DWG to SHP Converter
Upload your DWG drawing, choose a coordinate system and get a SHP file to load into QGIS, ArcGIS or other GIS software.
DWG and SHP explained
DWG
AutoCAD's native binary drawing format, holding layers, lines, polylines and text.
Shapefile
A multi-file GIS vector format: .shp, .shx, .dbf plus .prj (CRS) and .cpg (encoding). One geometry type per file, so we output separate point, line and polygon files in a ZIP. DBF field names are limited to 10 characters; curves are converted to line segments.
When to use DWG to SHP
- The server reads DWG files from R13 to 2018, so you do not need AutoCAD installed.
- Load the drawing into QGIS or ArcGIS and overlay it on a basemap, cadastre or other GIS layers.
- You need attributes to filter and style: layer, CAD entity type, handle and text content live in the .dbf table.
- You need points, lines and polygons as separate layers for analysis, area measurement or joins.
What carries over and what changes
| Aspect | In the SHP result |
|---|---|
| Layers | The layer name is stored in the layer field of the .dbf table; layers are not split into separate files, you filter or style by layer in GIS. |
| Geometry types | Points, lines and polygons, one Shapefile per type, created only when there is data. Closed polylines and circles become polygons; hatches and solids become polygons, hatches keep holes. |
| Curves and arcs | Arcs, circles and splines are cut into straight segments with at most 0.05 drawing units of error (5 cm for a drawing in metres). |
| Text and blocks | TEXT and MTEXT become points at their insertion point, with the content in the text field (MTEXT formatting is dropped, one line, at most 254 UTF-8 bytes). Blocks are expanded and each block also adds a point at its insertion point. Block attributes (ATTRIB) are not exported. |
| Attributes | Four fields: layer, etype (CAD entity type), handle (ID in the drawing), text. XDATA and other extended data are not carried. |
| Colours and styles | Colours and linetypes are not carried; style by layer in your GIS. |
| Z / elevation | 2D only: no Z or M values. |
| CRS | Coordinates are written in WGS84 (EPSG:4326) with a .prj file. The CRS you choose is your drawing's own system, used to convert it; geometry outside its valid area is skipped. |
| Format specifics | DBF field names are limited to 10 characters (layer, etype, handle and text all fit); one geometry type per file; UTF-8 is declared in the .cpg so GIS software can read Vietnamese accents. |
Why is my drawing in the wrong place?
- A CAD drawing is usually just numbers: projected coordinates (VN2000, UTM) or a project's local grid. The tool does not read a CRS from the drawing; it uses exactly the one you choose.
- Choose VN2000 by province, or enter the central meridian (for example 105.75); choose WGS84 if the coordinates are already longitude and latitude; or enter an EPSG code.
- A wrong CRS shifts the drawing (it can be hundreds of metres or more). If everything falls outside the valid area the tool reports an error instead of making an empty file.
What's in the download
- One .zip. For each geometry type that has data there is one set: <name>_points, <name>_lines or <name>_polygons.
- Each set holds .shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj (WGS84) and .cpg (UTF-8).
- For KML, KMZ and SHP the page shows a summary when it finishes: counts of points, lines and polygons, the layer list and the bounding box.
- Upload a ZIP (up to 20 drawings) and the results are packaged together in one ZIP.
Security and retention
- Your file is uploaded to our server over HTTPS and processed on the server.
- The drawing and results of a finished conversion are deleted automatically after 7 days.
- The download link is a long random ID; no account is needed, but anyone with the link can download for 7 days, so do not post it publicly if the drawing is sensitive.
- If a conversion fails we keep the file so we can fix the cause and run it again.
- Each IP address runs one conversion at a time; a ZIP batch holds up to 20 drawings and 300 MB uncompressed.
- Email is optional and is used to send the download link (and to tell you if processing failed).
- Limits: 100 MB per upload; ZIP batches of up to 20 drawings.
FAQ
Is DWG to SHP free?
Yes, convert DWG to SHP online without AutoCAD.
Which coordinate system should I choose?
For VN2000 drawings pick the province or enter the central meridian; choose WGS84 if the data is already lon/lat, or enter a custom EPSG code.
What are the limits?
Up to 100 MB per upload; ZIP batches up to 20 drawings and 300 MB uncompressed; one conversion at a time per IP address; files are deleted automatically after 7 days.
Why several Shapefile files?
A Shapefile holds one geometry type, so you get a ZIP with separate point, line and polygon files.