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← Notes2026-09-08 · by Dmitriy Dobrovolskiy

Can Claude draw in AutoCAD? Yes — a plan from a description and a drawing from a photo

Claude in AutoCAD draws: describe a plan and get walls, doors, windows, dimensions and labels by layer; paste a photo of a sketch and it redraws it from the numbers or traces it into lines. Free AutoGAD plugin, open source AGPL-3.0, AutoCAD 2025/2026.

Yes. With the free AutoGAD plugin Claude draws right inside AutoCAD: from a description it draws a plan with walls, doors, windows, dimensions and labels in the drawing's units, and from a photo or scan of a sketch it redraws it from the numbers or traces it into polylines on your computer. Everything is created in one confirmed step and reverted with one Undo. Open source (AGPL-3.0), 5-minute install.

Download AutoGADSetup.exe ↓Releases on GitHubFree · open source, AGPL-3.0 · Windows · AutoCAD 2025/2026 · no admin rights

In short

What it draws from a description

Lines and polylines, rectangles, circles, arcs, ellipses, splines, hatches, text and MText, dimensions (linear, aligned, radial), leaders and blocks with attributes. It creates layers itself, with colour and linetype. Repeated symbols — fixtures, sockets, panels — become blocks placed at the pitch you need.

Example requests:

How to turn a photo or sketch into a drawing

  1. Click 📎 in the palette, paste with Ctrl+V or drop the file (up to 6 images at once).
  2. Say what you need: "Redraw this sketch at 1:1, the dimensions are in millimetres".
  3. If the sketch has dimensions, Claude redraws it from them. If it is a photo or scan without dimensions, it traces the lines right on your computer (the picture stays local), then cleans up, dimensions and labels the result as you ask.

The same tracer is a separate Trace button on the AutoGAD ribbon: live preview, threshold, blur, simplification, insertion at a picked point on the layer you choose — no AI at all.

What to expect on accuracy

Install in 5 minutes

  1. Download AutoGADSetup.exe (button above), close AutoCAD and run it. No admin rights.
  2. Paste your Claude key (a minute on the Anthropic site). ChatGPT instead of Claude — an OpenAI key.
  3. Start AutoCAD → AutoGAD tab → Chat. Open an empty drawing and ask for a plan.

The plugin is free: open source, AGPL-3.0, every version on GitHub. You only pay for the model's answers — usually a few cents; the amount is printed under every answer.

FAQ

Does Claude really draw, not just advise?

Yes. It creates real AutoCAD objects in model space: lines, polylines, circles, hatches, dimensions, text, blocks — in the drawing's units and by layer. It first lists what it will draw and waits for your "Allow".

Can it make a drawing from a photo?

Yes, two ways. A dimensioned sketch is redrawn exactly from the numbers. A photo or scan without dimensions is traced into polylines on your computer, then Claude cleans up and labels the result. The trace follows the picture, perspective and shadows included — it does not replace a survey.

Does the photo go to the internet?

Tracing runs on your computer. If you ask Claude to read dimensions from a sketch or redraw it, the picture is sent to the model with your message. The DWG file itself is never sent.

Which version added this?

Drawing from a description and from images arrived in version 1.0.8. Tested on AutoCAD 2025 and 2026 on Windows.

Is it free?

Yes. Open source under AGPL-3.0, no fee for the plugin. You only pay for the model through your own key — usually a few cents per request.

Download AutoGADSetup.exe ↓Releases on GitHubFree · open source, AGPL-3.0 · Windows · AutoCAD 2025/2026 · no admin rights

Want something like this?

I build it live on a Zoom call, you watch the screen, the timer stops when you say stop. First 15 minutes are free.

$50 / hourBook an hour

More projects

AutoGAD: Claude inside AutoCADAn LLM agent docked inside AutoCAD 2025 that reads, audits and edits live drawings.