Free online SHV to DXF converter

What the SHV format is

SHV is a proprietary Husqvarna Viking embroidery format. It stores stitch coordinates and embroidery instructions such as jumps, color changes, stops, thread information, and the design's sewing order.

SHV files are created or exported by Husqvarna Viking embroidery machines and software in the 4D, 5D, 6D, and Premier families. Embroidery editors such as Embird and other specialist programs may also open the format. You usually encounter SHV files when transferring designs to a Viking embroidery machine or when importing older Viking designs into embroidery software.

What the DXF format is

DXF, or Drawing Exchange Format, is an Autodesk format for exchanging CAD drawings. It can contain lines, arcs, circles, polylines, layers, blocks, dimensions, and other drafting entities.

DXF is suitable for AutoCAD, DraftSight, LibreCAD, QCAD, Fusion, CAM applications, laser cutters, and CNC preparation. It is preferable to SHV when the design must be edited as measurable geometry rather than sewn as a sequence of machine stitches.

How to actually convert SHV to DXF

Use the built-in online converter

1. Confirm that the file is an embroidery design with the .shv extension. The extension is also used by unrelated proprietary formats, so the originating application matters.
2. On 101convert.com, choose the SHV input format and DXF as the output format. The service can be used for free without installing software.
3. Upload the file, start the conversion, and download the resulting .dxf file if the SHV-to-DXF pair is offered and the file is accepted.
4. Open the result in a CAD viewer and check its scale, orientation, disconnected sections, and number of entities before using it for manufacturing.

Convert through embroidery software

If the online converter does not accept the file, open the SHV in an embroidery editor that supports SHV import, such as Embird or compatible Husqvarna Viking software. Use File → Open, select the design, and look for an export option named Export → DXF, Save As → DXF, or a vector-export command. This option is not available in every edition or module.

If the editor exports only SVG or another vector format, open that intermediate file in a vector or CAD application and choose File → Save As or File → Export to create DXF. Inkscape can open many SVG files and export DXF, but it cannot normally read SHV directly.

Use a scripted conversion for stitch geometry

For repeatable processing, Python libraries such as pyembroidery can read many SHV files, while ezdxf can write DXF entities. A script must read each stitch, split the path at jump stitches, stops, and color changes, and write each continuous run as a DXF polyline. The general command is:

python shv_to_dxf.py design.shv design.dxf

The script must deliberately choose whether jumps become separate polylines, whether color blocks become DXF layers, and whether the output represents stitch centerlines or a reconstructed outline. A generic file rename or byte-level conversion cannot perform these decisions.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

• DXF does not preserve thread colors, needle assignments, stitch density, underlay, trims, machine commands, or sewing order in a standard CAD-compatible way.
• A typical conversion produces centerline geometry from the stitch path, not the filled boundary of the embroidered object. Dense satin stitches may therefore create thousands of short segments.
• Check units after conversion. Embroidery coordinates are commonly interpreted in millimeters, but a CAD program may open the DXF with an incorrect unit setting or scale factor.
• Jumps and trims can create unwanted lines if the converter treats every consecutive stitch as drawable geometry. Inspect or remove those segments before cutting or machining.
• DXF compatibility varies by application. R12 or R2013 DXF containing lightweight polylines is often easier for older CAD and CAM programs than a newer DXF with unsupported entities.
• If the goal is a clean manufacturing outline rather than a record of embroidery stitches, redraw or simplify the converted geometry in CAD instead of treating the raw DXF as production-ready.