We automate four categories of AutoCAD work using the .NET API, ObjectARX, and Plant 3D SDK: custom plugin development for geometry-heavy calculations, data extraction from DWG files into structured Excel and ERP systems, batch processing across thousands of drawings, and bidirectional CAD-to-SAP integration. Compiled-code performance, not LISP scripting.
Purpose-built AutoCAD plugins for tasks where standard tools and AI-generated code fail – geometry kernels, parametric optimisation algorithms, custom data embedding in DWG files, and WPF-based UI integrated into the AutoCAD ribbon. Used for formwork optimisation, parametric pattern generation, and engineering calculation engines.
Deep diveAutomated extraction of dimensions, attributes, block data, and geometric properties from AutoCAD drawings into structured Excel reports, databases, or ERP systems. Includes built-in calculation engines, validation rules, and discipline-specific output formats – not a raw data dump.
Real CaseAutomation that processes hundreds or thousands of DWG files overnight – applying updates, extracting data, running QA checks, converting formats, or regenerating outputs across entire project repositories. Built to handle the edge cases that break naive implementations: corrupt drawings, mixed versions, non-standard layers, memory limits.
Bidirectional synchronisation between AutoCAD (or AutoCAD Plant 3D) and enterprise systems – SAP, Oracle ERP, Teamcenter. We handle the project-specific mapping rules, validation logic, and conflict resolution that off-the-shelf middleware cannot.
Real Example
Your best engineers spend 60% of their time on manual calculations and filling out specifications instead of engineering analysis. On one formwork project, we measured three months of manual calculations per object before automation.
Engineers manually copy dimensions and attributes from DWG files into Excel, then re-enter into ERP. Every revision is a new round of copy-paste – and a new chance for errors.
Each time a drawing updates, all downstream Excel reports need to be rebuilt manually. On a live project, this happens weekly.
Every engineer calculates in their own way. Results depend on individual experience, not a shared methodology – which makes QA, audit, and onboarding harder than they need to be.
AutoCAD automation projects at InStandart follow four phases: a paid Discovery to define scope and ROI, a Proof of Concept against your real drawings, a fixed-price Full Build delivered in 4–8 weeks, and ongoing Support & Evolution. No hourly billing. No open-ended scopes.
We audit your actual workflow – which CAD operations consume time, which data flows are manual, which integration gaps create rework. Deliverable: technical scope document, architecture proposal, fixed-price quote, and ROI projection. Paid engagement, deducted from the full project price if you proceed.
We build a working prototype against your real drawings, not a demo file. You validate the approach with your engineers before committing to full build. PoC scope is defined during Discovery so success criteria are explicit, not subjective.
Fixed-price development against the scope agreed in Discovery. Weekly demos of working software. Production deployment in your AutoCAD environment, full source code with commercial-use rights, architecture documentation, and onboarding for your internal team.
Compatibility-verified builds within 30–45 days of every new Autodesk release. Bug fixes, feature additions, and extension as your workflow evolves. You own the plugin outright – no vendor lock-in, no per-seat licensing dependency on our infrastructure.
AutoCAD automation projects typically fall in the $15,000–$120,000 range, priced by scope, not hours. A focused single-function plugin or batch processing tool ranges from $15,000–$40,000. Complex systems with optimisation algorithms, ERP integration, or multi-module architecture range from $40,000–$120,000+. Every project starts with a paid Discovery ($3,000–$5,000) that produces a fixed-price scope before any build commitment.
| Project type | Investment range | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Focused plugin or batch tool (single function) | $15,000–$40,000 | 6–10 weeks |
| Data extraction + calculation engine | $20,000–$60,000 | 8–12 weeks |
| Multi-module automation suite | $40,000–$90,000 | 3–5 months |
| AutoCAD ↔ SAP / ERP integration | $50,000–$120,000+ | 4–6 months |
ROI framing: Our POSforAFS project delivered a 70% reduction in formwork calculation costs – the development investment paid for itself within the first two projects. Every Discovery includes a detailed ROI projection so you have the numbers before you commit.
Most AutoCAD automation vendors write LISP scripts and call it a day. We build enterprise-grade systems using the full AutoCAD development stack – .NET API, ObjectARX (C++), Plant 3D SDK – because the problems worth solving require that depth.
We don't generate code with AI tools and hope it compiles. Our team has shipped production code across every major AutoCAD API revision – ObjectARX, .NET API, Plant 3D SDK, AutoLISP – and we know where each one breaks under real project loads. When a geometry kernel throws edge cases that a LISP script can't handle, we've already solved that class of problem.
