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Tools and Language Support

This page is the reference for the tools the AutoCAD and Civil 3D MCP server exposes and how clients should use them.

Tool configurations

The server ships with two tool configurations:

  • Default — the read and analysis tools, suitable for inspecting and navigating a drawing.
  • Civil 3D — the default tools plus object modification (updateAutoCADObjects) and Civil 3D style operations (civil3dQueryModifyStyles).

Which tools are enabled is controlled by the server's configuration. Run MCPCONFIG in AutoCAD or Civil 3D to see the tools enabled in your current session.

Available tools

Tool Purpose / when to use it Key inputs Output Configuration
discoverAutoCADTypes Discover object types and their schemas. Call this first, before querying, checking, or updating objects, to learn which fields are queryable and writable. Supports AutoCAD types (line, circle, arc, text, mtext, polyline, dimension, layer, block, and more) and Civil 3D types (with the civil3d_ prefix, such as civil3d_alignment, civil3d_surface, civil3d_corridor, civil3d_pipe). types (required): array of exact type names, e.g. ["text","civil3d_alignment"] Schemas with queryable/writable fields, base types, and field descriptions Default and Civil 3D
queryAutoCADObjects Retrieve objects and their properties, with filters, field selection, pagination, and level queries for nested properties. Use when you need actual object details. Requires schemas from discoverAutoCADTypes first. queries (required): array of query operations (type, fields, filter, handles, skip/take, levelQueries); sideDrawingPath, context (optional) Queried objects with the requested fields Default and Civil 3D
aggregateAutoCADObjects Compute statistics — count, sum, avg, min, max, minabs, maxabs — optionally grouped. Use this (not queryAutoCADObjects) whenever the user wants counts, totals, breakdowns, or statistics. operations (required): array of aggregate operations (type, filter, level, rollupBy, aggregations); sideDrawingPath, context (optional) Statistics only Default and Civil 3D
manipulateDrawingCanvas Change what is selected or in view: showme (zoom + select), select, unselect, getSelection, zoomObjects, zoomExtents, zoomScale, zoomWindow. Handles model space / paper space switching. operationsJson (required): JSON string array of operations with handles or handle filters Result of the canvas operation Default and Civil 3D
checkAutoCADObjects Compare the current drawing against a template drawing for compliance checking, returning the differences. Uses the same query format as queryAutoCADObjects. queries (required), templatePath (required), compareByField (optional, default name) Object differences and compliance report Default and Civil 3D
updateAutoCADObjects Update slope analysis data on Civil 3D surface objects in version 2027.1 and later. operations (required): array of update operations (type, handles or rootFilter, fieldsToUpdate, levelUpdates) Update result with success/failure status Civil 3D
civil3dQueryModifyStyles Query and modify Civil 3D styles: entity styles, embedded styles, and display styles. Operations include get_style, list_styles, set_entity_style, modify_style_property, copy_style, modify_embedded_style_property, modify_display_component, and more. Supports batch processing with comma-separated lists. operation (required), collectionType (required), plus operation-specific fields such as styleName, entityId, propertyName, propertyValue, componentName, embeddedStyleName Style information or modification result Civil 3D

The tools are designed to be chained. Because querying and updating both depend on schema information, follow this order:

  1. discoverAutoCADTypes — get the schema for the types you need.
  2. queryAutoCADObjects for object details, or aggregateAutoCADObjects for counts and statistics.
  3. manipulateDrawingCanvas to select or zoom, updateAutoCADObjects to modify properties, or civil3dQueryModifyStyles for Civil 3D styles.

Filter syntax (used by queryAutoCADObjects, checkAutoCADObjects, and update rootFilter): supports =, !=, <, >, contains, startswith, endswith, AND, and OR. AND has higher precedence, parentheses are not supported, and text filtering is case-insensitive. Use = null or != null to filter by null values.

Selection context: queries and aggregations default to the current canvas selection. Set context to drawing when the user asks about the entire drawing.

Language support

Response language is determined by your MCP client and assistant — ask in the language you want the answer. The server itself does not take a locale parameter; drawing values such as coordinates, lengths, and angles are returned in the drawing's own units (governed by LUNITS and AUNITS) and should be reported exactly as returned.

Resources and prompts

This server does not expose MCP resources. It provides general AutoCAD usage guidance to assistants to help them operate on drawings correctly.

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