Download EchoCad
EchoCad reads AutoCAD DWG drawings inside QGIS, from R14 through 2018 and newer, without a conversion step and without a separate converter installation. Every CAD layer becomes a QGIS layer. Colours, line types, line widths, text size and rotation are preserved. Hatch patterns are rebuilt from the drawing's own definitions. Block attributes become fields. Whole folders convert in one run with a CSV report. Layer mapping profiles align CAD layers with your own schema. Georeferencing from two reference points keeps Z values. Processing toolbox algorithms are included. All processing is local, so drawings do not leave the machine. Requires QGIS 3.34 LTR or newer on Windows or macOS. The free edition reads DXF with the same import code and installs from the official QGIS plugin repository.
A folder of drawings converts in a single operation, with subfolders optional and a per-file CSV report listing status, note, layer count, feature count and elapsed time. One failing file does not stop the run. Open polylines with coinciding endpoints are closed into polygons. Block references with attributes produce one point layer per CAD layer, with each attribute tag as a separate field and the original tag name kept as the alias. Mapping profiles use glob-pattern rules, first match wins, and several CAD layers can merge into one output layer. Output goes to GeoPackage or directly into the project. The bundled converter is LibreDWG 0.14.8578 for Windows and macOS. The interface follows the QGIS language, with English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese and Chinese included.
The free edition makes a drawing visible in QGIS, one drawing at a time. Pro turns a whole folder of them into data that can be queried and analysed. The difference covers how much can be done at once and what comes back: block attributes as queryable fields, batch conversion with a report, open polylines closed into polygons, georeferencing from two reference points with Z values kept, mapping profiles, and Processing toolbox algorithms callable from models or scripts. Failures are distinguished and reported, and features dropped for broken coordinates are counted. The import code is the same in both editions. Pro is licensed at USD 299 for 10 users, with one year of updates included.
Use Cases for EchoCad
| Read DWG R14 through 2018 directly inside QGIS | Bundled conversion library works without network connection |
| Create one QGIS layer per CAD layer preserving structure | Split mixed layers by geometry type where needed |
| Transfer entity colour, line type, and line width | Preserve visual hierarchy instead of uniform default styling |
| Rebuild hatch fills from internal pattern definitions | Keep material hatching and section fills distinguishable |
| Place text at original size, rotation, and colour | Read Korean, Japanese, Chinese text regardless of header encoding |
| Extract block attributes into separate QGIS fields | Keep original tag names as field aliases |
| Convert entire folder of drawings in one operation | Per-file CSV report lists status, layers, features, elapsed time |
| JSON profiles map CAD layer names onto target schema | Glob-pattern rules merge layers with first match priority |
| Georeference drawings by picking two reference points | Preserve Z values through transformation to projected system |
| Close open polylines into polygon features on import | Convert room outlines and parcel boundaries into areas |
| Expose import operations as QGIS Processing algorithms | Call from graphical models or Python scripts |
| Write converted data to GeoPackage or current project | Output layers keep naming produced by mapping profile |
| No drawing or coordinate transmitted during import | Runs entirely offline within restricted network environments |
| Distinguish unsupported format, empty drawing, and timeout | Count dropped features in run note rather than silently |