LOB

Apps: Designer
Platforms: Windows, macOS and iPad

Affinity Designer now supports both DWG and DXF export, available from both File->Export and the Export Persona.
It's important to note that both these file formats are primarily concerned with vector outline data, with limited support for many of the features Affinity offers. However, it's been a heavily requested feature particularly as it means outlines created in Affinity can be easily exported and consumed in various CAD applications as well as utilities for things such as vinyl cutters, plotters and CNC tools.
Because of this, as well as some of the other fundamental differences in the file formats such as layer structure, while both import and export of DWG is now available we do not consider this a format which is suitable to round trip in Affinity. Or put another way we would not recommend collaborating with an AutoCAD user on the same DWG file.
Within export we do offer various options on how to deal with some of the unsupported features / differences in the file format:

 
Layers
All entities in DWG/DXF belong in a layer. There is always a default “Layer 0” in a valid DWG/DXF file. Affinity also has layers. This setting determines how Affinity layers are mapped to DWG layers, and therefore which DWG layer an exported item belong in

Gradient Strokes
Determines what to do with strokes with a gradient fill applied, which DWG does not support.

Gradient Fills
Determines what to do with fills with a gradient fill applied

Bitmap Strokes
Determines what to do with strokes with a bitmap fill applied, which DWG does not support:

Bitmap Fills
Determines what to do with fills with a bitmap fill applied, which DWG does not support:

Pressure Strokes
Determines what to do with strokes with a pressure profile applied, which DWG does not support:

Overweight Strokes
Determines what to do with strokes with a line weight > 2.11mm, which DWG does not support:

Dashes Strokes
Determines what to do with strokes with a dash pattern applied. DWG does support dash patterns; however DWG dashes do not scale automatically with line weight, as they do in Affinity. 

Scale dash patterns
If any line weight adjustment is made to an exported curve (e.g. it is clamped to the 2.11mm maximum), you may expect the dashes to stay the same length, or you may prefer them to scale automatically as they do in Affinity. The former is similar to AutoCAD’s behaviour - when you change an entity’s line weight, it does not recompute the dashes, which is effectively the opposite of Affinity’s behaviour. If “Scale dash patterns” is on, Affinity’s behaviour is used, so dashes will be scaled down if the line weight had to be scaled down.
Apply drawing scale
When enabled, the drawing scale is honoured. If you export an rectangle that is 1 inch wide and your drawing scale is 1:10, the rectangle will be exported 10 inches wides. Note that Affinity documents support multiple drawing scales within the same document, which cannot be honoured in a DWG/DXF file, so only the first/common drawing scale is applied.
 

Hi @LOB,
Please see my reply to your other post here

Patrick, thanks for your calm replies to this heated thread, and add to it another calm request from a long-time user who's just getting started in a new application of their design skills, and would really appreciate the addition of DXF export and the accompanying reduction of trips to other packages as midway hops in a never-ending sea of unitless formats and differing interpretations of fine detail my work now entails.
---
For all of you slinging fierce barbs at people you don't know or slinging them right back at other people you also don't know, it's not a good look. You know little about other's situations, or how they may have come to the point they're at. As an example, I've paid for and used both versions of all three of these wonderful apps, typeset a full book for a friend as a starter project, used it as my 'home solution' for years because it was (and remains) affordable and excellent, and only recently picked up laser cutting and CNC routing. It's at this point that I now need DXF, so free trials or paid trials or demo versions or anything else wouldn't work for my particular situation, now would I have known about this in advance (because of a lack of concurrence of events called 'time' or 'life'). I'm here now, asking for a thing that does exist but doesn't exists here, and trying to do so in a respectful and kind manner. I've also found solutions to all the issues which are being presented, but none of them are easy or pretty, so I still think it's a valid ask. Plus, by asking, developers such as Patrick and others at Serif get better information about how people both use their products, and wish to use their products. 
Bottom line: I'm here now, and would like to request this feature please, for all the good reasons stated before, and it's not 100% critical but it is a real and major factor in my workflow.
Honestly have no idea where the vitriol is coming from, other than 'the internet', 'these days', and 'people'. Did I miss 'feature request'? How does that even work? Sheesh.
Lastly, for any of you working with equipment you own or manage directly, try Lightburn, and try using PDF as an intermediary. It's certainly not CAD, but as a workflow it is simple and maintains scale correctly. Results in my experience have been indistinguishable, however it obviously requires paid software and a small amount of testing, so it might not work in all situations. Hopefully it will help some, and if not, create a bit of interesting vitriol itself for daring to be… suggested. *wink, wink*

