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Free Online DXF Viewer

Open any DXF cut file right here in your browser and see exactly what KerfNest would cut: outlines and holes, with construction geometry, reference layers and stray lines set aside. Nothing is uploaded and there is nothing to install.

Ready to nest this file? Start Nesting

Drop a DXF file here to view it

Drag and drop, or click to browse

.dxf · stays in your browser · nothing is uploaded

Private by design

Parsed with JavaScript in this tab. No upload, no server, no account.

Instant

Most cut files open in well under a second, even with thousands of entities.

Made for cutting shops

Shows the geometry a plasma, laser or waterjet would cut, in the file's own units.

WHAT IT RENDERS

Every entity type a cutting machine cares about is drawn. Annotation is parsed and counted, not rendered.

Drawn

LINEStraight segments

LWPOLYLINE / POLYLINEIncluding bulge arcs and closed loops

ARC / CIRCLEInterpolated to smooth curves

ELLIPSEFull and partial. Nested and exported by KerfNest as a fine polyline, not an arc

SPLINENURBS control points, knots and weights. Nested and exported by KerfNest as a fine polyline, not arcs

INSERTBlock references, with scale and rotation applied

Parsed, not drawn

TEXT / MTEXTLabels are parsed but not rendered

DIMENSIONDimension lines and values are not shown

HATCH / SOLIDFills are not shown; their boundaries usually are, as polylines

3D entitiesMeshes, 3DFACE and solids are ignored; only 2D geometry is drawn

Construction / referenceLayers named CONSTRUCTION, REF, DEFPOINTS, CENTER and the like, off / frozen / non-plotting layers, and CENTER, PHANTOM or HIDDEN linetypes are ignored, exactly as KerfNest's upload does

Open lines and arcsAnything that does not close into an outline, end to end, is reference geometry and is not cut

HOW IT WORKS

Three steps, all in your browser.

Drop in a DXF

Drag a .dxf file onto the viewer or click to browse. ASCII DXF from any CAD package works.

It is parsed locally

Blocks are expanded and every arc, circle, ellipse and spline is turned into smooth geometry, in the drawing's own units.

Inspect it

Pan, zoom and fit. Toggle layers, read the overall width and height, and see which entity types were skipped.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Straight answers about the viewer.

Is my DXF file uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is read and parsed with JavaScript in your browser tab and never leaves your computer. Close the tab and it is gone. This page makes no network requests for your file.

Which DXF versions work?

ASCII DXF from any release — R12 through the current AutoCAD, Fusion 360, SolidWorks, Inventor, Onshape, LibreCAD, QCAD and Inkscape exports all work. Binary DXF is not supported; re-save as ASCII DXF.

Why is text, a dimension or a construction line missing from my drawing?

This viewer shows what KerfNest would cut, not everything in the file. Text, dimensions and points are never cut. Geometry on construction or reference layers, on layers that are off, frozen or non-plotting, or drawn with a centre-line linetype is ignored. Lines and arcs that do not join end to end into a closed outline are reference geometry. Everything a plasma, laser or waterjet would actually cut is drawn, and the "Not cut" list says what was left out and why. One thing to know: a closed shape on an ordinary layer, such as a bolt circle drawn as a full circle, IS treated as a hole — remove construction circles in CAD before export.

Is there a file size limit?

There is no hard limit. Files over 10 MB show a warning because parsing runs in your browser and very large drawings can take a while or use a lot of memory. If a file fails to parse you will see an error, not a hang.

Can I nest this file for cutting?

Yes. KerfNest is nesting software for waterjet, plasma and laser shops: upload the same DXF, set a sheet size, and it packs your parts to minimise scrap. The free plan needs no card. Lines, arcs, circles and polylines come back out of the nested DXF as true geometry; splines and ellipses are written as fine polylines, and KerfNest warns you at upload when a file contains them.

READY TO NEST THIS FILE?

KerfNest packs your DXF parts onto sheets with true-shape nesting so you cut more parts from less plate. Free plan, no card required.

Start Nesting