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CAD tip # 7944:

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Automatic installation of AutoCAD 2012 add-on applications.

To simplify distribution of add-on modules (.NET, ARX, VisualLISP), AutoCAD 2012 (and higher) contains a new mechanism for easy automatic loading of applications and their menus (ribbons), including demand-loading (by typing a command from the respective application).

Application developers can distribute a specially formatted package ".bundle" containing all neccessary components of the given application, plus a XML control file PackageContents.xml. The structure of this XML file can be found in the documentation for developers (ADN).

The ".bundle" folder (e.g. "MyApplication.bundle") can be just copied as a subfolder to the folder:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins

(for all users) or to user-specific folders (in XP):

C:\Documents and Settings\{usrname}\Application Data\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins

or (in Win7/Vista):

C:\Users\{usrname}\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins

The add-on application (here: "MyApplication") will be then loaded automatically. You can load such applications not only on launching AutoCAD, but also during a drawing session. Detecting ("sniffing") of the new/current status of the ".bundle" subfolders can be invoked manually, just by starting the APPAUTOLOADER command. This command loads any program modules, extends your AutoCAD menu and "teaches" your AutoCAD new functions and commands defined in the respective application.

The same command can also list all currently loaded ".bundle" modules. This autoloading mechanism is controlled by the APPAUTOLOAD variable.

ACAD2013ACAD2012

* CAD

29.4.2011 5882x

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applies to: AutoCAD 2013 · AutoCAD 2012 ·

See also:
Tip 9230:	Undocumented: IFC export available also in Revit LT.
Tip 9222:	CAD formats exported from Inventor Fusion 2013.
Tip 9206:	Free viewer for Autodesk Inventor files.
Tip 9197:	Export of 3D CAD models to Google Earth.
Tip 9176:	Confirm loading of LSP, VLX, DLL, ARX application files.

Selected tip: ActiveX component not installed when entering iProject.

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