AutoCAD AI: connect Claude to AutoCAD & Civil 3D over MCP

VIDEO · 2:00

What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that plugs AI assistants into real software. Your client — Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Antigravity — calls real actions directly instead of guessing from pasted text.

AEC Pilot CAD runs that server inside AutoCAD, so the assistant edits the live drawing — no export, no round trip.

CIVIL 3D 2026

Pilot Chat — docked in AutoCAD

What it can do in AutoCAD

87 AutoCAD actions for the everyday work:

• Geometry — lines, polylines, arcs, circles, hatches; move, copy, rotate, scale, mirror, offset, erase.
• Layers — list, create, set current, change properties, isolate and delete.
• Blocks — list, insert, and read or write block attributes.
• Text — text and MText, find and replace, linear and aligned dimensions.
• Context — what's open, what's selected, properties, counts, layouts.
• Output — plot to PDF and export DWG.

Civil 3D: the full corridor pipeline

One install serves AutoCAD and Civil 3D — and Civil is where the depth is: 53 Civil actions on top, hidden automatically in plain AutoCAD:

• Alignments — from polylines, offsets, geometry, station/offset to coordinates, labels.
• Profiles — surface profiles, layout profiles with PVIs, and profile views.
• Surfaces — TIN and volume, points, breaklines, boundaries, contours, elevations, statistics.
• Corridors — create from alignment, profile and assembly, rebuild, read results.
• Feature lines, COGO points, sample line groups and pipe networks.

The whole road pipeline, end to end: from a polyline to a rebuilt corridor without leaving the chat. Verified on Civil 3D 2023 and 2026.

Dynamo, driven by the assistant

With Dynamo open, the assistant works on the graph: opens or starts one, searches the node library — packages like Civil3DToolkit included — adds and wires nodes, writes Code Block and Python, runs it and reads the results back.

Build a script from a sentence, or find out why an existing one fails.

Advance Steel: steel models by asking

Same install, same host. In Advance Steel, 12 steel actions join the AutoCAD ones:

• Read the model: counts, beams with profile, length and weight, parts with material, and a bill of materials.
• Look up profiles and materials in Advance Steel’s catalogue.
• Create straight beams and columns between two points, and rectangular plates.
• Change a beam’s profile or a part’s material, and delete objects by handle.

Every profile and material is checked against the catalogue — an unknown name is refused, with the closest matches suggested, instead of a silent placeholder.

Advance Steel 2024–2027. The steel actions show only inside Advance Steel.

The Advance Steel MCP guide

What you can ask for

• “List every alignment in this drawing with its length and start station.”
• “Create a surface profile for Alignment A along the EG surface, then a profile view for it.”
• “Move everything on layer C-ROAD to C-ROAD-NEW and set it to colour 3.”
• “What is the elevation of the EG surface at station 2+400, offset 12 left?”
• “Plot all layouts in this drawing to PDF.”

One-click setup — no JSON editing

No config files to edit. Pick your client, click once — Pilot AI writes the setup and keeps the MCP servers you already use.

Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT / Codex, Cursor and Google Antigravity — or any MCP client. Your own AI account, no extra AI fee, and nothing else to install.

The tool list is curated on purpose: AI picks tools worse beyond about fifty, so niche actions start switched off — turn on what you need in Settings.

Also working in Revit or Navisworks?

One licence covers every application — Pilot Chat inside each, or your own LLM over MCP. See Revit MCP, Navisworks MCP or the whole toolbox.

Frequently asked questions

What is AutoCAD MCP?

AutoCAD connected to an AI assistant through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard for calling real actions in other software. AEC Pilot CAD runs the MCP server inside AutoCAD, so the assistant works on the open drawing.

Is there an MCP server for AutoCAD, and how do I connect it to Claude or ChatGPT?

Yes. Install AEC Pilot, open AutoCAD or Civil 3D, then Settings → Setup Guide → Configure next to Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT / Codex, Cursor or Antigravity. Restart the client and ask — no JSON, no Node.js.

Doesn't Autodesk have its own AutoCAD MCP server?

Yes, as a Technical Preview inside Autodesk Assistant: read-only in AutoCAD, with property and style edits in Civil 3D. AEC Pilot CAD works from Claude, ChatGPT / Codex or Cursor, draws and edits in AutoCAD, and builds alignments, surfaces and corridors in Civil 3D — on 2021 through 2027.

Does it work with AutoCAD LT?

No. AutoCAD LT doesn't load .NET add-ins — you need full AutoCAD or Civil 3D 2021–2027.

Does it work with Civil 3D?

Yes — that's where the depth is. The same install adds 53 Civil actions: alignments, profiles, profile views, surfaces, corridors, feature lines, COGO points, sample lines and pipe networks.

Does it work with Advance Steel?

Yes. Advance Steel 2024–2027 uses the same install and adds 12 steel actions: model summary, bill of materials, catalogue lookups, beams, columns and plates — every profile checked against the catalogue.

Which AutoCAD and Civil 3D versions are supported?

AutoCAD and Civil 3D 2021–2027, each with its own build: .NET Framework 4.8 (2021–2024), .NET 8 (2025–2026), .NET 10 (2027).

Can it create things, or only read the drawing?

Both. It draws and edits geometry, layers, blocks and text, plots and exports — and in Civil 3D builds alignments, profiles, surfaces, corridors and feature lines. Deleting always needs an explicit scope.

Can the assistant use Dynamo?

Yes. It opens or builds graphs, searches your installed packages, adds and wires nodes, writes Code Block and Python, runs the graph and reads results and warnings back.

Does my drawing leave my computer?

No. Everything runs on your machine and the MCP server listens on localhost only. Your drawings are never uploaded.

Do I need to edit JSON config files?

No. Pick your client and click once — your other MCP servers are kept and nothing else needs installing. You use your own AI account; no extra AI fee.

AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit and Navisworks are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. AEC Pilot is not affiliated with Autodesk. Learn more at aecpilot.com.