Importing CAD/DXF files into field survey apps - what actually works

I've been testing different ways to get CAD design files onto our field tablets for stakeout and as-built comparison. Here's what I've found actually works vs what's a pain.

Emlid Flow - Imports DXF reasonably well. Supports lines, polylines, and points. Layer filtering works so you can turn off stuff you don't need in the field. No support for blocks or hatches but honestly you don't need those for stakeout. The coordinate system handling is decent - set your project CRS and it transforms on import. Main limitation is it only works with Emlid receivers.

Trimble Access - Best CAD import I've tested. Handles DXF and DWG natively, supports most entity types including blocks and text. You can snap to CAD geometry for stakeout which is incredibly useful. The downside is cost - Trimble Access plus a compatible controller is serious money.

SurvCE/SurvPC - Imports DXF with some quirks. Complex polylines sometimes come in broken. But for simple linework it's fine and it works with basically any receiver via bluetooth. Good budget option.

Field Genius - Similar to SurvCE. Basic DXF support, gets the job done for simple files. Struggles with anything complex.

FieldGenius for Android - The newer Android version is actually better at CAD import than the old Windows CE version. Worth checking out if you're on an Android tablet.

My recommendation: export a simplified DXF from your CAD software before going to the field. Strip out everything except the linework and points you actually need. Drop the hatches, dimensions, text, blocks. A clean simple DXF imports reliably in virtually everything. A complex DXF with 50 layers and blocks will cause problems in half these apps.

Also - always verify coordinates match after import. Open the file, check a known point, confirm it lines up with reality before you start staking. Nothing worse than staking an entire site offset because the DXF was in local coordinates and your project is in state plane.