DXF Studio — User Guide
Prepare DXF files for CNC machining and laser marking: convert images, repair geometry, generate hatch fills, and optimize toolpaths. This guide explains every control, every hatch type, and the workflow that gets the best results.
Overview
DXF Studio has three tools, shown as tabs at the top of the app:
- DXF Hatch & Optimize — fill closed shapes with a pattern (or just clean the outline) and optimize the cutting order. This is the main finishing step.
- DXF Cleanup & Repair — fix problem DXFs: flatten curves, remove duplicates, close gaps, convert units. Use this first if a file misbehaves.
- Bitmap → DXF — turn an image (photo, logo, line art) into a DXF.
Output is clean DXF R12 (LINE entities only) for maximum compatibility with CAM and laser software. Previewing is always free — you only spend a token to download.
Video walkthrough coming soon
🎬 A step-by-step video showing the workflow and options will appear here.
Watch the walkthrough → (link coming soon)
Watch the walkthrough → (link coming soon)
Account & tokens
At the top of the app is the account bar:
- Sign in — enter your email (press Enter or click Sign in). Signing in is only needed to buy tokens and download; converting and previewing need no account.
- Buy tokens — open the panel to purchase a token pack. Payment is handled securely by Stripe.
- Tokens — your balance is shown once signed in. 1 token = 1 download.
One token covers all your work on a file.
After you spend a token to unlock a file, you can keep changing settings
and re-downloading that same file for the rest of your session — including
sending it between the Hatch and Cleanup tabs — with no extra charge.
Loading a new file (even with the same name) starts a fresh
session and needs a new token.
DXF Hatch & Optimize
Load a DXF, choose how to fill it, and get an optimized toolpath.
Input & units
- Input source — upload a DXF, or use a file sent over from the Cleanup or Bitmap tabs.
- DXF file units — set this to the units your file was drawn in (mm, µm, or inch). If it's wrong, all sizes and spacing will be off.
- Parameter units — the units used by the step, margin, beam, and lead fields.
- Generate preview — the preview updates automatically as you change settings; this button forces a refresh.
Hatch types explained
The Hatch type sets the pattern used to fill closed areas:
| Type | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| None | No fill — just extract and clean the outline and optimize the path. | Cut/mark outlines only. |
| Concentric | A set number of rings stepping inward from the outline, like tree rings. | Decorative or controlled-depth fills. |
| Offset fill | Like concentric, but keeps stepping inward until the shape is completely filled. | Solid fills that follow the shape. |
| Parallel | Straight, evenly spaced lines at the angle you choose. | Fast, even raster-style fills. |
| Serpentine | The same straight lines, ordered to run back-and-forth. Looks identical to parallel on screen — the difference is the cutting order (with optimization on, the two end up equivalent). | Minimizing travel when optimization is off. |
| Cross-hatch | Two sets of parallel lines crossing at two angles (a grid). | Mesh / texture look, stronger fill. |
| Moiré | Two nearly-parallel sets at a small angle offset, creating a shimmer pattern. | Decorative interference effects. |
| Spiral | A single continuous path spiraling inward. | Continuous-motion fills. |
Settings reference
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Line spacing / step | Gap between fill lines or rings. Smaller = denser fill and more cutting. Set near your beam/tool diameter for a solid fill. |
| Number of rings | How many rings for concentric fill (offset fill ignores this and fills fully). |
| Hatch angle | Direction of the fill lines. 0° = horizontal, 90° = vertical. |
| Second angle / Phase offset / Seam angle | Pattern-specific controls for cross-hatch, moiré, and spiral respectively. |
| Margin inset | Shrinks the fill inward from the outline, leaving an unfilled border. 0 = fill to the edge. |
| Curve smoothness | How finely curves are broken into line segments. Finer = smoother but more segments. |
| Include outline | Also cut/mark the shape's outline, not just the fill. |
| Detect holes | Treat shapes nested inside others as cavities (skipped by the fill) instead of filling over them. |
| Optimize travel order | Reorders paths to minimize non-cutting "jump" moves. Keep this on. |
| Corner join | Shape of ring corners when offsetting: mitre (sharp), round, or bevel. |
| Beam width / kerf | Width of your beam/tool; compensates the outline so the finished part is the right size. 0 = no compensation. |
| Merge converging rings to centerline | In thin areas, replaces colliding rings with a single centerline pass. |
| Lead-in / Lead-out | Short approach and exit moves so the beam/tool eases on and off the path. |
| Passes | Repeat the whole toolpath N times in the saved file — for deeper engraving or multiple marking passes. Passes run back-and-forth to cut return travel. |
| Resize to target size | Scale the drawing to a finished size. Keep Lock aspect ratio on to avoid distortion. |
Reading the metrics
- Paths — number of separate cut paths.
