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park_3844
January 15, 2026
Question

Issues in the AI (Adobe Illustrator) to DXF conversion process

  • January 15, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 166 views

When we draw a circle in Illustrator and then export it as a DXF file, we often find that when the converted DXF is opened and checked in AutoCAD, the circle is recognized not as a true circle but as a spline (Bezier curve).

However, for our workflow, the geometry must be recognized strictly as a circle, not as a spline. What methods are available to resolve this issue?

We understand that this problem may occur because Illustrator is inherently a design-oriented program while CAD software is design/engineering-oriented, and they are fundamentally different in nature. Nevertheless, we would like to know if there is a way to ensure that circles are exported and recognized only as true circles, not splines.

1 reply

Anubhav M
Community Manager
Anubhav MCommunity Manager
Community Manager
January 15, 2026

Hello @park_3844,

Thanks for reaching out. Could you share more details, like the version of Illustrator/AutoCAD installed, a screenshot of the export settings used, and a link to a sample AI and DXF file after uploading them to a file-sharing service, so we can better assist you?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav

P
park_3844Author
January 22, 2026

“This is the installed version of Illustrator 2024 / CAD LT 2025, and the export setting was set to 2000.”

Abhishek Rao
Community Manager
Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
Community Manager
January 22, 2026

Hi @park_3844,

 

Thanks for sharing the details. I'm checking this behavior with the product team on my end and will update you as soon as I hear back. In the meantime, I'd strongly recommend testing the same workflow using the latest version of Illustrator, such as 30.1, along with the latest version of AutoCAD, and letting me know whether the circle is still exported as a spline. Using older versions can sometimes limit access to recent fixes and improvements made to export workflows.

Also, just to set expectations, Adobe officially supports only the current and previous major versions, as outlined in our support policy here: https://adobe.ly/3ZqlZUR. That's another reason why testing on the latest versions will help us narrow this down more accurately.

 

I've already asked the product team to review this, and I'll keep you posted with any updates.

Abhishek

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