Overview
The iGUIDE DXF (Metric DXF) is an automatically generated file included with CAD Floor Plan deliveries, as well as the iGUIDE Radix. It contains lidar point cloud data for all drafted floors and is designed for use in CAD software for design, planning, and construction work.
This article explains what the DXF file is, how it differs from the DWG, and how to work with units when importing it into your CAD software.
In This Article
What Is a DXF File?
DXF stands for Drawing eXchange Format. It was created by Autodesk to allow data to be shared between different CAD applications. Unlike Autodesk's DWG format, DXF is publicly documented — meaning it can be imported into most CAD software, not just Autodesk products like AutoCAD or Revit.
What's in the iGUIDE DXF?
The iGUIDE DXF file contains lidar point cloud data for all floors covered in the CAD Floor Plan delivery. A few things to note:
- The file does not contain annotative text or dimensions of any kind
- It is named Metric DXF because all coordinates are stored in millimetres
- It is automatically generated from the iGUIDE Virtual Tour floor plan
DXF vs. DWG
The DXF and DWG are different files with different purposes — they are not interchangeable and will not match each other 1:1.
| DXF | DWG | |
|---|---|---|
| Generated by | Automatically | Manually drafted |
| Contains | Point cloud data | Drafted floor plan |
| Format | Publicly documented | Autodesk proprietary |
| Dimensions/Annotations | No | Yes (Premium/Advanced Drawing) |
The DWG is drafted by a technician to specific standards. The DXF is a system-generated output of the iGUIDE Virtual Tour floor plan. Because they are produced differently and to different specifications, discrepancies between the two are expected.
Units and Scaling
DXF files store numerical coordinates but do not embed measurement units. The iGUIDE DXF stores all coordinates in millimeters — which is why the file is called Metric DXF.
iGUIDE does not provide DXF files in imperial units. However, when importing the file into your CAD software, you can apply a scale factor to work in whatever units you need.
Most CAD applications will ask you to specify units at import. Common scale factors:
| Target unit | Scale factor |
|---|---|
| Metres | 1000 |
| Inches | 25.4 |
This selection is typically available in the import dialogue of your CAD software.