Why can't I just upload the DWG to the Claude chat?

The chat cannot read DWG files and cannot see your AutoCAD. The plugin does the reverse: it brings Claude into AutoCAD, where it sees the open drawing and can edit it with your confirmation.

Is AutoGAD really free?

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

Which AutoCAD versions are supported?

AutoCAD 2025 and 2026 on Windows. AutoCAD 2024 and older, and AutoCAD LT, are not.

Does my drawing go to the internet?

The DWG file is never sent anywhere. Claude receives a short description of the drawing and your messages. Nothing goes to the plugin author.

Can it follow my company's standards?

Yes. Claude remembers your rules right from the chat, and if you need special checks for your blocks and schedules, I build them live on a call, billed by the hour.

Does Claude work with AutoCAD? Yes — the free AutoGAD plugin

Claude inside AutoCAD 2025/2026: the free AutoGAD plugin answers questions about the drawing, calculates, checks schedules, draws from a description or a photo and changes text across the drawing — all with your confirmation. Open source AGPL-3.0, installs in 5 minutes, releases on GitHub.

Yes. Install the free AutoGAD plugin and Claude appears right inside AutoCAD, in a palette next to your drawing. It answers questions about the open drawing, calculates, checks schedules, edits text across the project, draws from a description and redraws sketches from photos — showing every change before it touches the file. Open source (AGPL-3.0), 5-minute install, every version on GitHub.

In short

Claude works right inside AutoCAD — a chat palette on the ribbon, next to the drawing. Nothing to export, copy or retell to the model.
Ready to go, free. Download the installer, paste a key, open a drawing. Open source, AGPL-3.0.
AutoCAD 2025 and 2026 on Windows. ChatGPT instead of Claude if you prefer.
Nothing changes without you. Every edit asks for confirmation.

What Claude does in AutoCAD

You open a drawing, open the AutoGAD palette and write to it like to a colleague. Claude sees the open drawing and:

Answers questions about the drawing. "How many fixtures of each type are on the plan?", "Which layers are frozen?", "What is in the schedule on sheet 3?"
Calculates. Panel load, design currents, breakers per outgoing line — with formulas and the source data from your tables.
Checks schedules and bills of materials. Compares table quantities with what is actually drawn, finds missing items and inconsistent tags.
Checks against codes and standards. It knows them and can look up the current edition online; your company standards it remembers and applies on the next projects.
Changes text across the whole drawing at once. Project code, title block, leaders, table cells: "Replace K2.AHP-2.2025 with K2.AHP-3.2025 everywhere".
Manages layers and drawing properties. On, off, freeze, lock; set file properties.
Remembers. Your rules ("I size cables for 380 V, cos φ 0.95") and the specifics of each project — no need to explain next time.
Draws from a description. "Draw a 6000×4000 mm room plan, 200 walls, a 900 door in the left wall, a 1500 window opposite, add dimensions" — Claude computes the coordinates itself and draws in the drawing's units: walls, doors, windows, dimensions, labels, hatches, each on its own layer. Repeated symbols (fixtures, sockets) become blocks placed at a pitch.
Turns a photo, scan or sketch into a drawing. Paste the picture into the chat (📎 button, Ctrl+V or drop the file). A dimensioned sketch is redrawn exactly from the numbers; a photo or scan without dimensions is traced into polylines right on your computer, then Claude cleans it up and adds dimensions and labels. The same tracer is a separate Trace button — no AI, with a live preview.
Edits what is drawn. Move, copy, rotate, mirror, offset, erase, change layer — whatever you selected or what it drew itself.

Nothing enters the drawing without you: before every edit Claude shows exactly what will change and waits for your "Allow". Plain Undo (Ctrl+Z) reverts any edit.

What it does not do

It does not replace a survey: a photo without dimensions gives a trace of what is in the pixels, perspective and shadows included; a sketch is redrawn exactly as accurately as its numbers can be read.
It does not sign for the engineer. Codes and standards it knows and can check against the current edition online, your company standards it remembers; the final check and the signature stay with a person.
It does not run in AutoCAD 2024 or older, or in AutoCAD LT.

Install in 5 minutes

Download AutoGADSetup.exe (button above), close AutoCAD and run the installer. No admin rights needed.
Paste your Claude key. A key takes a minute to create on the Anthropic site (console.anthropic.com → API keys); the installer asks for it. It is stored encrypted on your computer. You can use ChatGPT instead of Claude — an OpenAI key goes in the same way.
Start AutoCAD. An AutoGAD tab appears on the ribbon; the Chat button opens the palette. Open a drawing and ask: "How many blocks of each type are in the drawing?"

For a whole department there is an all-users installer — also in the GitHub releases.

What it costs

The plugin is free, permanently: open source, AGPL-3.0, every version on GitHub. You only pay for the model itself through your own key — usually a few cents per question. The cost of every answer is printed under it, so there are no surprises.

Where your drawing goes

The DWG file is never sent anywhere. Claude receives only a short description of the drawing (layers, blocks, table text) and your messages. Nothing is sent to the plugin author.