DXF/AAMA CAD Patterns for Optitex, Audaces, Gerber and Lectra

DXF/AAMA patterns are Modeltex clothing patterns in a CAD exchange format. You import them into Optitex, Audaces, Gerber AccuMark or Lectra Modaris and mark or cut without redrawing anything. They are for factories and workshops that cut with a CAD system or an automatic cutter. Any pattern in the catalog is available on request via WhatsApp, and CAD formats always include the full size range.

Order a DXF pattern on WhatsApp · Browse the catalog

What a DXF/AAMA pattern is and who it is for

DXF/AAMA is the standard exchange format for digital patternmaking: a regular DXF that follows the AAMA/ASTM convention, where each type of information (piece outline, notches, grainline, internal lines, text) sits on its own assigned layer. That is why a file exported from one system can be imported into another.

It is the format for anyone who already cuts with CAD: pattern drafting departments, factories with an automatic cutter and workshops that make markers on screen. If you cut by hand on paper you do not need it: plotter PDF covers that case, and it is listed on every product page.

Which CAD format to request for your software

The rule is simple: if your system has a native format, the native file avoids conversions; if not, DXF/AAMA is the one most systems read. The table shows what to request in each case.

Format	Software	What it is for
DXF / AAMA	Optitex, Audaces, Gerber AccuMark and Lectra Modaris (by import)	Exchange between CAD systems. It is the safest choice if your software is not Optitex or Audaces.
PDS	Optitex	Native file: opens without conversion, with notches and grading intact.
ADS	Audaces Moldes	Native Audaces file, ready to mark and cut.
MRK	Optitex	Not the pattern but the marker: the pieces already nested to the width of your fabric. Ordered as a separate service.
PDF plotter	Any PDF reader and a plotter	Alternative without CAD: it prints at a true width of 90, 120 or 150 cm so you can cut by hand.

What the file includes and what to check on import

Every CAD format includes the full size range: you do not pick sizes one by one as you do with PDF. Catalog patterns are approved with a sewn sample, so you get the grading already done, not a base size that you have to grade yourself.

Even so, a DXF is an exchange file, and a minimal check before making the marker is worth it:

Unit: choose the right one on import (centimeters, millimeters or inches) and do not rescale afterwards. A piece ten times too big or too small is almost always a unit problem.
Measurements: take two or three known measurements from the base size and compare them with the pattern's size chart.
Joining seams: the front side seam and the back side seam must measure the same, except for planned easing.
Notches and grainline: confirm they came in where they belong. If a notch arrives as a loose line, convert it before using the automatic cutter.
Seam allowance: check whether the outline already includes it before adding another.

Which patterns can be ordered in CAD

Any pattern in the catalog can be ordered as DXF/AAMA, PDS or ADS: pants, sweatshirts, joggers, jackets, t-shirts, shirts, dresses, uniforms and sportswear, in both adult and kids' size ranges. CAD formats have no price listed on the product page: they are ordered on request via WhatsApp, with the pattern name and the format.

If the pattern you need does not exist, custom patternmaking develops it from a garment or a photo, graded to your size chart, and delivers it directly in your system's format.

How to order a pattern in DXF, PDS or ADS

Ordering takes a few WhatsApp messages. Send us:

The pattern name or code, exactly as it appears on the catalog product page.
The format: DXF/AAMA, PDS or ADS. If you are not sure, tell us which software and version you use.
Whether you also need the MRK marker or the plotter PDF of the same style.
How many styles you want quoted together, and whether it is a collection or a restock.

From DXF to cutting: markers, cutters and restocks

With the pattern in your system, the work becomes routine: you build the marker with your size mix, remake it every time the roll width changes, and you do not depend on a paper pattern that wears out. To restock a style you already sold, you open the same file and produce with the same fit.

If you would rather not make the marker yourself, Modeltex builds the MRK marker to the usable width of your fabric and to your size mix. That marker is printed on a plotter to cut a stacked lay, or sent to the automatic cutter.

License, delivery and guarantee for CAD files

The license is for productive use: you can manufacture and sell garments made with the pattern in unlimited quantities, for your own brand or for third parties. The files cannot be resold, published or redistributed.

Delivery is a digital download, with no physical shipping, to any country. Lead time for a CAD file on request is arranged over WhatsApp. Because it is a digital file, it cannot be returned for a change of mind once the download is unlocked, but files are guaranteed: if it does not open, is incomplete or is not the one you bought, it is fixed or resent and, if that cannot be resolved, refunded. Choose your software carefully before paying: changing format after the download is quoted separately.

Keep exploring

Computerized markers (MRK): Your patterns nested to the real width of your fabric and to your size mix.
Plotter sewing patterns: PDF at a true width of 90, 120 or 150 cm to cut by hand.
Custom design: The pattern that is not in the catalog, delivered in your system's format.
Digital patternmaking: Which format fits how you cut.
Sewing patterns catalog: Pick the style and order it in the CAD format you use.
PDF sewing patterns: What each PDF file includes and how it prints.
Frequently asked questions: Formats, sizes, delivery, license and refunds.
Contact and WhatsApp: The fastest way to order a CAD format.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I order a DXF/AAMA pattern if the product page does not show that format?

Write to us on WhatsApp with the pattern name and the format you need. CAD formats have no price listed on the product page: they are ordered on request for any catalog pattern, and we confirm the price, the payment method and the delivery time in the same chat before you pay.

I use Lectra Modaris: which pattern format should I order?

DXF/AAMA, because PDS and ADS are the native formats of Optitex and Audaces, not of Lectra. Modaris imports the DXF from File > Import, asks for the unit and builds the model; some licenses need the interoperability module. Afterwards, check in the size table that the full range came in.

When should I order PDS or ADS instead of DXF/AAMA?

When your workshop uses Optitex (PDS) or Audaces (ADS) and you want to open the pattern without conversion. The native file keeps notches and grading exactly as they were built and spares you from checking units and layers on import. If you use another system, or several, DXF/AAMA is the format most programs read.

Does the CAD format include the full size range, or do I choose the sizes?

It always includes the full range: with CAD formats you do not pick sizes one by one as you do with PDF. You get the grading already done, from XS to 4XL for adults or from 2 to 18 for kids depending on the pattern, approved with a sewn sample, so you can make markers with whatever size mix each order needs.

I already bought the PDF pattern: can I also get it in DXF?

Yes, a format change is quoted separately. Write to us on WhatsApp with the pattern name and the order number of the PDF purchase, and we will send you a quote for the DXF/AAMA, PDS or ADS. Decide on your software before paying, because once the download is unlocked there is no return for a change of mind.

Is the DXF ready for marker making, or do I have to enter data?

Check it before making the marker: a DXF is an exchange file, and programs do not always receive the quantity per piece, the fabric type or the rotation allowance from it. Enter that data in your system and measure one piece against the spec sheet. If you would rather receive the marker already made, order it separately as MRK.