processor that targets Fanuc/ISO, GRBL, Mach3/4, LinuxCNC, Haas, or Mazak.

Convert vs. nest

Use Convert when the drawing is already laid out and you just need the toolpath. Use the nesting tool when you have many parts to pack onto a sheet for maximum material yield first. Both share the same G-code engine, so the output is identical for the same geometry.

You'll find it as the new Convert entry in the sidebar. There's a free plan, and it runs entirely in your browser.