DXF is an old image format, while AVIF is the next-generation file type. Choosing the best format is rather intricate and requires a complete understanding of DXF vs. AVIF in terms of structure, image quality, file size, compression, storage, web browser support, performance, animation, and transparency. 

The article highlights and discusses the key differences and similarities between DXF and AVIF to help users decide which format is best suited for a given project.    

When is AVIF better than DXF?

AVIF images are smaller, high-quality, and widely supported across different browsers, while DXF images are detailed, larger, and high-quality but have limited support in most web browsers. As such, the AVIF file type is suitable for creating specialized apps, including texts, graphics, and gradients in movie posters. 

The AVIF file types offer significantly smaller files, faster loading times, minimum storage space requirements, a better user experience, and optimized search engines.  

When is DXF better than AVIF?

DXF images are detailed and uncompressed, preserving image precision and clarity when scaled up or down, while AVIF images are smaller and higher quality but become blurry or grainy when scaled up or down. 

DXF file extension is open-source (free), high quality, and supported by most programs, making the format suitable for data interchange or exchange between AutoCAD and other applications.

DXF versus AVIF Table Comparison

Aspect/Factor	AVIF	DXF
Transparency	Integrally supports transparency	No integral support for transparency
File Size	Smaller files than DXF files.	Larger files than AVIF files.
Image Quality	High-quality images with efficient compression.	It is not designed for typical image quality.
Performance	Smaller and highly web responsive than DXF.	Larger and loads slower than AVIF.
Structure	Raster-based with nested boxes: metadata, file type box container, and actual image data.	Vector-based: Starts with a group code 0 and ends with a '0' followed by the string ENDSEC.
Animation	Inherently supports animations	No inherent support for animations.
Storage	Smaller and needs less storage space than DXF.	Larger and needs more storage space than AVIF.
Compression	Support lossless and lossy compression with AV1.	Uncompressed: No compression is needed.
Browser Support	Broader web browser support than DXF.	Limited browser support than AVIF.

Differences and similarities between AVIF and DXF images

AVIF is raster-based, while DXF is vector-based, making it dissimilar in most technical aspects, including file size, image quality, storage needs, structure, support for animations and transparency, web performance, compression technique, and browser support.  

Transparency

DXF files do not support transparency. They come in plain text format and can only be viewed and opened through basic text editing tools. Their file data is stipulated by numerical codes rather than human-readable tags. 

In contrast, AVIF extensions support transparency via their alpha channels. Their transparent backgrounds permit the storage and reinforcement of transparency data as well as lossy and lossless data. The transparency occurs at varying image levels and represents images with definite opacities. 

File Size

The AVIF extension uses lossless and lossy compression with the AV1 video codec, significantly minimizing file sizes and resulting in smaller files than uncompressed vector-based DXF files. Furthermore, DXF files have no particular size limit, making them larger than AVIF files. 

Image Quality

AVIF and DXF images are high-quality and high-resolution. The DXF file color depth column supports the indexed value representing the color depths of 8-bit and 256 colors. Its RGB is a 24-bit True Color, while RGBA supports a 32-bit True Color, making DXF a high-quality file type. 

AVIF supports ICC profiles, Pro Photo RGB, sRGB, Rec 2020, HDR, WCR, YUV 444, and YUV 420, as well as the standard and non-standard color spaces.

Performance

AVIF compresses its image data using the grander, lossless, and lossy AV1 codec, resulting in smaller data files than the uncompressed DXF. As such, DXF files consume more bytes and load slowly on websites compared to AVIF files.

Structure

A DXF file extension is vector-based, starting with a header, classes, tables, blocks, entities (graphical objects), objects (non-graphical), and thumbnail images. It has a code, the most critical variable in the header, as it identifies the DWG format version. 

The DXF file format organizes the contents into sections using group codes and paired values. All sections comprise records, and every record consists of a data item and a group code. Every value and group code is independent within the DXF file. 

AVIF file extension consists of a grid of pixels called a dot matrix. It is structured in a classified form of nested boxes that store metadata and data. It has a File Type Box (ftyp) that is responsible for identifying the file and specifying the format version used at the top-lying container or box.

The ftyp has The Item Properties Box (iprp), Media Data Box (mdat), and Item Location Box (iloc) with diverse metadata and actual image data. The image metadata in an AVIF file is sequentially stored as compressed frames using AV1 codec encoding.

Animation

DXF files do not inherently support animations or lively content, while AVIF files do. Nonetheless, note that DXF's 'animate' supports the AutoCAD DXF format in AutoCAD 10. The 'animate' attempts to map font appropriately, although the ensuing animations, specifically the text arrangements, are random. 

Unlike DXF, AVIF file extensions support animation and live photos using their multilayer image storage sequence. In most cases, the file format is compatible with HIEF, which enables image sequences and elements. 

Storage

AVIF stores lossy and lossless compressed files, while DXF stores uncompressed data. DXF files have unlimited file sizes, but AVIF files are comprehensively compressed, resulting in smaller files with minimal storage space demands than DXF files.  

Regardless of file sizes, uncompressed DXF and efficiently compressed AVIF files can be stored indefinitely depending on the handling process, storage mediums, and storage conditions. Often, DXF data is stored on AutoCAD, Notepad, and File systems, while AVIF stores compressed data on File Systems, Cloud, Hard Drives, Base64 Encoding, Floppy Drives, and Content Delivery Networks. 

Compression 

DXF files are uncompressed and require no compression technique, while AVIF supports lossy and lossless compression methods. AVIF's lossy compression is based on AV 1 video codec algorithms that compress image size by deleting some data. 

AVIF's lossless method reduces file size using the AV1 algorithm in a HEIF format, ensuring all image data is preserved. Compared to uncompressed DXF images, this results in smaller and higher quality.

Browser Support

AVIF is a raster-based file type with broader web browser support than DXF format. AVIF enjoys universal support from almost all web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Samsung Internet, Brave, Discord, Vivaldi, Discord, and Edge, but only unsupported by Internet Explorer.  

Compared with AVIF, DXF files are supported by specific web browsers, namely 64-bit Mozilla Firefox, 64-bit new Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, 64-bit Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer 11. 

Convert AVIF to DXF or DXF to AVIF

Convertjack helps users convert AVIF to DXF promptly. DXF files are easily deconstructed, royalty-free, open-source, widely supported across platforms, and accessible. They allow upward and downward scaling, making them the best interchange platform between CAD software and other platforms.  

Convertjack is the best and least complicated online DXF to AVIF converter. AVIF images are ideal because they use efficient compression techniques, which create smaller, high-quality, and highly web-responsive files with minimum loading times and better user experience.