CutForge Converter
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In development · early access open

DXF to NC1 converter

Your designer sends DXF. Your CNC line needs NC1. The CutForge Converter is a DXF to DSTV converter for steel parts: it reads the DXF drawing and writes the NC1 file – profile, length, holes, cut-outs and saw angles.

Get early access See how it works

part.dxf 2450 HEA 200 · S355J2 part.nc1 ST P101 S355J2 HEA200 I 2450.00AK v 0.00 0.00 … BO v 220.0 95.0 22.0BO v 330.0 95.0 22.0 BO v 2120.0 95.0 22.0BO v 2230.0 95.0 22.0 EN
98 %of single-part DXF drawings converted automatically
24 h*a DXF that fails? We convert it for you within 24 hours
30 DXFfree trial – no card needed
25 €per month with the yearly plan

The drawing arrives as DXF. The machine waits for NC1.

Detailers who work in Tekla or Advance Steel can export NC1 directly. Many designers can't – or don't – and send a DXF or PDF drawing instead. Then someone in the workshop has to type the part into the machine software: every hole, every cut-out, every angle. It takes time, and one wrong number costs a beam.

The converter reads that drawing for you. It finds the profile, the faces, the holes and the contours in the views and dimensions, checks them against each other and writes a standard NC1 file in the DSTV format that your line can read.

How it works

Convert DXF to NC1 in four steps – on your own Windows PC.

  1. Load the DXF

    Open one DXF or a whole folder. Ordinary production drawings with views, dimensions and a title block – no special template, no 1:1 scale needed.

  2. Recognition and self-check

    The converter reads profile, length, holes, cut-outs and end angles and cross-checks them with the dimensions and text of the drawing. If something does not add up, you get a clear warning instead of a silently wrong file.

  3. Save NC1

    One NC1 file per part in the DSTV format, ready for the machine: ST header, AK/IK contours, BO holes and markings.

  4. Check and cut

    Open the result in the drawing preview, compare it with the original and load it into your machine software.

98 % automatic. The rest within 24 hours.*

On single-part DXF drawings – one part per file, as exported from most detailing and CAD systems – the converter produces a correct NC1 file automatically for 98 % of drawings.

For the remaining few we do not leave you alone: send us the DXF that failed and we deliver the NC1 within 24 hours. Every such drawing also teaches the converter, so the next one goes through on its own.

DXF to DSTV: what the converter reads and writes

InputDXF drawings of steel parts (2D), one part per file. Folders and batches of many files at once.
Where DXF comes fromTekla Structures, Advance Steel, AutoCAD, BricsCAD, SolidWorks and Inventor 2D drawings, and other CAD systems that export DXF.
ProfilesI and H beams (IPE, HEA, HEB, HEM, IPN, UB, W …), channels (UPN, UPE, PFC), angles, rectangular and square hollow sections, round tubes, flats and plates.
FeaturesHoles and slots, countersinks, cut-outs and notches, mitres and saw angles, contours of plates and copes, markings.
OutputNC1 files in the DSTV format (.nc1) – one per part, holes as BO blocks, faces in DSTV orientation.
DWGNot read directly (licensing). Save the drawing as DXF from your CAD – it takes one click.

What an NC1 file looks like

A shortened NC1 file for a HEA 200 beam, 4250 mm long: the ST header and the first outer contours (AK). The holes (BO) follow further down in the file. The full structure of the format is explained on the NC1 file format page.

ST
** P101.nc1
  DEMO-26-014
  DEMO-26-014-V
  P101
  P101
  S355J2
  2
  HEA200
  I
    4250.00
     190.00
     200.00
       6.50
      10.00
      18.00
     42.300
      1.160
      0.000
      0.000
      0.000
      0.000




AK
  v       0.00s      0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00
       4250.00      0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00
       4250.00    190.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00
          0.00    190.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00
          0.00      0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00
AK
  o       0.00s      0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00       0.00
…

Load a sample part → Free online NC1 viewer

NC1 for machines that read DSTV

NC1 (DSTV) files are read by many CNC beam drill lines, saw lines and plasma beam lines – for example machines from Ficep, Voortman, Kaltenbach or Peddinghaus, among many others. Whether a particular machine accepts a file depends on its control software, so test a few parts first.

CutForge is an independent product. It is not a partner of these manufacturers and is not approved or endorsed by them. Names are used only to describe compatibility with the DSTV format.

