Format
Drawing Interchange File Format (ASCII)
Summary
- Name
- Drawing Interchange File Format (ASCII)
- Version
- R13
- Identifiers
-
- PUID: fmt/76
- MIME: image/vnd.dxf
- Format type
- Image (Vector)
- Family
- DXF
- Disclosure
- Full
- Description
- ASCII DXF format is the ASCII encoded variant of the Drawing Interchange File Format, an exchange format for vector graphics developed by AutoDesk. They are probably the widely-used formats for exchanging vector data, and have become a de-facto industry standard. The format is owned by AutoDesk and typically changes with each release of their AutoCAD family of products. DXF files contain a tagged representation of the vector data. The structure comprises a Header section, followed by sections containing data on Classes, Tables, Blocks, Entities and, optionally, thumbnail images. Each section contains a series of data elements. each preceded by a group code tag, which indicates the type of data element. ASCII DXF version 13 is the version of the format associated with Release 13 of the AutoCAD family of software products.
- File extensions
-
dxf - Source
- Digital Preservation Department / The National Archives
- Developed by
- Autodesk
- Supported by
- Autodesk
Relationships
- Equivalent to
- Has priority over
- Is previous version of
- Is subsequent version of
Internal signatures
Drawing Interchange File Format R13
- Note
- Header section with $ACADVER group code (AC1012), EOF marker
Byte sequences
- Min Frag Length
- Variable
- Offset
- None
- Max offset
- None
- Byte Sequence
30(0D0A|0A|0D)53454354494F4E(0D0A|0A|0D)202032(0D0A|0A|0D)484541444552(0D0A|0A|0D)*39(0D0A|0A|0D)2441434144564552(0D0A|0A|0D)202031(0D0A|0A|0D)414331303132(0D0A|0A|0D)*30(0D0A|0A|0D)454E44534543(0D0A|0A|0D)- Endianness
- None
- Min Frag Length
- Absolute from EOF
- Offset
- 0
- Max offset
- 5
- Byte Sequence
30(0D0A|0D|0A)454F46- Endianness
- None
Changelog
-
Updated in V98
- Release date
- 27 October 2021
Drawing Interchange File Format (ASCII) R13: Corrected signature from v97 release. Error identified by Richard Lehane.
-
Updated in V97
- Release date
- 1 October 2020
Drawing Interchange Format (ASCII) R13: File format information updated and signature updated to allow for seperate new line characters. Submitted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Canadian Centre for Architecture and The National Library of Australia.
-
Updated in V91
- Release date
- 25 July 2017
Drawing Interchange File Format (ASCII) R13: Modified signature to account for UNIX line endings. It will likely be necessary to make similar changes for other DXF ASCII files. Please contact the PRONOM team if you have any currently unidentified DXF files. New signature and samples provided by Henk Vanstappen, Datable.