Import Layer From CAD: Planting F/X for Rhino Plugin
Updated on: November 03, 2025
Quick video
- Exporting a Layer From a CAD Drawing
- Importing Layers Into a Rhino Model
- Related Videos
- Troubleshooting
With the Import Layer from CAD tool, you can bring individual layers from a 2D CAD drawing into a Rhino design.
Exporting a Layer from a CAD Drawing
Before importing a layer from a CAD drawing into a Rhino model, you'll need to export the layer from CAD to Rhino.
Step 1: Prepare the Drawing to Export Its Layers
Open the CAD drawing whose layers you want to export into Rhino.
Important:
We recommend that you create a copy of this drawing, as you'll likely need to edit it to clean up the CAD linework first.
Prepare the drawing to import its layers into Rhino:
- Delete all non-essential objects (hatches, blocks, plants, irrigation, lighting, mleaders, text, dimensions, etc.) from the drawing.
- Explode any blocks you want to import into Rhino as linework instead of as an Amenity Reference Note (RefNote), such as stepping stones, building or structure footprints, walls, and sports field lines.
- Make sure all lines are joined or drawn accurately. Any points not actually touching, or incorrectly overlapping, will make cleanup in Rhino difficult. If you import to Rhino and the cleanup to make faces is too difficult, you might consider coming back to this step and trying again with the insight on the problem areas.
Save the drawing after completing these preparations.
Step 2: Export the Layers
You can now export the layers from your drawing, which will make them available to import into Rhino.
Open our 3D Connection tool:
F/X Planting ribbon, 3D Connection flyout
F/X Planting menu, 3D Connection option
or type FX_SITE3DEXPORT in the Command line
The 3D Connection dialog box will open.
Click Send Layer to export your plan into Rhino.
Some exported objects are an extremely far distance from the origin. This can be an issue in some 3D programs. Use the New UCS tool to resolve this.
Would you like to see more information?
Did you see this error message at this point? If so, here's what to do.
A pickbox will appear in place of the cursor. Click an object in your CAD drawing that is on the layer you want to export to Rhino. You'll see a message that the layer has been exported. Click OK.
Your layer has been exported into Rhino, and you're now ready to import it into your Rhino model.
You can continue to select additional layers to export from CAD. Simply press the space bar to reopen the 3D Connection dialog box, click the Send Layer button, and select an additional layer.
Note that when you import a layer into Rhino, the Land F/X 3D Connection will first delete all objects from that layer. This way, you won't have to search through your layers to see which ones you've already imported.
Importing Layers Into a Rhino Model
Open a new or existing Rhino model, then open the Layer Import tool:
LandFX toolbar, Layer Import button
If you haven't already, select the Land F/X project associated with the drawing whose layers you want to import.
The Land F/X: Layer Import dialog box will open.
Select the layer(s) you want to import into Rhino, or click Import All to import all layers from the drawing.
The layer(s) will import into your Rhino design.
Closed linework imported into Rhino will turn into surfaces automatically.
Here are examples of layers imported into Rhino:
