Beyond APPLOAD: A local script manager for those of us with too many LISPs

[BIGAL]

@aridzv not sure why your not using a custom Pop menu, Toolbar or Ribbon, then you can demand load any lisp no need to preload lisps. Yes one of my custom POP menus has 130 lisps behind it. I used to run 3 custom menu's. Yes a Startuplisp as well. I have a Word doc "How to make a pop menu"How to make POP menu.docx

 

Part 2 I have a install lisp it uses a zip file of all relevant files and it is un zipped via lisp to correct directory, support paths added, new menu's added. If you look into Regedit you can find the appload list in the registry and change it.

 

[VicoWang]

@aridzv @BIGAL

Thank you both for sharing your workflows! Just like drafting in CAD where there are a dozen ways to achieve the same geometric result, managing LISP environments has evolved its own art forms over the decades.

 

Using an Excel sheet to drive autoload lines, or writing custom Install.lsp scripts to unpack ZIPs and inject into the Windows Registry—these are absolute classics. In fact, these exact methodologies are the spiritual predecessors to modern package management. VedaCAD is simply a modernized, "npm-style" iteration of the exact same goals you both achieved manually.

 

By the way, I noticed from your profile signatures that both of you are running BricsCAD Pro. Since VedaCAD is currently compiled as a native AutoCAD .vlx container, you wouldn't be able to load or test the attachment anyway! But I genuinely appreciate you diving into the conceptual discussion with me.

@aridzv, regarding your note on open-source: I completely respect your stance. For actual drafting tools, geometry calculators, or productivity scripts, open-source is the absolute gold standard of this forum.

 

However, VedaCAD is not a drafting tool; it is the client-side node of a commercial B2B SaaS infrastructure. Under the hood, it contains hand-rolled JSON parsers, cryptographic modules, and REST API controllers to sync with our Cloudflare edge network, along with Enterprise-grade fleet deployment logic (MDM). Because of this deep backend orchestration and our commercial roadmap, the core client remains closed-source.

 

That being said, because I know firsthand how painful local deployment is for independent draftsmen, we specifically carved out the BASE Mode (100% offline, air-gapped) and the FREE Tier (unlimited VCID sharing protocol) to be permanently free for the community. We wanted to make sure everyone could enjoy modern package management without paying a dime.

 

It’s always a pleasure geeking out over deployment architectures with veterans. Thanks again for the great discussion!

[BIGAL]

I am still confused, yes I have around 150 lisps behind 3 pop menu's, and the idea of being simply able to find them I understand, but from a dumb user perspective how do I know how to call up a Lisp program, despite numerous post I still don't see how to call the lisps. There is no way where I worked in a team environment they would know the name of a lisp or a command that ran it. They would just walk away.

 

@VicoWang Maybe show your CAD setup.

Edited yesterday at 02:12 AM by BIGAL

[VicoWang]

@BIGAL

 

Actually, regarding what the deployed CAD interface looks like: @Paul Li recently shared some of his custom tool suites in our community thread, and I posted a few test screenshots there demonstrating the exact setup—his custom .CUIX ribbons, floating toolbars, and slide libraries seamlessly mounted. You can see the setup screenshots here:

 

 

To clarify our design philosophy regarding "how an end-user calls up a command": we completely agree that no one can or should memorize 150 commands. We view execution as two complementary workflows:

1. High-Frequency Tools (The Keyboard Route): A draftsman typically relies on keyboard shortcuts for the ~20 tools they use every few minutes. Traditionally, changing the shortcut of a third-party LISP meant opening someone else's source code to alter defun c:... or writing your own wrapper functions. VedaCAD provides built-in custom alias management, allowing users to map and resolve shortcuts for their favorite routines directly from the manager without writing a single line of wrapper code.
2. Visual & Specialized Tools (The Click Route): For the remaining 130 tools, visual access is mandatory. Whether a CAD Manager prefers deploying traditional .CUIX Ribbons / Toolbars, custom POP Menus (like your impressive setup!), or interactive Radial Menus (like the OmniWheel plugin I shared earlier), VedaCAD silently mounts and supports them all natively.

The classic pull-down menus you showed in your screenshot are fully supported in our .CUIX pipeline. When a CAD Manager deploys a custom menu via VedaCAD, the end-user doesn't need to know the command names—they simply click your menu items or ribbon icons on the screen, exactly as they do in your office today.

 

VedaCAD is not here to force a specific interface style; it is simply the underlying delivery infrastructure to carry whatever workflow the CAD Manager chooses to design.

 

Since Paul's tool suites are live on the platform, the easiest way to see how this works is to test it firsthand. You are very welcome to grab a free account at app.vedacad.com, type VC, click 'Install via VCID', and try pulling one of his suites (e.g., B-NN9XC for his DDCalc suite).

 

You can see how his visual ribbon, calculator, and tools wire up in your own workspace!

Edited yesterday at 03:02 AM by VicoWang

[Paul Li]

@BIGAL I just want to add more detail to @VicoWang explanation.

To begin with, I would like to point out that I have over 11 apps all written in AutoLISP & DCL.

When installed successfully the added commands from a typical app are presented with the loading of a partial menu which adds a panel under the Add-ins section of the Ribbon along with Toolbar so the end user knows exactly where to go to access the added commands.

Prior to VedaCAD, these apps are all marketed on the Autodesk app store which is now called Design and Make Marketplace. Autodesk has a set a fairly vigorous review standards that must be met in order for a third party app to qualify in their app store. In additional, as a developer, you would have to submit everything to them to generate the msi setup file for user download and installation. This submittal for review process can take a number of weeks to approve before your app can go live on their app store.

But then enters VedaCAD. I now can use the VC vlx app to create my own installation bundle without a need to submit my files to another company to review for approval. There's also no need for an msi setup file but instead all that is needed is the VC ID code that references that bundle on the VedaCAD server for complete installation. After the end user loads the VC .vlx app, all that is required is to import that VC ID code and my app is now installed exactly like it is using msi setup file. But the difference with VedaCAD is that the end user must now always load the VC.vlx file in order to have access to the added app.

Hope this clarifies a bit more as to what VedaCAD does for you.

 

Edited yesterday at 09:52 AM by Paul Li

[aridzv]

@BIGAL

About the pop menus:

Interesting,

I'll have a look.

 

One thing I left out from my last comment is that I add most of my lisps to the ribbon as buttons so I don't need to remember or type the command. 

 

@VicoWang

I don't use the excel file to run anything,

It is just a table to keep track of my lisps.

About me using bricscad and can't use .vlx:

There are also .brx files In some forums that I avoid.

I'll be a little more blunt:

I will use compiled file from a known trusted vendor.

This is not the case here.

In public forums I'll stay with open source,

Both for the reason I've mentioned earlier and the one above here.

[VicoWang]

@aridzv

Completely fair point—trust isn't given on day one, it has to be earned over time. I respect your stance, and thank you for being candid.

[Steven P]

On 10/12/2026 at 9:53 PM, aridzv said:

1. too many lisp to remember what each one dose.

2. how to bring all of those lisp's up to a new computer.

 

I have 189 lisps at the moment.

 

... lightweight... 800+ in just over 100 files... but most of them are to create a specific piece of kit in the drawing.

 

Remembering - I've stuck to a naming structure which helps a lot (c:txt.... for texts LISPS, c:blk... for block LISPS, c:Z... for zoom LISPS, and so on, and other parts that are common, TT (To Text), CB (Clip Board), 2 (To) so long as I know what I want to do remembering isn't so bad... but also have a DCL 'help' file that will list them all and also list all in a file (Files are similarly named). But yes, without a system I'd be struggling. 

 

(as an example, this week I am creating cable long sections, c:LS.... LSProfile to create the profile, LSChainage to add chainage marks to a route, LSPT to add surface points, LSSurface to create the surface, LSSop to add setting out points, LSDepth (LSD) to 'bury' a service at a depth, and so on).

 

All mine are on the OneDrive which is copied to any new computer, I don't need to worry about that, just to add the 3 or 4 I use all the time to the startup suit.. a one off event every 5 years. Update the load on demand, fairly instant for all users in that directory.

 

I tend to use the command line a lot, type in the name, LISP runs, similar to BIG Al, I have struggled to work out how a random 6 digit code translates to my typing the LISP Name in a command bar (and also how I would remember 100+ / 800+ 6 digit codes if I need to type each in for each LISP that I want to run, Do I need to type that in to load a LISP for each drawing?).

 

 

 

Seeing comments on Ribbons, I think in my office the ribbon is mostly redundant, takes up valuable screen real estate!

 

 

Edited 22 hours ago by Steven P

[Steven P]

10 hours ago, BIGAL said:

Part 2 I have a install lisp it uses a zip file of all relevant files and it is un zipped via lisp to correct directory, support paths added, new menu's added. If you look into Regedit you can find the appload list in the registry and change it.

 

I got 80% of the way there with appload in the registry - work got in the way - I'll have to remember to ask you about the other 20% when I get time to go back to that (to add to my single 'upgrade' LISP - page, menus, ribbon, plotter settings all in a single LISP file, emailed to myself, dragged and dropped into the new installation, don't even have to remember where it is saved really)

[BIGAL]

@Steven P yes email a lsp and a ZIP file, with all the other stuff MNU CUIX lisp's dwg's dwt's etc.  If using a server based solution then don't need a ZIP.

