I cannot find any resource similar to the Model Derivative API that has a list of supported file translations.
can the autocad Design Automation API take in .dxf, pdfs, etc., or is there a list somewhere?
Design Automation for AutoCAD can process DWG,DXF,DWT and DWS, unlike Model Derivative which has translation capabilities, Design Automation is a service to run automated jobs. At the moment, importing PDF in Design Automation for AutoCAD is not possible.