This reference lists every file type you can bring into the Dusty FieldPrint Platform — layout files (DWG, RVT, and DUSTY files), point and control files (CSV), and images (SVG) — and explains the units and scale your files must use. If you are asking "what file types does Dusty support," "can Dusty read my Revit or CAD file," "does Dusty work in metric or inches," or "what format do control points need to be in," start here.

Accepted file formats at a glance

The Dusty Portal accepts Dusty (.dusty), AutoCAD (.dwg), Revit (.rvt), and CSV point files, and normalizes every input to a single coordinate system before combining them into one "Ready to Print" layout.

Layout files (Revit, AutoCAD, and Dusty)

You prepare layouts in your design software and export them with a Dusty plugin. Both plugins require a Dusty Portal account and run on Windows only.

The following path gets you to a print-ready file:

• Revit → AutoCAD → Dusty: export one floor plan per DWG from Revit, clean it up in AutoCAD, then export with the Dusty for AutoCAD plugin.

A few file-prep rules that affect whether your file imports correctly:

• Export one floor plan per layout from a DWG or Revit file. For linked models in Revit, ensure all necessary work sets, categories, and host model setup prior to exporting it to AutoCAD.
• Reference geometry (XREFs) must be bound into the AutoCAD files in layers as necessary; the Dusty AutoCAD plugin does not export XREFs to the Portal.
• Arrays, attributes, and dimensions do not integrate with the AutoCAD plugin and should be exploded into linework before exporting.

Point and control files (CSV)

Points and surveyed control points are delivered as CSV files and uploaded to the Portal.

Required CSV format — five columns, in this order:

Extra columns can prevent the file from uploading in the Portal.

Header Names

1. Point Name Column (REQUIRED)
   • Must contain: "point" OR "name"
   • Examples: "Point Name", "Point", "Name", "POINT_ID"
2. X Coordinate Column (REQUIRED)
   • Must contain: "x" OR "east" OR exactly "e"
   • Examples: "X", "X (ft)", "East", "Northing", "E"
3. Y Coordinate Column (REQUIRED)
   • Must contain: "y" OR "north" OR exactly "n"
   • Examples: "Y", "Y (ft)", "North", "Easting", "N"
4. Z Coordinate Column (REQUIRED)
   • Must contain: "z"
   • Examples: "Z", "Z (ft)"
5. Description Column (OPTIONAL)
   • Must contain: "desc"
   • Examples: "Description", "Desc", "Notes_Desc"

Additional rules:

• Dusty supports up to 10,000 obstacles per file. When obstacle counts approach or exceed these levels files may fail to publish in the Portal or the iPad App may crash on load. Keep each CSV under 5,000 points for best performance; split larger sets into multiple files.
• For control files, include the word Control in the file name — the Portal automatically recognizes control point CSVs.
• Match the coordinate system and units of the base layout so points land in the right place.

Accepted control-point deliverable formats

Surveyed control can be delivered in any one of these formats:

• A CSV file of control coordinates, or
• Control-point markup in a DWG, or
• Control-point markup in a PDF.

Markups (DWG or PDF) must indicate the point coordinates or the offset distances from reference objects such as grid lines.

Image files (SVG) — Beta

The FieldPrinter can print monochrome SVG images directly from the iPad — useful for logos, wayfinding marks, and ad-hoc annotations. This is a Beta feature; requirements may change between releases.

• .svg only. Other vector or raster formats (PDF, AI, PNG, JPEG) are not supported and will not appear in the file picker.
• Maximum file size: 256 KB.
• True black only file (#000000). Near-black colors have been confirmed to fail.
• No embedded raster images. Only vector paths, shapes, and text are supported.

Units and scale

Prepare files in inches, at true 1:1 scale. In AutoCAD, set Type = Architectural and Insertion Scale = Inches (type UNITS to check). Do not leave units set to Unitless or Decimal — the plugin reads coordinate scaling from the file, and unitless or mismatched files produce distorted dimensions.

Changing the units setting only changes how dimensions are measured; it does not automatically rescale geometry. If a file was drafted in feet or millimeters, confirm it represents the building at real-world 1:1 size before exporting.

What about metric?

Portal supports both Metric and Imperial units on a per-project basis (Project Settings → unit system). This selection is display-only — it changes how measurements appear in the Portal interface (meters/millimeters vs. feet/inches). It does not change how you prepare files or how the FieldPrinter behaves. File prep still follows the inches / 1:1 rules above.

Layout size limit

The Portal and iPad App support a maximum layout area of approximately 2 miles by 2 miles. A layout, background, or point file that extends beyond this triggers a "Layout too large, width and height exceed 2 miles" error — most often caused by geometry drawn at an exaggerated scale (not true 1:1), a mismatched coordinate system, or stray objects far from the drawing extents.

Related Articles

• Dusty File Prep Checklist (Revit → AutoCAD → Dusty Portal)
• File Prep Workflow: From Model to Print-Ready Layout
• Importing and Managing Control Points (CSV)
• Control Point Creation Requirements for Surveyors (Placement, Count, and CSV Format)
• SVG Image Printing (Beta) Guidelines and Best Practices
• "Layout Too Large: Width and Height Exceed 2 Miles" Error
• Dimensions Incorrect After Using the Dusty AutoCAD Plug-In Pre-Process