In this tutorial, we show you how to export DXF files from Autodesk Fusion quickly and easily, including the steps to properly prepare your sketches or designs for DXF export. Whether you need the DXF for laser cutting, CNC machining, other manufacturing workflows, or to import into another software, this tutorial has everything you need to know!

Your first instinct might be to go to File Export because, as we know, in here, there is a file type of DXF. However, this option really only works for very basic part files where you have one sketch with maybe one body. So, what do we do if we have a complicated assembly that we want to create a DXF from?

How to export DXF files using existing parts

There are a couple of different ways in which you can create a DXF from Fusion, but one of the easiest ways is to use a part you’ve already created. In order to do this, go up to the sketch tool and click on the top surface of the part that you’ve already created. This is a particularly useful way of doing it if you’ve added filets or holes using the filet or hole tool rather than your original sketch.

To create the part, click Finish Sketch and then find that sketch in your browser tree. In order to do that, right-click on the part, click Find in Browser, and then click on the sketch. If you want, you can then double-click and rename it so that you can find it easily.

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Whilst the sketch doesn’t have any geometry, it does contain all of the information you need for a DXF. Next, right-click on the sketch you want to save as the DXF, and then click DXF. Give it a name, and then select the file location where you’d like to save it on your computer. Then click Save to save the DXF. This way, you don’t get the notifications like you do when you use the export tool. Finally, go to your file explorer and find the file that you’ve just saved.

Why this method works

Of course, you could have exported the pre-existing sketch file I had for this plate, but this wouldn’t have worked in this particular scenario. If you head into the sketch that you used to originally create that file, you can see that this looks nothing like the exported DXF file that you’ve just created by using the new sketch and selecting that top surface. This means that you capture all of the features for that finished part, rather than what was used to create that original sketch.

Preventing double-layering

One of the reasons the method we shared for creating DXFs works best is that it prevents double-layering of lines. For example, if you drag your file in, everything looks like it should be fine. However, you can see that there are actually two layers. This is something you want to avoid, as this would mean the machine was going over that profile more than once, adding operational time and potentially damaging the part you want to create.

Checking your DXF files in the Autodesk Viewer

One of the ways you can check your DXF files before you head into machining is by using the Autodesk Viewer. Simply sign in to your Autodesk account, and you can upload a file by dragging and dropping it. Once the upload is added, you can then view this in the viewer.

DXF from 2D technical drawings

Another way you can get a DXF file is from a 2D technical engineering drawing. If you’ve created a drawing for a particular part, then this might be a quicker way of getting your file. To use a drawing to create a DXF, start by creating a drawing. Place your views, and then export the file as a DXF. This would be good if you already have the drawing in place, but it’s quite a few more steps than creating a DXF from a sketch.

The other downside to this method is that when you import that file, not only does it contain the outline of the part you wish to cut on, say, a laser cutter, but it also contains the drawing lines from the drawing file. So, depending on the software you’re using for your machine, this may or may not be an acceptable method.

Now you have a few options for how to export DXF files from Autodesk Fusion in your repertoire. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.