TechDrawAI
Workflow · 2026
Pairs withOnshape logoOnshape

TechDraw AI
+ Onshape

They aren't competitors. They're two ends of one pipeline. TechDraw AI turns a photo or a sketch into a dimensioned DXF. Onshape turns that DXF into a parametric 3D model in the browser, with assemblies, sharing and version history. This is the exact handoff, click by click.

maria, TechDraw AI usermustafa, TechDraw AI usersarah, TechDraw AI userdavid, TechDraw AI user
Trusted by 213,000+ usersEngineers, makers and machine shops.
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Updated June 2026·Works with Onshape
Step in the jobTechDraw AIOnshape
Capture from a photo✓✗
Real measured dimensions✓~
Dimensioned 2D drawing✓~
DXF / DWG import✓✓
Parametric 3D model in the browser✗✓
Assemblies & mates✗✓
Cloud sharing & version history✗✓

Why pair TechDraw AI with Onshape?

Onshape is a brilliant cloud modeller and a useless scanner. It has no idea what the part in your spares drawer actually measures. TechDraw AI does the measuring and the drawing; Onshape does everything that comes after, in the browser.

Step one

From a photo to a dimensioned drawing

Upload a photo of the part, anchor one real measurement, and get back a clean, dimensioned drawing you can export as DXF.

PhotoPhoto of a machined sensor housing part on a workbench
DrawingDimensioned technical drawing generated by TechDraw AI
Step two

Then extrude or revolve in Onshape

Import the DXF, Use the curves in a Part Studio sketch, then extrude the prismatic parts and revolve the round ones. You have a parametric 3D model without redrawing a single line.

A machined aluminium sensor housing modelled in Onshape
OnshapeOnshape
The bridge

One clean DXF connects the two

The DXF is the seam between the tools. TechDraw AI exports it scaled to your measured reference, so once you set the units on import Onshape reads real-size geometry. No guessing, no rescaling. If your part is flat, the DXF is already the production file.

Dimensioned spacer-collar drawing exported as DXF
Exports Onshape reads
DXF, the curves you Use, then extrude or revolve
DWG, the same geometry, AutoCAD-native
SVG for a clean vector handoff
PDF, the spec to keep open beside Onshape
Opens inOnshapeOnshapeFusion 360SolidWorksAutoCADFreeCADLibreCAD
An undocumented machined part with no drawing
The part in your hand
A caliper measuring a machined part
One real measurement
A dimensioned technical drawing of a spacer collar
Dimensioned drawing
A turned spacer collar modelled in Onshape
3D model in Onshape
Runs in a browser
nothing to install
Photo → 3D
skip the manual tracing
DXF · DWG
Onshape imports both
Use → Extrude
convert curves, then features
What are you trying to do?
Reverse engineer a part

Photograph a discontinued part, get the DXF, import it into a Part Studio, then extrude or revolve and redesign. No original model and no install needed.

Capture in the field, model anywhere

Snap a part on site, generate the DXF, and open Onshape on any laptop or even a tablet. The model lives in the cloud, so the work follows you, not a workstation.

Share a link, not a file

Because the document is cloud-native, you can hand a teammate or a machine shop a link to the live model the moment the DXF is in. No file versions flying around email.

Fast 2D straight to the cutter

For laser, waterjet or router work the DXF often goes straight to the machine; Onshape just confirms and details the geometry before it ships.

Who does what

Division of labour, not redundancy. Each tool owns the half of the job it's actually good at.

Step in the jobTechDraw AIOnshape
Capture from a photo✓✗
Real measured dimensions✓~
Dimensioned 2D drawing✓~
DXF / DWG import✓✓
Parametric 3D model in the browser✗✓
Assemblies & mates✗✓
Cloud sharing & version history✗✓
Best atPhoto → drawingDrawing → 3D
What each tool hands you
TechDraw AI
Dimensioned 2D drawing
One measured reference dimension
Closed vector profile
DXF, DWG, SVG, PDF export
Onshape
Parametric 3D model in the browser
Editable sketch & feature history
Assemblies, mates & motion
Cloud sharing, branches & versions

See it for yourself

Drop in a photo of a part. You'll get a dimensioned drawing and a clean DXF, ready to import into an Onshape Part Studio. No account needed to start.

Convert an image to DXF
Section 01

The five-step handoff

Once you've exported the drawing from TechDraw AI as a DXF, the import into Onshape is short. If your part is flat, like a gasket, bracket or laser plate, the DXF is the production file and you can stop after the import.

From DXF to a 3D body
1
Import the DXF'+' › Import, drop the DXF into your document
→
2
Pick unitsOnshape's import dialog asks mm vs inch
→
3
Lands as a Part StudioCurves arrive as imported sketch geometry
→
4
'Use' the entitiesNew sketch › Use, to convert curves into it
→
5
Extrude / revolveSelect the closed region, add depth
A sheet-metal tray modelled from an imported profile in Onshape
The imported profile, built into a sheet-metal part in Onshape.
A roller-and-bearing assembly in Onshape
From there: assemblies, mates and shared versions.
Verdict

The seam is a DXF. Mind your units, the Use step and closed loopsand it's a seam you barely notice. Geometry in, parametric cloud model out.