Your drawings stay on your PC

  • The converter runs on Windows 10 and 11. Drawings are processed locally, not uploaded.
  • Only the licence check talks to our server – no drawing data.
  • A drawing is sent to us only when you choose to – for the 24-hour service.

Who is it for?

  • Steel fabricators with a CNC beam, drill or saw line that receive drawings without NC1.
  • Workshops where a person retypes drawings into the machine software today.
  • Smaller CNC shops without expensive detailing or CAM software.

Pricing

Planned prices for the first release. Early-access users will hear about the launch offer first.

Monthly

39 € / month

 

Yearly

300 € / year

= 25 € per month, about a third less

Free trial: 30 DXF files, no card needed. Final prices — the seller is not VAT-registered. Cancel any time.

Get early access

Leave your e-mail and we will contact you first when the converter is ready. Tell us your machine and where your DXF files come from – it helps us decide what to support first.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert a DXF file to NC1?
Open the DXF in the CutForge Converter. It recognises the profile, length, holes, cut-outs and angles from the drawing and saves an NC1 file in the DSTV format. The full walkthrough is in our guide: How to convert DXF to NC1 (DSTV).
How do I convert DXF to DSTV?
A DSTV file is an NC1 file: the format comes from the German steel construction association DSTV, and .nc1 is its usual file extension. Converting DXF to DSTV therefore means writing an NC1 file from the drawing. That is what the CutForge Converter, which is in development, is built for: it reads the DXF, warns you when something does not add up and saves one NC1 file per part.
What is the difference between DSTV and NC1?
There is none in practice. DSTV stands for Deutscher Stahlbau-Verband, the German steel construction association behind the format; NC1 is the usual file extension of its NC files. “DSTV file” and “NC1 file” mean the same thing – see the NC1 file format page.
What does 98 % mean?
On single-part DXF drawings (one part per file) the converter produces a correct NC1 automatically for 98 of 100 drawings. Drawings it cannot read reliably are flagged – they are never silently wrong.
What happens with a DXF that fails?
Send it to us from the converter or by e-mail. We deliver the NC1 file within 24 hours and improve the converter so that similar drawings work automatically next time.
Can it convert DWG to NC1?
Not directly. Save the drawing as DXF in your CAD program (File → Save as → DXF) and open that.
Can I convert NC1 to DXF?
Not yet. The Converter works in one direction only: DXF drawing in, NC1 file out. The free online NC1 viewer shows an NC1 file but does not write DXF. Exporting plates from NC1 to DXF at 1:1 is planned for the Converter.
Can it read a whole drawing sheet with many parts?
The first release is made for single-part drawings – one part per file. Splitting large sheets with many parts is in development.
Which machines can use the NC1 files?
Machines that read DSTV NC1 files – for example CNC beam, drill and saw lines from Ficep, Voortman, Kaltenbach or Peddinghaus, among others. Test a few parts on your machine first. CutForge is independent of these manufacturers.
Is NC1 the same as G-code?
No. G-code describes tool paths for milling machines or cutting tables. An NC1 file describes the part – profile, contour, holes – in the DSTV format, and the machine software plans the tool paths.
Do I need AutoCAD or Tekla?
No. The converter is a standalone Windows program. You only need the DXF file.
How much does it cost?
39 € per month or 300 € per year (excl. VAT), with a free trial for 30 DXF files. Prices are planned for the first release.
When will it be available?
The converter is in development and being tested on real production drawings. People on the early-access list hear first – usually within weeks, not months.
Is my drawing data safe?
Drawings are processed on your own PC. Nothing is uploaded unless you send a drawing to us yourself.
How do I check an NC1 file before cutting?
Compare the drawing preview in the converter with the original drawing and always run your machine's own simulation before cutting material.

Learn more

Free online NC1 viewer

Free online NC1 file viewer: open DSTV files from Tekla, Advance Steel and other systems in your browser. See faces, holes and cut-outs. No sign-up, no upload.

How to convert DXF to NC1 (DSTV)

How to convert a DXF drawing to a DSTV file (NC1) for a CNC beam line: three ways, how to prepare the DXF, typical problems and how to check the result.

What is an NC1 file? The DSTV NC1 file format explained

What is an NC1 file? A DSTV file describes one steel part for CNC machines. The format explained: ST header, AK/IK contours, BO holes, and how to open one.

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