ANSWER

Which software opens the DXF and SVG files?

DXF opens in Carbide Create, Vectric (Cut2D, VCarve, Aspire), Fusion 360, SketchUp and most CAM tools. SVG opens in LightBurn, Illustrator, Inkscape, Affinity Designer and the Shaper Origin import. The PDFs open anywhere.

UPDATED 2026-11

Both formats are 2D vector files, but they are not interchangeable in practice, and the wrong one in the wrong program wastes an evening. Here is what opens what, and what to check once it is open.

What each format actually carries

	DXF	SVG
Native use	CAD, CAM, CNC	Laser, vinyl, web, Shaper
Units	usually explicit in the header	often missing — the classic trap
Curves	true arcs and splines	bezier paths
Editing	CAD tools, dimension-aware	illustration tools, node-based
Best for	router toolpaths, part profiles	laser cuts, Shaper Origin, layout tweaks

Northpine ships one DXF and one SVG per part, both drawn at 1:1 in inches, with the millimetre equivalent on the matching PDF sheet.

CAM packages for a router

Carbide Create — free, Windows/Mac, made for Shapeoko and Nomad but opens any DXF. Fastest path from file to first cut.
Vectric Cut2D / VCarve / Aspire — paid, the shop standard for nested sheet work, best toolpath control and preview.
Fusion 360 — free for personal use, overkill for 2D panels but excellent if you also want the 3D assembly.
Easel / OpenBuilds CAM — free, browser-based, fine for simple profiles.

Laser and Shaper Origin

LightBurn imports SVG directly and is the usual choice for diode and CO2 lasers; check that it reads the file as 1:1 rather than "fit to page". Shaper Origin takes SVG through its own import — it wants clear closed paths and a sensible anchor point, which is why the SVG is per-part rather than one big sheet.

Vector editors, when you want to change something

Illustrator, Affinity Designer and Inkscape all open SVG and DXF (Inkscape needs a plugin for DXF). They are the right tools for adding a notch, moving a hole, or building a jig around an existing part — and the wrong tools for checking a dimension, because their measurement readouts are easy to misread.

The units trap, in one paragraph

A DXF with no units declared will be assumed to be whatever your CAM package last used. A 610 mm panel imported as 610 inches is 15 metres long and will fail loudly; a 24 in panel imported as 24 mm will look fine on screen and cut a dollhouse. Decide the unit in the import dialog, then measure the longest part against the cut list before you generate a single toolpath.

Verify 1:1 in sixty seconds

Import the side panel.
Use the measure tool on its long edge.
Compare to the cut list: 36 in or 914 mm, depending on the file.
If it matches, the rest of the sheet matches too. If not, re-import — do not scale after toolpaths exist.

The import checklist walks through the same steps per package, and the file list shows exactly what lands in the folder.

Two more that usually follow.

What exactly is in the download?

One ZIP: a 6–9 page PDF drawing set, cut list, bill of materials, nesting map, a DXF and an SVG per part, the assembly order and a CNC notes file. The full file list is here.

Do the plans work in metric stock?

Yes. Every sheet prints inches first with millimetres in parentheses, and every dado is specified to be sized off the measured thickness of your sheet. How to handle 17.5 mm stock.