ObjectARX® (AutoCAD Runtime Extension) is a compiled-language programming environment for developing applications that allow you to load and run compiled projects in the same address space as AutoCAD-based products, enabling your programs to operate directly with core AutoCAD data structures and code.
The ObjectARX libraries allow you to take advantage of the open architecture of AutoCAD-based products, providing direct access to the database structures, graphics system, and geometry engine to extend classes and capabilities at runtime. Additionally, you can define new commands that operate exactly the same way as native commands and new AutoLISP functions.
You can use ObjectARX libraries in conjunction with other programming interfaces supported by the AutoCAD-based product, such as AutoLISP, ActiveX, or Managed .NET, enabling cross-API integration.
ObjectARX applications require knowledge of C++ or Objective-C, and an integrated development environment (IDE), such as Microsoft Visual Studio on Windows or Xcode on Mac OS. Unlike AutoLISP applications, you must compile an ObjectARX application before it can be loaded into an AutoCAD-based product. A compiled ObjectARX application is a Dynamic-Link Library file with an .arx extension. Debugging of an ObjectARX application can be performed from Microsoft Visual Studio or Xcode when a debug version of an ObjectARX application is loaded into an AutoCAD-based product.
Once an ObjectARX application file has been debugged and is ready to be used by other users, a release version of the ObjectARX application must be built.