How to Import a DXF Pattern in Optitex, Audaces, Gerber and Lectra

To import a DXF in Audaces Moldes, go to File > Import and choose DXF (or the AAMA import wizard, depending on the version). There you set the file unit, because Audaces works in centimeters by default, check the layer mapping and measure one piece against the tech pack. In Optitex the path is File > Import > DXF, in Gerber AccuMark it is the conversion utility (Data Conversion Utility or Import/Export, depending on the version) and in Lectra Modaris it is File > Import. In all four programs the result depends on the same things: the correct unit (centimeters, millimeters or inches), no scaling applied afterward, notch and grainline layers mapped correctly, and a real measurement checked before you cut.

Modeltex production guide. Updated on Oct 12, 2026.

What a DXF/AAMA file contains

DXF/AAMA is the patternmaking exchange format defined by the ASTM D6673 standard (the successor to AAMA-292). It is an ordinary DXF with one convention: each type of information goes on a numbered layer. The most commonly used are layer 1 for the piece outline, 4 for notches, 7 for grainline, 8 for internal lines, 13 for drill holes, 14 for the sewing line and 15 for text, among others.

Sizes can arrive in two ways: all graded inside the same DXF (each size as a block, which the software calls a nest or graded nest) or only the base size plus a .rul file with the grading rules. If you receive a .rul file along with the DXF, you have to import them together or the pattern comes in as a single size.

What a DXF does not guarantee is the unit. The file can be in inches, millimeters or centimeters depending on the system that exported it, and the receiving program does not always detect it. That is why the first thing you ask the supplier is the unit and whether the outline includes the seam allowance or not.

Optitex: File > Import > DXF

In Optitex PDS (and in the O/Dev versions) you open the import dialog from File > Import > DXF, or from Open by choosing DXF as the file type, which brings up the same dialog. Before you accept, set the unit of the source file (not the one in your own settings), check the option to import the graded sizes or to read the .rul file if there is one, and review the AAMA layer table so that layer 4 comes in as notches and layer 7 as grainline.

After importing, open the properties of one piece to confirm it has all the sizes of the range and that the base size is the one listed in the tech pack. Use the measure tool to take a known measurement, for example the chest width of the front in the base size, and compare it with the size chart. If the outlines came in open, turn on the option to close outlines during import or fix the duplicate points.

If the pattern already has the seam allowance in the outline, do not apply it again with the allowance tool. If you prefer to work with the sewing line as the outline, import layer 14 as the main line and regenerate the allowance from there.

How to import a DXF in Audaces Moldes: File > Import > DXF

In Audaces Moldes the path is File > Import, then choose DXF (or the AAMA import wizard, depending on the version). The dialog asks for the measurement unit and shows the layer mapping: confirm that the outline, notches, grainline and internal lines point to the right layers. Audaces works in centimeters by default, so if the DXF is in inches you have to say so there; otherwise the pieces come in 2.54 times too small.

Once imported, check the size table to see that the range is complete and that the names match the tech pack. Measure a piece with the measure tool and verify that the notches have a type and depth assigned; if they came in as strokes, convert them with the notch tool.

To make a marker in the Audaces marker module (Encaixe or Marker, depending on the version), the pieces need quantity, fabric and rotation permission defined in their properties. The DXF does not always carry that data, so enter it before sending the model to the marker.

Gerber AccuMark and Lectra Modaris

In Gerber AccuMark the DXF is not opened from PDS: it is converted into pieces in a storage area with the conversion utility (Data Conversion Utility or Import/Export, depending on the version) from AccuMark Explorer. Before converting, check the user environment table so the unit is metric if the file is in centimeters, and the import options table, where the AAMA layers and the grading rules table are assigned. Long piece names or names with special characters can get truncated; rename them if needed.

In Lectra Modaris the import is under File > Import (on some licenses it requires the interoperability module). Modaris asks for the file unit and builds a model with the pieces; afterward, check in the size table that the range came in complete and with the correct base size. Markers are then made in Diamino, which takes the model with the quantities per size.

In both systems the same check applies as in Optitex and Audaces: measure a known piece in the base size, compare the length of two seams that join (the front side seam against the back side seam, for example) and confirm the notches are where the tech pack marks them.

Notches, balance marks, grainline and seam allowance

Notches (or balance marks) are what gets lost most often in an exchange. In the standard they travel on layer 4 as marks with a type (V, straight, T, U) and a depth, but many exporters send them as small lines on layer 8. If you see stray short lines instead of notches after importing, convert them with your program's notch tool and set a depth of 3 to 5 mm, which is the usual range (a guideline; on fabrics that fray, use the minimum).

Grainline comes in on layer 7 as a line with a direction. If it is missing, define it before making the marker: without a grainline the marker software can rotate the piece however it likes and ruin the drape or the print repeat. Symmetrical pieces have a similar issue: some DXFs include only half the piece with a mirror line (layer 6) and the program has to unfold it; others include the whole piece.

