Import
The Import command loads an existing drawing from your local file system into KulmanLab CAD. Both the standard DXF format and KulmanLab’s own JSON format are supported.
How to import a file
- Click the Import toolbar button (folder icon) in the File panel at the top of the screen.
- Your browser’s file picker opens. Navigate to your drawing file and select it.
- The drawing loads onto the canvas immediately. The viewport fits all entities automatically.
Alternatively, you can drag and drop a file directly onto the canvas.
Supported file formats
| Format | Extension | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| DXF | .dxf | Drawings from FreeCAD, LibreCAD, or other CAD tools |
| JSON (native) | .json | Drawings previously saved from KulmanLab CAD — full fidelity |
What gets imported from DXF
KulmanLab parses the following DXF entity types:
| Entity type | DXF code | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Line | LINE | |
| Circle | CIRCLE | |
| Arc | ARC | |
| Ellipse | ELLIPSE | |
| Polyline | LWPOLYLINE | |
| Spline | SPLINE | |
| Text | TEXT, MTEXT | |
| Dimension | DIMENSION | |
| Multileader | MULTILEADER | |
| Hatch | HATCH | Pattern name, scale, and angle are read; a name not in your pattern library falls back to ANSI31. See Hatch |
Layer definitions and linetype tables are also imported from the DXF file when present.
Entities that use unsupported DXF types are silently skipped — the rest of the drawing still loads.
File naming and storage
The imported file keeps its original name. If that name is already used by another saved drawing, a Finder/Explorer-style suffix is appended automatically (myplan (2), myplan (3), …) so the existing entry is never overwritten. You can rename the file afterwards from the File Manager.
The drawing is automatically saved to browser storage (IndexedDB) after import, so it appears in the File Manager panel and survives page reloads.
What happens to the current drawing
Importing replaces the current canvas. There is no merge or append. If you have unsaved changes, export the current drawing first.
On startup
KulmanLab automatically reopens the most recently edited file when the page loads. If no saved files exist, a default sample drawing is loaded.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas is empty after import | DXF entities use unsupported types (e.g. HATCH, INSERT) | The entities were skipped — check for the “no entities found” message in the terminal |
| Import button does nothing | Browser blocked the file picker | Click the button once more; some browsers require a fresh user gesture |
| Dimensions look wrong | DXF from a tool that writes non-standard dimension geometry | Re-export from the source app using a current DXF version |
Related commands
- Export Manager — download the current drawing as DXF or JSON
- File Manager — browse and restore drawings saved in the browser
- New File — start a blank drawing