Technically, they didnt say you couldnt EXPORT as they didn't differentiate import vs export. They purposely used a generic broad term to mislead instead.
What would you think is meant by "works with all major file types including jpeg,pdf, svg, psd, png, tiff, gif, AND DWG/DXF"
Non ability of export is not working with all other major file types.
 I feel like the following pic of their add substantiates the argument. 
 

How about you enlighten me where it says from Serif themselves a requirement of a 3rd party software as well to work with dwg/dxf, for Serif to work? Why would a person think that?
And it might not be a money thing as much as it is a principle thing. 

Again, it's sad to see people spending time trying to shame someone for requesting a feature.  
Who cares about the money or the trial period, whatever...  Features are requested by users for applications all the time.  Many applications are excellent but are missing some pretty important features.  Obviously they've recognized DXF as important because Affinity advertised it as a key feature for Designer 2.  But import and no export isn't a complete function.  
Deep breath everyone, we love Affinity but we have a need for feature that would make Designer2 even more functional, awesome and usable.  While it's not important to some, it is to others.

Again, it's sad to see people spending time trying to shame someone for requesting a feature.  
Who cares about the money or the trial period, whatever...  Features are requested by users for applications all the time.  Many applications are excellent but are missing some pretty important features.  Obviously they've recognized DXF as important because Affinity advertised it as a key feature for Designer 2.  But import and no export isn't a complete function.  
Deep breath everyone, we love Affinity but we have a need for feature that would make Designer2 even more functional, awesome and usable.  While it's not important to some, it is to others.

Again, it's sad to see people spending time trying to shame someone for requesting a feature.  
Who cares about the money or the trial period, whatever...  Features are requested by users for applications all the time.  Many applications are excellent but are missing some pretty important features.  Obviously they've recognized DXF as important because Affinity advertised it as a key feature for Designer 2.  But import and no export isn't a complete function.  
Deep breath everyone, we love Affinity but we have a need for feature that would make Designer2 even more functional, awesome and usable.  While it's not important to some, it is to others.

Ummm... Are you really telling people they shouldn't be surprised or disappointed?  
I use Designer for many things, so I would obviously not return it- nor would anyone else on this forum most likely.  I love the program and will continue to use it BUT I am disappointed the new version only has import but not export.  I constantly need this function and have to either use Adobe or other workarounds that are time consuming.
If you don't need that feature, then hooray for you.  But don't sit around trying to scold other people who'd like to see that in this program.

No export is very disappointing as all my fabricators require DXF files for laser cutting/etching.  I've been waiting for this feature for years.
 
Affinity please update with a timeline for an update with Export as well!

I appreciate the update on this issue and the honesty. It would help to know why (because the demand seems there). Is it technically difficult? I’m sure most people looking for DXF import would highly value export as well. So it’s very confusing for me. 

I appreciate the update on this issue and the honesty. It would help to know why (because the demand seems there). Is it technically difficult? I’m sure most people looking for DXF import would highly value export as well. So it’s very confusing for me. 

No export is very disappointing as all my fabricators require DXF files for laser cutting/etching.  I've been waiting for this feature for years.
 
Affinity please update with a timeline for an update with Export as well!

