Convert DXF to KML and drape CAD linework over real-world imagery in Google Earth. Everything is processed inside the tab, which keeps unreleased engineering drawings off third-party servers.
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KML, KMZ, SHP (.zip), GeoJSON, GPKG, GML, GPX, DXF, CSV, Excel, and more
No DXF file to hand? Download a sample DXF file (100 points) and drop it above to see the conversion.
Every format stores different things, so a conversion is never perfectly loss-free. Here is exactly what carries over when you convert DXF to KML, and what to watch for.
| What | DXF → KML | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Kept | Points, lines and polygons are preserved exactly, including multi-part shapes. |
| Attributes | Changes | DXF is a CAD format with no attribute table, so the output carries geometry with only the fields the drawing exposes (typically a layer name). |
| Styling & labels | Changes | KML supports styling; features are written with clean default styling and a name label you can restyle in Google Earth. |
| Coordinate system | Changes | DXF carries no coordinate system, so values are read as WGS84 longitude/latitude (EPSG:4326), which KML requires. Set a source CRS if your data is in metres. |
| Elevation (Z) | Kept | 3D Z values carry from DXF into KML wherever the source records them. |
| File structure | Kept | A single, self-contained .kml file you can move around on its own. |
DXF holds CAD linework: the polylines, arcs, text and layers that survey and engineering teams draw in AutoCAD. KML is what Google Earth speaks. So converting DXF to KML lets you drop a site plan or survey straight onto satellite imagery, where anyone can view it. For example, you can take exchange drawings from AutoCAD and share them by email or link with people who have no CAD software. Field crews then see the design over real terrain. It also bridges precise engineering geometry into a simple, viewable map that non-technical stakeholders open in seconds.
DXF drawings usually sit in a local or engineering coordinate system rather than latitude/longitude, and the file rarely records which one. If the drawing is georeferenced, set its CRS before converting; otherwise the geometry keeps its drawing coordinates.
KML is defined in WGS84 (EPSG:4326), so the output is reprojected to longitude/latitude, exactly what Google Earth and web maps expect. A quick CRS check before you download saves the classic "my DXF data is in the wrong place" surprise; the guide on coordinate systems and EPSG codes goes deeper.
Check the coordinate system first. DXF drawings often sit in a local or engineering grid, not longitude and latitude. KML, however, always expects WGS84 lon/lat. So if the DXF is not georeferenced, or its CRS is unset, your linework can land in the wrong place or far off the map. Set the source CRS before converting so features project correctly onto Google Earth imagery.
DXF files typically come out of AutoCAD, QGIS, MicroStation, Civil 3D. Once you convert to KML, the file opens in Google Earth Pro on the desktop, Google Earth for web, and Google Maps (via My Maps), as well as QGIS and ArcGIS Pro. The KML output follows the standard specification exactly, so those programs read it without any special import settings.
DXF holds CAD linework drawn in tools like AutoCAD or Civil 3D: site plans, parcel edges, survey lines and utility runs. KML places those same shapes onto Google Earth's globe. Converting one to the other lets a drafting team hand a design to anyone with Google Earth, no CAD seat required. In practice, the drawing's polylines become paths and its layers become folders you can toggle over satellite imagery. That turns engineering geometry into a shareable overlay.
KML has no CAD layer concept, so DXF layers are flattened into placemarks and paths. Any block or layer structure is simplified, though the geometry itself is preserved.
Yes. The output is standard WGS84 KML, so it loads directly in Google Earth, and also in Google Maps, QGIS or ArcGIS.
DXF drawings often sit on a local or projected engineering grid rather than longitude and latitude. Set the drawing's real coordinate system before converting, so the geometry reprojects to the correct place. Without a known CRS, the shapes can appear far from their true location, sometimes near the map origin.
Layer names map onto KML folders, so you can still switch groups on and off inside Google Earth. Arcs and circles are broken into short straight segments, because KML has no native arc entity. Block references, hatch fills and dimension styling usually do not carry across cleanly.
A KML file opens in Google Earth (desktop and web), QGIS and ArcGIS. Because the output follows the standard specification, any tool that supports KML will read it without special settings.
No conversion is perfectly loss-free because each format stores different things, but geometry and attributes are preserved; only presentation-level styling (which KML does not store) is left behind.
