Learn/Design/Import, raster & trace
Vector import
At a glance
- Import DXF and SVG with progress feedback on heavy files
- Chains become Design shapes with source coordinates preserved; layers inherit sensible names from the file
Bring vector artwork in through File → Import or by dropping a file on the viewport — Design
accepts .dxf and .svg (raster formats go to a
reference canvas instead). Heavy files convert in a
background worker with a progress indicator, so a 10,000-entity plasma art file doesn't freeze the
app while it loads.
How geometry comes in
The importer chains loose entities into contours: each connected open or closed chain becomes one Design shape, at its original source coordinates. Arcs and curves are tessellated into polylines at a tight fixed tolerance, so imported geometry follows the same line-only contract as everything drawn in Design. Nesting is detected on import — a top-level contour is automatically grouped with its holes, its islands, and any open chains it contains, so a traced logo arrives as one selectable unit per letter or emblem rather than hundreds of loose contours.
Layer handling
DXF polylines keep their source layer names; other DXF entities and all SVG content import under
Default. Imported layer rows are prefixed with the (truncated) source filename so two files with
a "Cut" layer don't collide, and each new layer picks up the next
palette color in creation order.
Going the other way
Export Design writes the whole document — or right-click a layer for Export Layer as DXF / SVG — scaled to your preferred units, with a units badge in the export dialog confirming what the file will contain. A design drawn in millimeters exports at millimeter coordinates, ready for any downstream CAM program.