CADXChange

All LISP commands

CXCOORD2CSVExport and import (CSV)Version 1.0.0Tested in AutoCAD

Export coordinates to a CSV file

Writes the coordinates of points, line ends, polyline vertices, circle centres, texts and blocks to a spreadsheet file.

Download cxcoord2csv.lspLISP terms

How to use it

  1. Type CXCOORD2CSV and select the objects.
  2. Choose the file to save.
  3. Each point gets its own row with X, Y and Z.

Good to know

  • Coordinates are in the current drawing units.

Load it in AutoCAD

  1. Save the file anywhere you like.
  2. Type APPLOAD, pick the file and choose Load.
  3. Type the command name: CXCOORD2CSV.

To have it at every start, add it to the Startup Suite in the same dialog, or load a whole folder at once with the optional loader. About the optional loader

Tested in AutoCAD (full version). Other programs that run AutoLISP may work, but they are not tested.

The code

Plain text, nothing hidden. Copy it into a file named cxcoord2csv.lsp, or download it.

;;; ============================================================================
;;; CXCOORD2CSV - Export coordinates to a CSV file
;;; Version 1.0.0
;;; CADXChange LISP tools - https://cadxchange.net/resources/lisp/cxcoord2csv
;;; Tested in: AutoCAD (full version). Other programs that run AutoLISP may work but are not tested.
;;; Copyright (c) CADXChange. Free for personal and commercial use; do not resell or
;;; republish it as a collection. Terms: https://cadxchange.net/legal/lisp-terms
;;; ============================================================================

;; CSV lines (header first) with the coordinates of the objects in NAMES: object number, type, layer, point number,
;; x, y, z. A point, circle, arc, text or block gives one point (its center or insertion point), a line two, a
;; polyline one per vertex.
(defun cx:coord2csv-lines (names / rows n i ed)
  (setq n 0)
  (foreach e names
    (setq ed (entget e) n (1+ n) i 0)
    (foreach p (cx:coord-points ed)
      (setq i (1+ i))
      (setq rows (cons (cx:csv-line (list (itoa n) (cx:dxf 0 ed) (cx:dxf 8 ed) (itoa i)
                                          (cx:n4 (car p)) (cx:n4 (cadr p))
                                          (cx:n4 (if (and (caddr p) (numberp (caddr p))) (caddr p) 0.0))))
                       rows))))
  (cons "Object,Type,Layer,Point,X,Y,Z" (reverse rows)))

(defun c:CXCOORD2CSV ( / *error* cx:sv ss file)
  (setq *error* cx:err)
  (if (setq ss (cx:pick "\nSelect points, lines, polylines, circles, text or blocks: "
                        '((0 . "POINT,LINE,LWPOLYLINE,CIRCLE,ARC,TEXT,MTEXT,INSERT"))))
    (if (setq file (cx:file-save "Save the coordinates as CSV" "coordinates"))
      (cx:csv-save file (cx:coord2csv-lines (cx:ss->list ss)))))
  (princ))


;;; ---- Shared helpers (used by the command above; identical in every CADXChange tool) ----

;; The vertices of an LWPOLYLINE entity list as ((x y bulge start-width end-width) ...).
(defun cx:lw-verts (ed / out cur)
  (foreach g ed
    (cond
      ((= (car g) 10)
       (if cur (setq out (cons cur out)))
       (setq cur (list (cadr g) (caddr g) 0.0 0.0 0.0)))
      ((and cur (= (car g) 40)) (setq cur (list (nth 0 cur) (nth 1 cur) (nth 2 cur) (cdr g) (nth 4 cur))))
      ((and cur (= (car g) 41)) (setq cur (list (nth 0 cur) (nth 1 cur) (nth 2 cur) (nth 3 cur) (cdr g))))
      ((and cur (= (car g) 42)) (setq cur (list (nth 0 cur) (nth 1 cur) (cdr g) (nth 3 cur) (nth 4 cur))))))
  (if cur (setq out (cons cur out)))
  (reverse out))

(defun cx:dxf (code ed)
  (cdr (assoc code ed)))

;; The points that describe an entity: a line gives its two ends, a polyline its vertices, anything else its
;; insertion or center point. Each point is (x y z).
(defun cx:coord-points (ed / type)
  (setq type (cx:dxf 0 ed))
  (cond
    ((= type "LINE") (list (cx:dxf 10 ed) (cx:dxf 11 ed)))
    ((= type "LWPOLYLINE") (mapcar (function (lambda (v) (list (car v) (cadr v) (cx:dxf 38 ed)))) (cx:lw-verts ed)))
    ((cx:dxf 10 ed) (list (cx:dxf 10 ed)))))

;;; Layer helpers. See helpers.lsp for the format.