With seam allowance there is only one rule: know whether the outline includes it. The most common case in an exchange DXF is that the outline is the cutting line, with the allowance already added, and that the sewing line goes separately on layer 14 if the supplier exports it. Adding an allowance on top of an outline that already had one is the most expensive mistake, because it makes the garment 1 or 2 centimeters bigger per seam and nobody notices until the sample.

Common problems when importing a DXF

Almost every problem shows up in the first ten minutes if you measure. These are the most frequent ones and their causes.

Pieces 10 times larger or smaller: the file was in millimeters and was read as centimeters, or the other way around. Re-import with the correct unit instead of scaling.
Pieces 2.54 times larger or smaller: inches and centimeters were mixed up. Same fix.
One size instead of the full range: the DXF came with the base size and the rules in a .rul file that was not imported, or you did not turn on the option to import grading.
Open outlines or pieces that cannot be placed in a marker: duplicate points or a segment that does not close. Use the close-outline option or join points with a small tolerance.
Curves converted into many short straight segments: this is normal, because a DXF does not store curves as curves. If you are going to modify the pattern, reduce points; if you are only going to cut, you do not need to.
Illegible or missing text: layer 15 is not always respected. It does not affect cutting, but rename the pieces with size, fabric and quantity.
Mirrored or flipped piece: check the mirror line and the fabric side indicated in the tech pack.

How to check the import before you cut

The minimum check takes less time than cutting a layer wrong. First, take two or three known measurements in the base size and compare them with the pattern's size chart: chest width, total length, sleeve length. Second, compare the length of seams that join: front side seam against back side seam, sleeve cap against armhole (in woven fabric the sleeve cap usually carries 1 to 2 cm of ease; in jersey, practically none), collar against neckline.

Third, check that the size range progresses consistently: sizes must grow in even steps from one to the next, with no odd jumps in the middle (a typical sign of a misread .rul). Fourth, count the pieces and the quantity of each piece and compare them with the tech pack: a missing facing or cuff is a classic cutting mistake.

If the pattern is going into a large run, print the base size on a plotter and make a sample before making the marker. Modeltex DXF/AAMA files are delivered with the complete size range and with the pattern already approved with a sample, but a sample in your fabric and with your sewing team is still the final check. If you work in Optitex or Audaces, you can ask for the file in native PDS or ADS, or for the MRK marker directly at your fabric width.

Frequently asked questions

How do I import a DXF pattern in Audaces?

In Audaces Moldes, use File > Import and choose DXF (the exact menu changes by version). Set the unit, because Audaces works in centimeters by default, check the layer mapping and make sure the pieces are closed. Then measure one piece against the tech pack.

Why does my DXF open in Optitex with giant or tiny pieces?

It is a units problem. A DXF does not always declare whether it is in inches, millimeters or centimeters, and the program assumes one. If the pieces ended up 2.54 times larger or smaller, it was inches against centimeters; if the factor is 10, it was millimeters against centimeters. Import again and set the correct unit in the import dialog; do not scale the pieces afterward, because the size grading would also come out wrong.

Does the DXF/AAMA file include all the sizes?

It depends on how it was exported. It can carry all the graded sizes in the same file (each size as a block) or only the base size, with a .rul file of grading rules that must be imported together with the DXF. If you see a single size after importing, check whether a .rul file came with it or whether you did not turn on the option to import grading.

How do I know if a DXF pattern already includes the seam allowance?

Ask the supplier and measure. In most exchange DXFs the outline is the cutting line with the allowance included, and the sewing line, if it comes at all, is on a separate layer (14 in the AAMA/ASTM standard). If both lines are there, the distance between them shows you the allowance (generally 1 cm on seams and 2 to 3 cm on hems). Never add an allowance without confirming it.

Can DXF patterns be opened in Gerber AccuMark?

Yes. AccuMark imports AAMA/ASTM DXF with its conversion utility (Data Conversion Utility or Import/Export, depending on the version) from AccuMark Explorer, which turns the file into pieces and a model inside a storage area. You have to set the unit in the user environment table and assign the layers in the import options. After that, the pieces open in PDS like any pattern of your own.

What do I do if the notches imported as loose lines?

It happens when the exporter put the notches on the internal lines layer (8) instead of the notch layer (4). Select those marks and convert them with your program's notch tool, assigning a type and a depth (3 to 5 mm is the usual range). It is worth doing before making the marker, because the automatic cutter cuts notches, not stray lines.

How do I verify that an imported pattern is at the correct scale?

Take two or three known measurements in the base size (chest width, total length, sleeve length) and compare them with the pattern's size chart. Then compare seams that join, such as the front side seam with the back side seam: they should measure the same, except for planned ease. If you have doubts, print a piece on a plotter at 100 percent and measure it with a tape; the test square included in PDF patterns is the quickest check.

More guides

Sewing patterns ready for production, with the full size range, in the Modeltex catalog.