Command line switches can be used to control how the program is started from the Terminal window or a shell script.
You can use command line switches to specify several options when you start the program. For example, you can run a script, start with a specified drawing template.
Command line switches are parameters you can use to create custom shell scripts to start AutoCAD in a specific way. Valid switches are listed in the following table.
|
-b |
Script name |
Designates a script to run after you start the program (b stands for batch process). Scripts can be used to set up drawing parameters in a new drawing file. |
|
-ld |
Load custom .bundle file |
Designates a custom program with the .bundle file extension to load at startup. |
|
-t |
Template file name |
Creates a new drawing based on a template or prototype drawing. |
|
-nologo |
Suppress logo screen |
Starts the program without first displaying the logo screen. |
|
-safemode |
Prevents executable code from being executed |
Starts the program without loading and executing custom AutoLISP programs in the current AutoCAD session, and disables the execution of AutoLISP expressions at the Command prompt. |
The syntax for using command line switches is
pathname/AutoCAD [drawingname] [-switchname]
When using a switch option, you must follow the switch with a space and then the name of a file. For example, the following entry starts the program from a folder named AutoCAD 2025 with the drawing template arch1.dwt and executes a script filestartup.scr.
"/Applications/Autodesk/AutoCAD 2025/AutoCAD 2025.app/Contents/MacOS/AutoCAD" -t /templates/arch1.dwt -b startup.scr