;; 1-based position of SUB in STR at or after START, or nil.
(defun cx:find (str sub start / n i r)
  (setq n (strlen sub) i start r nil)
  (if (> n 0)
    (while (and (not r) (<= i (1+ (- (strlen str) n))))
      (if (= (substr str i n) sub) (setq r i))
      (setq i (1+ i))))
  r)

;; Replace every OLD in STR by NEW (case sensitive).
(defun cx:replace (str old new / n out pos)
  (setq n (strlen old) out "" pos 1)
  (if (= n 0)
    str
    (progn
      (while (<= pos (1+ (- (strlen str) n)))
        (if (= (substr str pos n) old)
          (setq out (strcat out new) pos (+ pos n))
          (setq out (strcat out (substr str pos 1)) pos (1+ pos))))
      (strcat out (substr str pos)))))

;; One CSV field: quoted when it holds a comma, a quote or a line break.
(defun cx:csv-field (s)
  (if (or (cx:find s "," 1) (cx:find s "\"" 1) (cx:find s "\n" 1) (cx:find s "\r" 1))
    (strcat "\"" (cx:replace s "\"" "\"\"") "\"")
    s))

(defun cx:join (lst delim / out)
  (setq out "")
  (foreach s lst
    (setq out (if (= out "") s (strcat out delim s))))
  (if lst out ""))

(defun cx:csv-line (fields)
  (cx:join (mapcar 'cx:csv-field fields) ","))

;; Real X as text with at most PREC decimals and no trailing zeros ("2.50" -> "2.5", "3.00" -> "3").
(defun cx:num (x prec / s)
  (setq s (rtos x 2 prec))
  (if (wcmatch s "*.*")
    (progn
      (while (= (substr s (strlen s)) "0") (setq s (substr s 1 (1- (strlen s)))))
      (if (= (substr s (strlen s)) ".") (setq s (substr s 1 (1- (strlen s)))))))
  (if (or (= s "-0") (= s "")) "0" s))

;; A real as text with at most 4 decimals.
(defun cx:n4 (x) (cx:num x 4))

;;; Geometry helpers: polylines with arcs, length, area, centroid, a point inside a shape.
;;; See helpers.lsp for the format.

;; Close the undo step and put the system variables back.
(defun cx:end ()
  (foreach v cx:sv (setvar (car v) (cdr v)))
  (command "_.UNDO" "_End")
  (setq cx:sv nil)
  (princ))

;; Error handler: restores everything, stays quiet on Esc.
(defun cx:err (msg)
  (if (> (getvar "CMDACTIVE") 0) (command))
  (cx:end)
  (if (and msg (not (wcmatch (strcase msg) "*BREAK*,*CANCEL*,*EXIT*")))
    (princ (strcat "\nError: " msg)))
  (princ))

;; Use the objects already selected, or ask the user to select; FILTER is an ssget filter list or nil.
(defun cx:pick (msg filter / ss)
  (setq ss (if filter (ssget "_I" filter) (ssget "_I")))
  (if (null ss)
    (progn
      (princ msg)
      (setq ss (if filter (ssget filter) (ssget)))))
  ss)

;; Ask where to save a CSV file; BASE is the proposed file name without folder and extension. Returns a path or nil.
;; With FILEDIA 0 the name is typed at the command line instead of picked in a dialog.
(defun cx:file-save (title base / def f)
  (setq def (strcat (getvar "DWGPREFIX") base ".csv"))
  (if (= (getvar "FILEDIA") 0)
    (progn
      (setq f (getstring T (strcat "\n" title " <" def ">: ")))
      (if (= f "") def f))
    (getfiled title def "csv" 1)))

;; Write LINES to FILE; returns T, or nil when the file cannot be written.
(defun cx:write-lines (file lines / f)
  (if (setq f (open file "w"))
    (progn
      (foreach l lines (write-line l f))
      (close f)
      T)))

;; Write CSV LINES to FILE and report it; returns T when the file was written.
(defun cx:csv-save (file lines)
  (if (cx:write-lines file lines)
    (progn (princ (strcat "\n" (itoa (1- (length lines))) " row(s) written to " file)) T)
    (progn (princ (strcat "\nThe file could not be written: " file)) nil)))

;; Selection set to a list of entity names.
(defun cx:ss->list (ss / i out)
  (setq i 0)
  (if ss
    (repeat (sslength ss)
      (setq out (cons (ssname ss i) out)
            i   (1+ i))))
  (reverse out))

(princ "\nCXCOORD2CSV loaded. Type CXCOORD2CSV to start.")
(princ)

Version history

Version 1.0.0 · 27 Ekim 2026

First release.

More commands: Export and import (CSV)