AutoCAD

AutoCAD® software provides a flexible development platform for specialized design and drafting applications. Its open architecture enables you to customize AutoCAD to suit your unique purposes. Examples of customizations include Autodesk’s industry-specific design software and thousands of add-on applications from members of the Autodesk® Developer Network.

AutoCAD provides the ObjectARX® programming environment with the object-oriented C++ programming interfaces, the managed AutoCAD .NET API, the complete Visual LISP® development environment and the ActiveX® interface.

My First AutoCAD Plug-in:

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Video: Overview of My First AutoCAD Plug-in Guide
"My First Plug-in" is a self-paced tutorial guide for a smooth introduction into the programming world. This is a "one-stop shop" learning path for users who know Autodesk products but are absolutely new to programming and are thinking about taking the plunge. In this guide, you will be working with the AutoCAD .NET Application Programming Interface (API) and the Visual Basic .NET programming language to create a ‘plug-in’ – a module that loads into AutoCAD to extend its functionality. Once you have finished this tutorial, you will understand the basics of .NET programming and how they are applied to AutoCAD.

Click here to start your very first plug-in

Community

Blogs
Get news, expert tips and insider resources directly from Autodesk software engineers

AutoCAD Customization blog: Through the Interface – Kean Walmsley
ADN AutoCAD DevBlog

Discussion Groups
Take part in active API discussion forums moderated by Autodesk software engineers.

AutoCAD Customization

Showcase

Autodesk Exchange Apps for AutoCAD: Easily extend the power of AutoCAD using apps created for the end user community.

Cloud Computing: Find out how to develop and integrate Cloud Computing (Software as a Service) solutions with your AutoCAD plug-in application.

Learning

DevTVs:
Visit DevTV section of AutoCAD DevBlog for self-paced video tutorials on AutoCAD customization.

Samples:

The self-paced ObjectARX training labs for AutoCAD.
ObjectARX 2014 Training
ObjectARX 2013 Training
ObjectARX 2010/2012 Training

The self-paced AutoCAD.NET training labs for AutoCAD.
AutoCAD 2014 .Net Training
AutoCAD 2013 .Net Training
AutoCAD 2012 .Net Training
Several ObjectARX and .NET samples are included in the ObjectARX SDK

Documentation

The AutoCAD developer documentation explains the components that make up the available APIs for AutoCAD and AutoCAD-based products.

DXF Reference
The DXF™ Reference provides information on the DXF file format, and the group codes that can be used by a custom application to create and modify objects.
- PDF
- HTML Online
AutoLISP
The components of the AutoLISP documentation are part of the product Help.
JavaScript
The JavaScript documentation provides reference information on the namespaces that make up the AutoCAD JavaScript API.
ObjectARX
The ObjectARX documentation is installed as part of the ObjectARX SDK.

The ObjectARX Reference Guide can also be integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio.
Managed .NET
The components of the Managed .NET documentation are installed as part of the ObjectARX SDK and the product Help. The .NET Developer's Guide is located in the AutoCAD Help system, while the .NET Reference Guide is part of the ObjectARX SDK.

.NET Developer's Guide:
The Managed .NET Reference Guide can also be integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio.
ActiveX API
The ActiveX documentation is installed with the program and is organized into two guides:
- AutoCAD Developer's Guide. Covers the fundamentals of using the API.
- AutoCAD Developer's Reference. Explains the classes in the API, and contains sample code demonstrating various aspects of the API in both VBA and Visual LISP.
The ActiveX API documentation can be found at:
- %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\acad_aag.chm
- %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\acadauto.chm
Updates to the ActiveX API documentation:
- AutoCAD 2013
Sheet Set Object API
The Sheet Set object allows you to create and manipulate the information stored in a sheet set (DST) file. The documentation related to this API is part of the product Help.
Connectivity Automation Object API
The Connectivity Automation object allows you to connect, link to, and query databases in the same way that the dbConnect Manager does. The documentation related to this API is part of the product Help.
Transmittal Object API
The Transmittal object allows you to determine the dependencies a drawing file has and automate tasks related to the ETRANSMIT and ARCHIVE commands. The documentation related to this API is part of the ObjectARX Developer's Guide in the ObjectARX SDK.
CAD Standards Plug-in Object API
The CAD Standards Plug-in object allows you to determine create a custom plug-in that can be used with the Batch Standards Checker or STANDARDS command. The documentation related to this API is part of the ObjectARX Developer's Guide in the ObjectARX SDK.