Free online ODG to DWG converter

AutoCAD and other CAD applications generally cannot edit an ODG file as native drawing data, so a flowchart may need conversion before CAD-based editing, measurement, or plotting. DWG also provides a more compatible deliverable for recipients who do not use LibreOffice Draw.

What the ODG format is

ODG, or OpenDocument Graphics, is the XML-based, packaged vector format used by LibreOffice Draw and Apache OpenOffice Draw. It stores flowcharts, mind maps, connectors, text boxes, shapes, lines, curves, images, styles, and page-layout settings.

ODG is designed for page-based diagrams and presentation layouts rather than CAD drafting. It normally does not contain CAD-native layers, blocks, model-space coordinates, associative dimensions, parametric constraints, or reliably defined real-world units. Connectors are diagram objects, not necessarily CAD entities that remain attached when geometry is edited.

What the DWG format is

DWG is a proprietary binary CAD drawing format associated with AutoCAD and supported by applications such as BricsCAD and DraftSight. Depending on the software and version, it can store 2D and 3D geometry, layers, blocks, dimensions, text styles, model space, paper space, layouts, viewports, and drafting metadata.

DWG is suitable when the recipient needs selectable geometry that can be edited, measured, layered, plotted, or referenced in a CAD workflow. Conversion normally produces a 2D approximation of the visible ODG page; it does not reconstruct CAD structure that was absent from the source.

Convert with the built-in online converter

1. Open the ODG-to-DWG converter on 101convert.com.
2. Select the source file, such as diagram.odg, or drag it into the upload area.
3. Choose DWG as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the result and open it in AutoCAD, DraftSight, BricsCAD, or another application that supports the delivered DWG version.
5. Check scale, text, linework, layers, fills, connectors, and plot output before using the file for production work.

This route requires no installed conversion software and can be used free on 101convert.com. Do not upload confidential plans, personal data, or regulated technical documents unless the service's handling terms are acceptable.

Convert with desktop software

LibreOffice Draw normally does not export DWG directly. A practical desktop route uses a vector PDF as an intermediate:

1. Open the file in LibreOffice Draw with File → Open. Check page size, object positions, fonts, line widths, colors, and image placement.
2. Export the page with File → Export as PDF. Use vector output; a screenshot or rasterized PDF loses editable line and curve data.
3. In AutoCAD, run PDFIMPORT or use Insert → PDF Import. Select the required page and import vector geometry, text, and fills as needed. Disable raster-image import unless embedded images must be retained.
4. Set the insertion scale manually. Use the original page dimensions or a known reference distance because PDF page size does not reliably specify intended CAD units.
5. Inspect the imported geometry, remove duplicate or fragmented lines, assign layers, correct text, and recreate dimensions or boundaries that did not import as usable CAD objects.
6. Save with File → Save As in the DWG version required by the recipient, for example AutoCAD 2018 Drawing (*.dwg).

BricsCAD and DraftSight can use a comparable PDF-import workflow when the installed edition supports PDF import and DWG export. Menu names, import options, and supported DWG versions vary by application.

An SVG intermediate can work for basic paths: export SVG from LibreOffice Draw, convert it to DXF in software that supports that workflow, then open the DXF in a DWG-capable CAD application and save it as DWG. This route can turn text into outlines and may omit fills, images, connectors, or unsupported effects, so PDF import is usually the more direct choice for AutoCAD.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Scale: ODG page dimensions may not represent real-world drawing units. Measure a known distance after import and correct the scale before using the file.
• Text: Missing fonts can cause substitutions, changed text widths, misplaced labels, or outlines instead of editable text. Install the required fonts and verify critical annotations.
• Curves and linework: Curves may become short line segments, and PDF import can create duplicate borders or fragmented geometry.
• Diagram behavior: Connectors can become independent lines; groups, arrowheads, and object relationships generally do not remain associative.
• Appearance: Gradients, transparency, shadows, clipping masks, filters, and 3D effects may be flattened, simplified, or lost. Embedded images remain raster content rather than editable CAD geometry.
• CAD structure: Imported content usually lacks meaningful layers, blocks, constraints, associative dimensions, and native CAD object types until they are assigned or recreated manually.
• Reversibility: Keep the original ODG because converting back from DWG will not restore the original page layout, object semantics, or connector relationships.

For construction, manufacturing, surveying, or heavily edited drawings, request the original DWG or DXF from the creator. Before delivery, verify units, scale, layers, line types, closed boundaries, text, key dimensions, and the final plot at the required paper size.