POSforAFS cut formwork costs by 70%. CAD-to-SAP integration reduced BoM errors from 15% to under 2% and saved engineering hours weekly. 3D Model Review Tool cut clash review time by 50% and manual errors by 80% on a gas processing facility. We don't pitch capabilities – we show results from delivered projects.
AutoCAD's native data extraction is a data dump, not a report. Generic middleware can't handle project-specific SAP mapping rules. Manufacturer software uses generic libraries that can't optimise across your specific geometry. We build what those tools cannot – and we integrate with what works, instead of replacing it.
Fixed-price development after a paid Discovery. PoC before full build commitment. Every project scoped around measurable ROI – cost reduction, time saved, errors eliminated. If we can't quantify the outcome upfront, we don't take the project.
InStandart’s work complied with the end client’s criteria, and the project management was great. The team fully met the client’s requirements with items delivered on time. InStandart was professional, provided excellent service, and was outstandingly cooperative and precise throughout the project.
AutoCAD .NET API
AutoLISP
Plant 3D SDK
ObjectARX (C++)
C#
.NET Framework
WPF
Virtually any repetitive or rule-based workflow inside AutoCAD. The most common automation projects we deliver include: parametric drawing generation, data extraction from drawings to Excel or databases, batch processing across large drawing sets, formwork and structural calculations integrated directly into the CAD environment, and bidirectional data sync between AutoCAD and enterprise systems like SAP.
If your engineers are spending hours on tasks that follow consistent logic – extracting bill of materials, updating title blocks across 500 drawings, running calculation-dependent drafting – it’s automatable. Our Dwg2ExcelExporter project, for example, replaced hours of manual data extraction per drawing set with a plugin that produces structured, calculation-complete Excel reports in seconds.
Most AutoCAD automation projects ship in 6–14 weeks total. Focused tools – like Dwg2ExcelExporter for batch data extraction – take 6–10 weeks. Multi-module systems with optimisation algorithms or ERP integration (like POSforAFS or our CAD-SAP platform) take 3–6 months. Every project starts with a 48-hour technical scoping after our initial call, so you have a detailed timeline before committing.
We work across the full AutoCAD development stack: AutoCAD .NET API (C#) for enterprise-grade plugin development with custom UI, ribbons, and palettes; ObjectARX (C++) for performance-critical operations that require direct access to AutoCAD’s geometry kernel; Plant 3D SDK for process engineering and piping automation; AutoLISP for lightweight task automation and batch operations. The API choice depends on your specific requirements. Performance-intensive calculations and geometry manipulation typically require .NET or ObjectARX. Simple batch operations can be handled with LISP. Most competitors only offer LISP scripting – we select the right tool for the engineering problem.
Yes – batch processing across large drawing sets is one of our core delivery areas. We build automation scripts and plugins that process hundreds or thousands of DWG files overnight: applying updates, extracting data, running quality checks, converting formats, or regenerating outputs across entire project repositories.
The key technical challenge isn’t running a loop over files – it’s handling the edge cases: corrupt drawings, non-standard layer structures, mixed DWG versions, and memory management when processing thousands of files in sequence. Our team has shipped batch processing systems for clients managing 10,000+ drawing sets, so we’ve already solved the reliability problems that break naive implementations.
We price based on project scope, not hourly rates – because what matters is the result, not how many hours it takes. A focused automation plugin (single function, defined scope) typically falls in the $15,000–$40,000 range. Complex systems with optimisation algorithms, enterprise integrations, or multi-module architectures range from $40,000–$120,000+. The better question is ROI: our POSforAFS project delivered a 70% reduction in formwork calculation costs for the client. At that rate, the development investment paid for itself within the first two projects. We provide a detailed ROI projection as part of our 48-hour scoping assessment – before you commit to anything.
Yes. We’ve delivered bidirectional CAD-to-SAP integration on a midstream gas processing plant – synchronising 3D model data, BoMs, and P&ID information automatically. The result: BoM data entry dropped from 4 hours to under 15 minutes per package, and manual errors fell from 15% to under 2%. We also work with Oracle ERP, Teamcenter, and custom enterprise systems. The integration architecture depends on your data flows, validation rules, and which side owns master data – defined during Discovery.
We build plugins compatible with AutoCAD 2020 through the current release (2026), including vertical products like AutoCAD Plant 3D, AutoCAD Architecture, and AutoCAD MEP. We also handle version migration – updating legacy plugins built for older AutoCAD versions to work with current releases.
Book a 30-minute call to walk us through the repetitive tasks, manual processes, or data extraction challenges you're facing in AutoCAD. We'll analyze your workflows, identify automation opportunities, and provide a detailed scope with estimated timeline and ROI projections – within 48 hours of our conversation.
