Vector linework that is not natively geolocated can be a pain to use in spatial software - however, it's often what developers receive from surveyors and planners. This app will help you place your CAD linework into Giraffe for tracing.

This app is available to anyone with a valid Giraffe license.

Add the App

Go to the app store, and search for "CAD Import"

Click "Add"

Click the CAD Import icon to open

In Giraffe v6+, add the app to a panel.

Upload your File

Drag and drop or browse for your DWG, DXF, or Vector PDF

Once uploaded, the upload area will display the file name in green

If you uploaded the wrong file, just drag or browse for a new one.

Configure Layer

Give the layer a name.

Select whether you want to create a project layer or a temporary layer.

Temporary Layer: Will only exist in layer Palette in current session. Will be removed on refresh
Project Layer: Saved to Layer Library and permanently added to project.

If you are uploading a multi-page PDF, you will have more options:

One layer per page: Each page will create a separate layer in the layer palette
All pages in one layer: All pages will be flattened into a single layer, overlapping

Configure Coordinates

Geolocating the file is very important to get accurate terrain, solar, and project context. use the coordinate tools to place the file correctly.

There are a few options for placement:

Local Cartesian - Pick origin on the map.

Type the lat/lon of the file origin

Select "pick origin on map" and click to place the origin

Use S to snap the origin in the correct place

The Origin is the 0,0,0 point of the source DXF or DWG.

Select Coordinate System from the List

If the file is geolocated already, you can select its coordinate system from the dropdown and it will place automatically.

Manually Add the Coordinate System

If your file is geolocated and you don't see its system listed in the dropdown, you can add the information manually.

In the coordinate system dropdown, just yype a custom CRS and press Enter. Accepts EPSG codes, PROJ strings, or WKT.

Configure Units

Files are often formatted differently by region, or different unit scales are assumed.

Select the units, rotation from North, and/or scale to ensure the file places at the correct size.

Select the units of the file - not what you want it converted to. Giraffe will take care of the rest

Import

Click "Import to Project"

The file is placed and converted to a layer using the settings you chose.

Advanced Options

For more configuration, expand Advanced Options:

Troubleshooting

CAD Import shows a status message in the app after every import. Find the message you see below for the cause and the fix, so your linework lands on the site where it belongs.

"Failed to fetch" error

"Failed to fetch" means CAD Import could not reach its conversion server. Every DWG, DXF, and PDF goes to this server to be converted and placed on the map. The error happens before the server reads your EPSG code, so changing the code does not fix it.

To fix a "Failed to fetch" error:

Check the file size. CAD Import uploads files up to 32 MB. A larger file shows "Failed to fetch." In your CAD software, purge unused blocks and layers, delete linework far outside the site, and save a new copy under 32 MB.
Turn off your VPN, or try a different network. Some company firewalls block the upload. Ask your IT team to allow cad-import-670173562168.us-central1.run.app.
Wait a minute and click Import to Project again. A very complex file can take too long to convert, and the server converts one file at a time.
If the error keeps happening, contact Giraffe support. Include the file and the coordinate system you chose.

DXF files show "Conversion failed. Try enabling Inline Blocks or Skip Failures." for the same connection problem. DWG and PDF files show "Failed to fetch."

A PDF imports without its background image

CAD Import adds a PDF's linework first, then its page image as a background. If the background can't be placed, the linework still imports and no message appears. Import the PDF again. If it still has no background, ask your IT team to allow cdn.jsdelivr.net.

Error messages

CAD Import shows these errors in the app when an import fails.

