LibreCAD

Switching from AutoCAD

Your data: LibreCAD's command-line converters turn DWG drawings into DXF (or PDF, PNG and SVG) without opening the editor: librecad dwg2dxf -o drawing.dxf drawing.dwg.

1. Convert one drawing: Run librecad dwg2dxf -V r2018 -o drawing.dxf drawing.dwg to turn a DWG into a DXF R2018 file. Without -o, the output is saved beside the input with the same base name.
2. Pick the DXF version: -V sets the DXF version: r12, r14, r2000, r2004, r2007 (the default), r2010, r2013 or r2018. Use the oldest one the receiving software needs.
3. Convert a batch: List several input files and use -t <directory> to choose where the outputs go. -t and -o can't be combined.
4. Make a PDF for review: librecad dxf2pdf -a -o drawing.pdf drawing.dxf fits and centres the drawing on the page.
5. Open the DXF in LibreCAD: Open the converted DXF in LibreCAD to edit it.

Watch out for:

• On a server without a display, set QT_QPA_PLATFORM=offscreen for PDF, PNG and SVG conversion.
• Use librecad <command> -h for the full list of options.

Full step-by-step guide →

Sources: github.com/LibreCAD/LibreCAD, checked 19 Oct 2026.