Section 02

Extrude vs. revolve

The DXF is always a flat 2D profile. Once you Use the curves in a sketch, how you give them depth depends on the part.

A prismatic plate, extruded from a flat profile
Prismatic parts → Extrude
  • Brackets, plates, housings, constant cross-section
  • Use the curves, then extrude the closed region
  • Closed cut-outs become pockets with Extrude › Remove
  • Sketch on the new part's face to keep building
A round part being turned on a lathe, revolved from a half-section
Turned parts → Revolve
  • Shafts, bushings, collars, anything round
  • Use just the half-section profile
  • Add a construction line as the axis, revolve 360°
  • Revolve › Remove handles grooves and reliefs
Section 03

Three gotchas that break the import

Almost every “my DXF won't extrude in Onshape” thread comes down to one of these. Knowing them up front saves the ten minutes.

1. Imported curves aren't a sketch yet. A DXF lands as imported geometry in the Part Studio, but Extrude needs an actual sketch region. Start a new sketch, select the curves and click Use (convert entities) to pull them in. Only then will Onshape find the closed region to extrude.
2. Wrong units scale the part.A DXF carries no guaranteed unit, so Onshape asks on import. If a 50 mm part arrives 25.4× too big, the dialog read it as inches. Set the units in the import dialog to match the drawing.
3. Open profiles won't extrude.Extrude needs a closed contour. If a region won't highlight after Use, two endpoints that look joined aren't. Close the gap with a line or trim. A clean export from TechDraw AI is already closed, so this mostly bites hand-traced DXFs.

Cleanest habit: from TechDraw AI, export one DXF of just the profile geometry to import and Use, and keep the full dimensioned drawing (or a PDF) open beside Onshape as your spec. The model gets clean lines; you keep the numbers in view.

Section 04

Where this combo earns its keep

Best tool for each step of these jobs
JobTechDraw AIOnshape
Capture an undocumented part
Dimension it to real size
Build the 3D model
Share it with the team
Redesign / modify
Who leads where
Capture & dimensioningTechDraw AI
2D drawing & DXF exportTechDraw AI
Cloud 3D modellingOnshape
Sharing & versioningOnshape
The full pipelineBoth, together
More

Other CAD workflows

TechDraw AI hands a clean, dimensioned DXF to whatever you model in. Here's the same photo-to-3D handoff written up for other CAD tools.

All CAD workflows →

The full hub: every TechDraw AI photo-to-DXF pairing in one place.

TechDraw AI + Fusion 360

Insert the DXF into a Fusion sketch, then extrude or revolve it into a parametric model.

TechDraw AI + SolidWorks

Open the DXF with the DXF/DWG Import Wizard, then build a parametric SolidWorks model.

TechDraw AI + Shapr3D

Import the DXF onto a sketch plane, then Push/Pull or revolve it on iPad or Mac.

TechDraw AI + FreeCAD

Import the DXF in the Draft workbench, convert it to a sketch, then Pad or Revolve it — free.

TechDraw AI + Inventor

Import the DXF into a sketch, extrude or revolve it, then drive a production drawing and BOM.

TechDraw AI + SketchUp

Import the DXF in SketchUp Pro, explode it to edges, then Push/Pull or Follow Me into a model.

TechDraw AI + Tinkercad

Export as SVG, import it into Tinkercad in the browser, and extrude it into a printable solid.

TechDraw AI + Blender

Import the DXF or SVG as a curve, convert to mesh, then Solidify or Screw it — free.

TechDraw AI + Rhino

Import the DXF as exact curves, Join them, then ExtrudeCrv or Revolve into NURBS surfaces.

Start at the part, end at the cloud model

Generate the dimensioned DXF in minutes, then import it into Onshape. No tracing, no blank canvas, nothing to install. Free to start, no account needed.

DWG vs. DXF: which to send

Frequently asked questions

Does TechDraw AI replace Onshape?

No. They solve different halves of the job. TechDraw AI gets you from a physical part or an idea to a dimensioned 2D drawing and a clean DXF in minutes. Onshape is the cloud CAD where that DXF becomes a parametric 3D model, an assembly or a drawing, all in the browser with full version history.

How do I import a TechDraw AI drawing into Onshape?

Export the drawing as DXF from TechDraw AI. In Onshape, click the '+' in the top-left of a document and choose Import, or just drag the DXF in. Pick the units in the import dialog. The geometry lands as a Part Studio of imported curves; open a new sketch, run 'Use' to convert those curves into it, and you can extrude, revolve or use them as a cut.

Why won't my imported DXF extrude in Onshape?

Extrude needs a closed region, and imported DXF curves are not part of an active sketch yet. Start a new sketch on the plane, select the imported curves and click Use (convert entities) to bring them in, then let Onshape find the closed region. If a region still won't highlight, two endpoints that look joined aren't, so close the gap with a line or trim.

Does the part come in at the wrong size?

A DXF carries no guaranteed unit, so Onshape asks on import. If a 50 mm part arrives 25.4x too big, the dialog read it as inches. Set the units to match the drawing. A clean export from TechDraw AI is scaled to your measured reference, so once the units are right it lands real-size.

Does this work for turned (round) parts too?

Yes. For a shaft, bushing or collar, import the DXF, Use the half-section profile in a sketch, add a construction line as the axis of revolution, and choose Revolve instead of Extrude.