Error	What triggers it	What to do
"Failed to fetch"	CAD Import could not reach its conversion server. The file is over 32 MB, a VPN or firewall blocked the upload, or the conversion took too long.	Follow the steps in "Failed to fetch" error above.
"Conversion failed. Try enabling Inline Blocks or Skip Failures."	The server could not convert a DXF file, or CAD Import could not reach the server.	In CAD Import, open Advanced Options, turn on INLINE_BLOCKS (Expand block inserts) and -skipfailures (Continue on errors), and import again. If it still fails, follow the "Failed to fetch" steps.
"No features found. Check the coordinate system, or try Skip Failures / Inline Blocks."	The DXF file converted, and no linework came out of it.	Check the coordinate system matches the file. Then open Advanced Options, turn on INLINE_BLOCKS (Expand block inserts) and -skipfailures (Continue on errors), and import again.
"[text] is not a valid CRS. Use an EPSG code (e.g. EPSG:32633), a PROJ string, or WKT."	You typed a coordinate system CAD Import can't read, like a bare number.	Type the EPSG code with EPSG: in front, like EPSG:32633. A PROJ string starts with +proj. WKT starts with PROJCS[, GEOGCS[, PROJCRS[, or GEOGCRS[.
"No coordinate system selected."	You imported a DXF file without a coordinate system.	Select a coordinate system from the dropdown or type one in.
"No origin set. Pick a point on the map first."	You chose Local Cartesian without an origin.	Type the origin's lat/lon, or click Pick origin on map and click the map.
"PDF has no georeferencing. Pick an origin on the map and set units to PDF Points (pt)."	The PDF has no location data, and no origin is set.	Choose Local Cartesian, pick an origin on the map, set Units to PDF Points (pt), and import again.
"Reprojection failed: [details]" or "Reprojection failed. Check origin and units, then retry."	CAD Import could not move the PDF from page space onto the map.	Check the origin, units, and coordinate system, then import again.
"Server conversion failed (400): No vector content detected"	The PDF has no vector linework. A scanned or image-only PDF causes this.	Export a vector PDF from your CAD software, or import a DWG or DXF.
"Server conversion failed (400): No layers found in PDF"	The GeoPDF has no layers CAD Import can read.	Export the PDF again with layers, or import a DWG or DXF.
"Server conversion failed (500): Conversion failed: [details]"	The server hit a problem converting the file. A DWG that won't convert, or a file that takes too long, causes this.	Save the drawing as DXF and import that. Purge unused blocks and layers, then try again.
"Server conversion failed (401): Unauthorized"	The app could not sign in to its conversion server.	Contact Giraffe support.
"Unsupported format ".[ext]". Supported: DXF, DWG, PDF."	You dropped a file type CAD Import doesn't read.	Export the drawing to DXF, DWG, or vector PDF.
"Datum grid must be a PROJ grid filename from cdn.proj.org, not a URL." or "Datum grid must be a safe PROJ grid filename, for example us_noaa_conus.tif."	The +nadgrids Datum Shift field in Advanced Options holds a link or a folder path.	Type the grid's file name only, like us_noaa_conus.tif. Find grid names on cdn.proj.org.
"Found [n] 3DSOLID entities, but [details]" or "Found [n] 3D entities, but [details]"	The file has only 3D objects, and CAD Import could not turn them into a 3D model.	Flatten or explode the 3D objects in your CAD software, or export the 2D linework only.
"[n] 3D entities found but import failed."	CAD Import found 3D objects and could not add them to the project.	Import again. If it keeps failing, export the 2D linework only.

Other CAD Import messages

These messages confirm an import worked, or ask you to check something before you continue.

Message	What triggers it	What to do
"Unit mismatch: DXF says "[unit]" but coordinates look like metres. Check the Units setting."	The units saved in the DXF don't match the size of its coordinates.	Check Units before you import.
"Imported [n] features. Unit mismatch: file is "[unit]", you selected "[unit]"."	The units saved in the DWG differ from the Units you chose.	If the linework is the wrong size, change Units and import again.
"Pick an origin on the map before importing. GeoPDFs will reproject automatically."	You added a PDF.	Pick an origin for a plain vector PDF. A GeoPDF places itself.
"Uploading [n] features (large file, may be slow)…"	The file has more than 50,000 features.	Wait for the import to finish.
"Imported [n] pages, [n] features — first 10 of [n] shown"	The PDF has more than 10 pages. CAD Import imports the first 10.	Split the PDF to import the other pages.
"Imported [n] features + [n] 3D entities skipped ([details])"	The 2D linework imported, and the 3D objects did not.	Flatten the 3D objects in your CAD software if you need them.
"Imported [n] features"	The import worked.	None