 

One thing I did look at was making a custom CUI & CUIX file, they are xml files the later zipped and named CUIX. As mentioned before copy a CUIX rename to zip and have a look inside. Was looking at using Excel to write the menu then convert to XML code -> CUI, CUIX. For a custom mnu just need to work out how to write the XML code. Avoiding the CUI command.

 

@VicoWang maybe have a look at making a CUI would be very helpful.

 

Edited 21 hours ago by BIGAL

[VicoWang]

46 minutes ago, BIGAL said:

@VicoWang maybe have a look at making a CUI would be very helpful.

 

@BIGAL

Appreciate the thought! I actually went down that exact rabbit hole during early R&D. We deliberately decided against dynamic CUI generation because messing with AutoCAD's menu tree on the fly is a notorious recipe for workspace corruption across different releases. We'd much rather keep VedaCAD strictly as an unbreakable, lightweight delivery pipe (like npm) and leave the bespoke UI craft in the hands of creators like you and Paul!

---
 

14 hours ago, Steven P said:

I tend to use the command line a lot, type in the name, LISP runs, similar to BIG Al, I have struggled to work out how a random 6 digit code translates to my typing the LISP Name in a command bar (and also how I would remember 100+ / 800+ 6 digit codes if I need to type each in for each LISP that I want to run, Do I need to type that in to load a LISP for each drawing?).

 

@Steven P

Definitely not! The VCID is strictly a one-time install code (like an Amazon tracking number). Once installed, you simply type your normal LISP command name in the command line as usual(or the custom shortcut keys you have configured)—zero VCID to memorize!

[aridzv]

20 hours ago, Steven P said:

.....

All mine are on the OneDrive which is copied to any new computer, I don't need to worry about that, just to add the 3 or 4 I use all the time to the startup suit.. a one off event every 5 years. Update the load on demand, fairly instant for all users in that directory.

......

 

 

@Steven P

what do you mean by "startup suit"?

[BIGAL]

Just type Appload in Bricscad, you will ser the "Load Application Files" click on "Autoload" and the lisp entry will be loaded on startup.

[aridzv]

@BIGAL

I'm awre of APPLOAD...

that's why I asked @Steven P what did it means - is it the use of APPLOAD or other way?

[Steven P]

2 hours ago, aridzv said:

 

@Steven P

what do you mean by "startup suit"?

 

'Appload' and Startup suit is in the bottom right corner... in AutoCAD.... Must be AutoLoad in BricsCAD

[aridzv]

@Steven P

So it is "APPLOAD" - meaning the lisps files are loaded on startup,

not as "autoload" that only load the lisp the first time you type the command - load on demand?

and can you save this "startup suit" to a file and use it on other computer or you must do it manually on a new machine?

[Steven P]

So I am not so sure about BricsCad

 

But yes, in AutoCAD there is a pop-up from the Appload dialogue - bottom right corner - 'startup suit' that loads things on opening each drawing (Usually LISPs). For each new installation you typically need to populate the startup suit though - the settings are saved as (typically) a Windows Registry key - and it is possible to have a LISP to add modify registry keys... just need to find the key location. In AutoCAD it is not a tricky task with 5 or 6 mouse clicks for each LISP for each time you have a new installation to change the startup suit.

 

You can also save LISPs to trusted locations - load on demand - but this falls down that each user would need a local copy of the code, a central store in the company shared drives is better. If you do that then all that needs entering into the startup suit is a single LISP file, and this file contains the load on demand code, for example:

 

(Defun C:ZA ( / ) (Load "F:\\AutoCAD\\AutoCAD LISPS\\ZOOMS.lsp") (C:ZoomAll))

 

Here the user uses the Alias or shortcut ZA, which loads the LISP file Zooms and runs ZoomAll - Having an alias like this will always load in the latest version, typically takes milliseconds to load the file - the time it takes to move the mouse a bit. Instead of ZoomAll use ZA and you will only get the newest copy when a drawing opens but it is faster (and usually sufficient considering the number of times a LISP has major updates made)

 

Whoever manages the company LISPs (if anyone does) only has to save the file somewhere shared and add to the LISP in the startup file once the LISP is validated and approved everyone has access next time they start AutoCAD.

 

 

Probably teaching your granny to suck eggs there... sorry!

[Paul Li]

@Steven P "For each new installation you typically need to populate the startup suit though - the settings are saved as (typically) a Windows Registry key - and it is possible to have a LISP to add modify registry keys... just need to find the key location..."

I've tried using lisp to add the items into the Startup Suite window via the registry. Unfortunately, I've not been successful in populating the Startup Suite window using this automated method. Perhaps you can share your lisp routine that is successful in getting this to work.