Placing or opening DXF files fails in Illustrator 2021 for old version DXF

[warrenr55009990]

Since the release of Illustrator 2021, we are unable to place or open .DXF files that are saved from Autodesk Fusion 360.

It appears that the version of DXF created by Fusion 360 is AC1014 or (R14).  This dates back to pre 2000, and a lot of Fusion 360 customers are happy with this becuase they want file compatibility with very old CNC machines.

Has Adobe stopped supporting the ability to import DXF files of this age or is the DXF importer broken in the new version of Illustrator 2021 (V25) as it used to work in Illustrator 2020?

If Adobe has just dropped the ability to import these old files, a warning message would be nice instead of just opening or placing a blank document.

[Laura5E80]

I would really like to know if there's a setting or something to open DXF files, this a real concern for my business?

[warrenr55009990 · Accepted solution]

The issue of not being able to open or import DXF files that are created in Fusion 360 has been identified and fixed by Adobe in the lastest update (25.0.1). It can out yesterday.

Cheers

[al5CFB]

updated to latest version (25.0.1) and STILL CANNOT open DXF, the DXF import feature is the only reason I pay for Adobe.

[Tech Writer 99]

I am having issues opening .dxf and .dwg from Catia. Is this a bug in Adobe or is there a work around?

Thank you!

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Tech Writer 99,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind sharing some more details, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator, a public link to a sample file after uploading it to Dropbox/Google Drive/etc., and screenshots / a screen recording of the problem (https://adobe.ly/3MnaSWf) so we can investigate this further?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[davidm5273784]

Sounds great. So I updated today (Nov. 30) and I still get the "unknown format" error.  So... now what?

[Jobs_]

I continue to have the same issue. I use the DXF export from fusion360 for import for laser cutting. It is not working anymore since the 2021 version. Latest update 25.1 does not fix the issue either.

[Ida-Judith5E2C]

...same problem here!

[devink41584558]

Any update on this??? Having the same issue

[warrenr55009990]

I'm not sure what feature you are using when you say DXF export from Fusion 360.  The process I use is to create a sketch on the final face of the design that I want to cutout, hit P for project and click the face again to make sure that the geometry comes through onto the sketch. Finish the sketch. Find the last created sketch in the browser, right click on it, save it as a DXF file.  

Then open Illustrator with the template file that we have setup for our ULS lasercutter, go to file menu and choose place.  Make sure show import options is ticked, choose scale 1 unit = 1 mm.  And then position the sketch, change line thickness and colour and then cur out.

This method works fine for me with the most current version of Fusion 360 (V2.0.9719) and Illustrator 2021 (V25.2) (as at 26 Feb 2021).

If you are using the DXF post processor in the CAM section of Fusion 360, I know this creates a DXF that is much old in dxf version then the right click, save as DXF option.  Somewhere around 1990 from memory (You can look inside the dxf file and find the version if you want to know exactly). 

I'm guessing that Adobe may have dropped support for file types that are 30 years out of date, if this is how you are created the DXF's.  So some could argue that this is a Fusion 360 problem, not an Adobe problem.

Back when I had the initial problem of not being able to place a fusion dxf (when Illustrator 2021/25.0 was first released), I downloaded a piece of dxf file version conversion software.  This got me out of trouble until Adobe fixed the initial problem with the release of Illustrator V25.0.1.  Adobe then proceeded into a new problem with not being able to scale on placing in version 25.1.  But for me everything is working fine in version 25.2.

Hope this helps.

By the way I'm not an Adobe Employee, I'm just an end user, so I don't claim to know all the answers to all of your problems, I can only offer my experience.

Cheers

[Damion5E71]

My issue is that DXF file will open in version 25.01 of Illustrator but not any version after. I am worried that when Illustrator 2022 comes around it will no longer support DXF files in any form and version 25.01 will be unavailable for install. Please advise.

[Reartu]

Hi

So, upgrading to 26.0.2, I still have the same issue of older versions, it's not able to open dxf file in illustrator.

Does Adobe decide to discontinue this feature?

Or it's just on working to fix it?

[Marilou24305613us0j]

I just updated to illustrator 25.1 and my DXF's now import.  I don't think you can go higher on the updates.  Like one user said once they do the 2022 version will we lose this option forever? I need to import .DXF.