- Engrave length — total cutting/marking distance.
- Jump after opt. — non-cutting travel after optimization (lower is better).
- Jump reduced — how much the optimizer cut the non-cutting travel.
DXF Cleanup & Repair
Repairs messy DXFs and produces a clean, optimized, production-ready file. It auto-cleans as soon as you upload.
| Fix | What it does |
|---|---|
| Flatten curves | Converts splines, arcs, and circles into line segments (clean R12 output). |
| Remove duplicates | Deletes lines drawn on top of each other so the machine doesn't cut twice. |
| Remove zero-length | Deletes degenerate points/lines that cause stray dwell marks. |
| Close open polylines | Snaps nearly- touching endpoints to close small gaps into proper loops. |
| Unit conversion | Fixes the classic "mm exported, inches expected" scaling error. |
| Passes | Repeat the path back-and-forth on save, same as in the Hatch tab. |
The toolpath emulation animates the cutting order so you can see exactly how the job will run (blue = cutting, amber dashes = rapid moves). Use Send to DXF Hatch & Optimize to move a cleaned file straight into the Hatch tab — on the same token.
Bitmap → DXF
Converts an image into DXF geometry. Three modes:
| Mode | What it produces | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous-Tone (Dithered) | A photographic look made of many tiny stipple toolpaths. | Photos / grayscale images. |
| Outline (Contours) | Vector outlines of the edges. | Logos and line art. |
| Threshold Fill | Black/white areas as line toolpaths. | High-contrast graphics. |
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Height | Finished height of the output, in microns. |
| Spot size / Tool size | Your beam or tool diameter — sets line spacing. |
| Threshold | Black/white cutoff for outline and threshold modes. |
| Bright / Contrast | Adjust the image before conversion. |
| Contours / Smooth | Number of outline levels and how much they're smoothed. |
| Invert | Swap black and white. |
| Bidirectional | Alternate scan direction each line (less travel). |
| CAD orientation (Y-up) | Outputs a DXF that's right-side-up in CAD/laser software. Leave on. |
Continuous-Tone output is already a finished engraving
toolpath, so it can't be sent to the Hatch tab. Use Outline or Threshold
mode if you want a hatchable shape.
Recommended workflow
1
Start in the tab that matches
your input: an image → Bitmap → DXF; an existing DXF →
Hatch; a messy DXF → Cleanup.
2
If a hatch fills oddly (gaps or
missed areas), the source geometry is probably messy. Open
DXF Cleanup & Repair, clean it, then
Send to DXF Hatch & Optimize.
3
Pick a hatch type and adjust
step and angle while watching the live preview.
4
Check the metrics and, in
Cleanup, the toolpath emulation to confirm the cutting order looks
right.
5
Sign in, spend 1 token to
unlock, and download. Keep tweaking and re-downloading that file for the
rest of your session — no extra tokens.
Tips & troubleshooting
- Hover the “?” next to any control in the app for a quick explanation.
- Hatch looks broken or patchy? Run the file through Cleanup & Repair first, then send it back to Hatch.
- Sizes wrong? Check that DXF file units match how the file was drawn, and use Cleanup's unit conversion if needed.
- “Too detailed” message? The file has too many segments to fill efficiently — simplify it, split it, or use a coarser curve smoothness.
- File too large? The Hatch/Cleanup tabs accept DXFs up to 8 MB. Very large files are better split into pieces.
- Server busy? If several jobs run at once you may briefly wait for a slot — your work isn't lost, just queued.