How-to Guides for CAD Automation
Step-by-step walkthroughs for loading, installing, and using AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit plugins. 15 guides, all by working CAD pros.
These guides cover the everyday questions CAD pros hit when installing automation: how to NETLOAD a .NET plugin, how to load and auto-load a LISP routine, how to install a Civil 3D add-in or Revit add-in, how to run a Dynamo script through Player, and how to ship your own plugin as an AutoCAD .bundle.
All guides
Three reliable ways to load .lsp, .fas, and .vlx files into AutoCAD, plus how to add them to the Startup Suite so you never reload again.
Four ways to make a LISP routine load automatically — Startup Suite, ACAD.lsp, acaddoc.lsp, and Trusted Locations — and which to pick.
Load a C# / VB.NET plugin DLL into AutoCAD with NETLOAD, troubleshoot common load errors, and set up auto-load so you don't NETLOAD every session.
Step-by-step install for Civil 3D add-ins, including installer-based bundles, manual NETLOAD, and per-version compatibility checks.
Open and run a .dyn graph in Revit's Dynamo editor, or deploy it to non-Dynamo users through Dynamo Player.
AutoLISP explained from scratch — what it is, why it's still relevant 40 years later, and when to choose it over .NET.
NETLOAD explained — what it does, what it doesn't, and how it differs from APPLOAD, AUTOLOAD, and Trusted Locations.
Write, save, and load a five-line LISP routine that adds a custom command to AutoCAD.
Stop the security warning when you load LISP and .NET files by adding the folder to AutoCAD's Trusted Locations list.
Package a .NET plugin (or LISP) so AutoCAD picks it up automatically every session — no NETLOAD required.
Install a Revit .NET add-in by dropping the .addin manifest and DLL into your Revit Addins folder, or run the vendor's installer.
Run vetted Dynamo graphs from a simple dialog so non-Dynamo users can use the automation your BIM manager built.
Export alignments, surfaces, parcels, and pipe networks from Civil 3D as LandXML so survey, machine control, and hydraulics software can read them.
Use Visual LISP to compile your .lsp source into a faster-loading, source-hidden .fas file ready for distribution.
Add custom folders to the AutoCAD support path so your LISP, blocks, hatches, fonts, and templates load without full paths.