AutoCAD / DWG Workflow

Protect coordinates, units, references, annotation and issued content; work on versioned copies for automated changes.

Preflight

• AutoCAD/vertical release, DWG version, OS, units/insertion scale, UCS/WCS, coordinate origin, xrefs, layouts and source/issued status.
• Layer/block standards, annotation scales, fonts/linetypes, CTB/STB, page setups, title blocks and output requirements.

Keep verified facts, project assumptions, design options, and unresolved questions visibly separate. If a required input is absent, record it as UNKNOWN rather than inventing it.

Workflow

1. Inventory model/paper-space entities, layers, blocks/attributes, xrefs, underlays, layouts and plot dependencies.
2. Define protected geometry/data and exact permitted edit scope; preview entity handles/names/counts before mutation.
3. Use verified AutoCAD command/API surfaces; dry-run or sample batch operations before full-file changes and save to new paths.
4. Generate proof PDFs and inspect viewport scales/locks, lineweights, hatches, fonts, clipping, title/revision data and unresolved references.

Deliverables

• DWG preflight/audit
• Change or automation plan
• Layer/block/xref report
• Plot/issue verification report

Verification

• Before/after counts and representative handles/attributes are checked; units/origin/extents remain invariant unless explicitly changed.
• Resulting DWG opens in a compatible AutoCAD environment when available.

For file/model changes, compare the result against a pre-change baseline and report changed items, skipped items, failures, and checks actually run.

Professional boundaries

• Do not silently bind/detach/flatten xrefs or purge definitions that may carry standards/data.
• Do not invent command flags/API signatures; verify release-matched Autodesk docs.

If a live CAD/BIM/GIS/analysis tool or MCP integration is available, inspect the current document/model and tool version before write operations. Prefer read-only inspection, dry runs, bounded samples, new output paths, and native undo/transaction mechanisms. Never claim a model or drawing was changed unless the tool confirms it.

If the native application is unavailable, produce a reproducible plan, script, structured data, SVG/DXF artifact, or exact in-application procedure instead of pretending to have operated the software.

Manual Mac read-only inspector

scripts/autocad_native.py doctor reports installed bundle metadata without claiming a live connection. prepare --root ROOT --drawing A-101.dxf --workspace WORKSPACE stages a private new copy and a fixed AutoLISP command. Review the returned file/path, obtain any native load approval and run GRIDLINEINSPECT manually. receipt SESSION console.txt validates captured metadata and hashes. This is manual console transport, not MCP; AUDIT/edit/plot/DWG roundtrip remain NOT_TESTED. Never change host security preferences or load it into an unrelated drawing.