AutoCAD MCP Server

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MCP server for AutoCAD LT automation and headless DXF generation

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Category: Dev Tools #295 of 438
Stars: ★ 558 Popular
Transport: stdio (local process)
Runtime: Python 3.10+
Credentials: No credential needed
License: MIT
Last commit: 7 months ago ⚠
Tools: 8

46FMRS · D

This server provides a powerful MCP interface for AutoCAD LT with dual backends for flexibility. It supports rich entity operations, P&ID symbols, and arbitrary AutoLISP execution, offering high extensibility. However, it relies on Windows environment and AutoCAD LT's limitations.

Strongest · Documentation 15/20 Weakest · Reliability 6/20

Reliability

6/20

Security and permissions

6/20

Maintenance

7/20

Documentation

15/20

Setup experience

12/20

Why each score

Reliability 6/20: The README describes dual backends, eight consolidated tools, stdio JSON-RPC, undo/redo, ESC prefix, and UTF-8 fallback, but no verifiable startup/handshake logs, test results, or CI evidence are supplied; declared tools cannot be confirmed against real behavior from static files. File IPC depends on AutoCAD, AutoLISP, and PostMessageW, with many failure modes. Deducted for missing source-level evidence and test verification.
Security and permissions 6/20: No credential handling or external network is described; data is exchanged through local C:/temp JSON files. However, execute_lisp permits arbitrary AutoLISP execution, and no confirmation mechanism is documented for destructive or side-effect operations such as erase, purge, plot, or save; least-privilege and data-boundary details are absent. Deducted for missing security controls and documentation.
Maintenance 7/20: The repository is not archived, the MIT license is clear, the README labels v3.1 with a change list, and test commands are present. However, there is no reviewable commit history, release date, dependency update record, or security-response channel; stars/issues are discovery signals only and add no points. Evidence of maintenance governance and update path is insufficient.
Documentation 15/20: The README provides a fairly complete overview, prerequisites, quick start, Windows/WSL client configuration examples, tool operation tables, architecture, environment variables, AutoCAD LT compatibility, and v3.1 release notes, and discloses limitations such as the P&ID/CTO dependency; however, it lacks troubleshooting steps, verified parameter details, and reviewable example outputs. Therefore full marks are not given.
Setup experience 12/20: Setup steps are clear: uv sync, load mcp_dispatch.lsp, configure the client, and verify via system(operation="status"), with configuration examples for both Windows and WSL. However, the full backend requires Windows + AutoCAD LT + manual LISP loading, the env var and LISP directory must match, and there are many failure points; no CI/execution evidence exists, so the score is capped at 15 and set to 12.

Static review · not runListed 2026-08-07

Read the FMRS scoring method →

Fit and risk

What it can accessReads local filesWrites / deletes local filesRuns commands or code

Best for

Engineers and designers needing to automate AutoCAD LT (Windows)
Developers who want to generate DXF without AutoCAD
Process industry applications integrating with CTO P&ID symbol library

Not for

Not for AutoCAD LT on Mac (does not support AutoLISP)
Not for users needing 3D operations or Express Tools (LT limitations)
Not for users needing ActiveX/COM (vlax-*) functionality

Required permissions

Requires access to AutoCAD LT window messaging (PostMessageW)
Needs read/write access to C:/temp (IPC directory, configurable)
Allows execution of arbitrary AutoLISP code (execute_lisp)
Requires access to CTO P&ID symbol library if using pid tools

Risks and side effects

Sending keystrokes to AutoCAD may interfere with current drawing; save work regularly
execute_lisp can run arbitrary code, posing security risks
IPC timeouts may cause command failures; adjust environment variables
File IPC backend requires native Windows Python; WSL needs special configuration

Setup

Before you start

Runtime：Python 3.10+

Other optional settings (4)

AUTOCAD_MCP_BACKEND optional Backend selection: auto (default — tries File IPC, falls back to ezdxf), file_ipc, or ezdxf; nothing to obtain.

AUTOCAD_MCP_IPC_DIR optional Directory for IPC command/result JSON files, default C:/temp; must match *mcp-ipc-dir* in mcp_dispatch.lsp.

AUTOCAD_MCP_IPC_TIMEOUT optional IPC command timeout in seconds (1-300), default 10.

AUTOCAD_MCP_ONLY_TEXT optional Set to true to disable screenshot capture (text feedback only).

Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/puran-water/autocad-mcp.git, then cd autocad-mcp and run uv sync. In AutoCAD LT, open and load <repo>/lisp-code/mcp_dispatch.lsp using APPLOAD (optionally add to Startup Suite). Configure your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop) with the mcpServers configuration pointing to the venv's python.exe and set AUTOCAD_MCP_BACKEND to auto (or file_ipc/ezdxf). If your client runs in WSL, launch via cmd.exe. Verify by calling system(operation="status").

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "autocad-mcp": {
      "command": "C:\\path\\to\\autocad-mcp\\.venv\\Scripts\\python.exe",
      "args": [
        "-m",
        "autocad_mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTOCAD_MCP_BACKEND": "auto"
      }
    }
  }
}

Shown for Claude Desktop. Other clients may use a different file or key (VS Code uses "servers") — the configurator below converts it.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "autocad-mcp": {
      "command": "C:\\path\\to\\autocad-mcp\\.venv\\Scripts\\python.exe",
      "args": [
        "-m",
        "autocad_mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTOCAD_MCP_BACKEND": "auto"
      }
    }
  }
}

Goes in your project's .vscode/mcp.json (VS Code uses a "servers" key).

Terminal

claude mcp add autocad-mcp -e AUTOCAD_MCP_BACKEND=auto -- 'C:\path\to\autocad-mcp\.venv\Scripts\python.exe' -m autocad_mcp

Run it in a terminal; replace any <…> placeholders with your own values first.

Generate and validate client config

Check that it works

From your MCP client, call system(operation="status"); it should report backend "file_ipc" (AutoCAD running) or "ezdxf" (headless), confirming the connection works.

Troubleshooting

Check that mcp_dispatch.lsp is loaded in AutoCAD and shows 'MCP Dispatch v3.1 loaded'
Verify AUTOCAD_MCP_BACKEND is set to auto or file_ipc, and Python is native Windows
Ensure the IPC directory (C:/temp) exists and is writable
Increase AUTOCAD_MCP_IPC_TIMEOUT if commands are timing out
Press ESC in AutoCAD to cancel any pending commands

Things to try

Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant things like:

Draw a circle with radius 50 on the drawing and add a linear dimension to it.
Rename the current layer to Walls and freeze it.
Take a screenshot of the current AutoCAD view and show it to me.
Use execute_lisp to run (+ 1 2) and tell me the result.

Tools 8

drawing destructive

File/drawing management: create, open, save, export DXF, plot PDF, purge, get system variables, undo/redo.

entity writes

Entity CRUD and modification: create line, circle, polyline, rectangle, arc, ellipse, mtext, hatch; list, count, get; copy, move, rotate, scale, mirror, offset, array, fillet, chamfer, erase.

layer writes

Layer management: list, create, set current, set properties, freeze, thaw, lock, unlock.

block writes

Block operations: list, insert, insert with attributes, get attributes, update attribute, define (ezdxf only).

annotation writes

Annotations: create text, linear dimension, aligned dimension, angular dimension, radius dimension, leader.

pid writes

P&ID operations: setup layers, insert symbols (CTO library), draw process lines, connect equipment, add flow arrows, equipment tags, line numbers, valves, instruments, pumps, tanks.

view read-only

Viewport and screenshot: zoom extents, zoom window, get screenshot as PNG.

system read-only

Server management: status, health, backend info, runtime info, init, execute AutoLISP (File IPC only).

Use cases

Automate AutoCAD LT drawing creation and editing via natural language

Generate DXF files headlessly for automated testing or batch processing

Insert P&ID symbols and process lines in AutoCAD automatically

Execute custom AutoLISP code to extend automation capabilities

Supported clients

Claude Desktop

Claude Code

Listed from the project's documentation, not tested by this site.

Overview

An MCP server for automating AutoCAD LT and generating DXF headlessly. It provides two backends: File IPC (requires AutoCAD LT 2024+ on Windows) and ezdxf (cross-platform, headless). The server exposes 8 consolidated tools (drawing, entity, layer, block, annotation, pid, view, system) over stdio transport. It supports freehand AutoLISP execution, focus-free dispatch, undo/redo, P&ID symbols, and robust IPC with ESC prefix and UTF-8 fallback.

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Source revision 95476a33a1c2 Data synced 2026-10-12 Read the FMRS scoring method