Ummm... Are you really telling people they shouldn't be surprised or disappointed?  
I use Designer for many things, so I would obviously not return it- nor would anyone else on this forum most likely.  I love the program and will continue to use it BUT I am disappointed the new version only has import but not export.  I constantly need this function and have to either use Adobe or other workarounds that are time consuming.
If you don't need that feature, then hooray for you.  But don't sit around trying to scold other people who'd like to see that in this program.

No export is very disappointing as all my fabricators require DXF files for laser cutting/etching.  I've been waiting for this feature for years.
 
Affinity please update with a timeline for an update with Export as well!

If you are on iPad, bring the artwork to Vectornator with a PDF or SVG, then export it to the Adobe CC Cloud as an AI using its CC Cloud integration.
Though the artwork might be changed more or less depending on how you designed.

Yes, virtually all fabrication companies request artwork files to be supplied in DXF format so they can send it to their CNC production machines. DXF is universal and supported by all platforms so it naturally the defacto format.

If you've already coded for import, then coding for export (the more useful and critical of the two functions) must be relatively simple and fast ..
Yes you can do this outside of the app but it's a phaf and not very slick ..
It's like selling a pair of trainers without the laces .. seemingly unnecessary and leaves you feeling a little uncared for ..
As disgruntled ex-Adobe customers we are adopting and investing in the AF platform and they do welcome user feedback  ..you do understand AF wants to be better than Adobe right!?
To clarify DXF export allows you to accurately send logos/artwork to production companies for signage, brand architecture and interior fit-outs ..DXF is the universal standard used by all fabrication companies. It is essential professional workflow.
> love the trolling comment lmao

🙃🥳

Clearly you don't get it. You pay the price after they advertise with dxf support. You make your doodle. Want to export it, and find out you need paid subsc for adobe illustrator. For a feature is requesting since the start, that got advertised for V2. And you go about blaming the guy. Just nasty bro. 

Just adding other options. You can also export as SVG, then go to https://Inkscape.org and install this free vector editor, it has the option to Save As (not export) DXF file, which is label in the list as
Desktop Cutter Plotter (AutoCAD DXF file) *.dxf The advantage of using this application is that has other tools that are lacking for the moment in Affinity Designer. Affinity Designer is my main Vector Graphic editor in my work flow, but for example, there are many things I love to do hand drawn, since it give a nostalgic touch for certain projects, and Affinity lacks a way to trace bitmaps.
Inkscape, in my opinion, has one of the best bitmap tracing engine implemented in the application, is a little buggy and takes sometime to get used to it, but once you master it is the best, again in my opinion.
For these rare occasions that Affinity Designer let me down, I can manage by opening Inkscape. It's been around for many years, so I can say with certainty that is secure and amazing tool. Even when I used Adobe Illustrator in the past, Inkscape was my go to for many other stuff. Today I mostly use Affinity Designer, which I love. But again, Inkscape comes to the rescue from time to time.

I'd appreciate the cross application support in this case.  In my case I prefer Affinity but just cannot get rid of Adobe for certain things... and bridge being able to display all the work I've done in Affinity would be very helpful.

Please vote here if you too want it.
https://feedback.photoshop.com/conversations/bridge/bridge-request-to-recognise-afphoto-files-to-display-thumbnails-and-full-full-screen-previews/5f5f462c4b561a3d4277d759

FYI Adobe Bridge is free. anyone can use it with CC account without subscribing a premium plan.
https://community.adobe.com/t5/bridge/is-adobe-bridge-still-free-to-download/m-p/9354916

This issue affects me a lot and I'd like to put a major vote in for a resolution with the developers.
 
The good news is that this thread helped me a whole bunch because I found the issue only repeats when the resolution is different between the two documents.  So thank you to the original posters as this is a huge saver!
 
But... this issue should be fixed.  Place indeed did work for me but I need to keep the artwork in vector form and editable between the documents.  Just for the developers to understand my issue, here's some images to see...
My drawings has a lot of thickness variation in the linework and the pasted drawings look very little like the original drawings:

(Original Left, Copy/Paste Right)
 
Detail:

(Original Left, Copy/Paste Right)

This happens in Designer as well.