# PrismCAD full user guide

Welcome to PrismCAD. This guide takes you from installation to your first approved drawing change, then explains updates, local testing, troubleshooting, and support.

PrismCAD is an AutoCAD plug-in for AutoCAD 2025 and 2026 on 64-bit Windows. You describe a supported task in plain English, PrismCAD shows the exact plan, and your drawing changes only after you approve it.

![PrismCAD first-use workflow: install, open AutoCAD, activate license, describe task, review and approve](images/first-use-workflow.png)

## 1. What you need

Before installing, confirm that you have:

- Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit.
- AutoCAD 2025 or AutoCAD 2026.
- Permission to install software for your Windows account, or an IT administrator who can install it for all users.
- A PrismCAD beta license. Request one from [insightits.com/prismcad/beta](https://www.insightits.com/prismcad/beta).

You do **not** need to install Python. PrismCAD includes the local Python runtime and runs its orchestration service on your computer.

## 2. Choose an installation method

Use the method that matches how you received PrismCAD.

### A. Autodesk App Store installation

Install PrismCAD through the Autodesk App Store and restart AutoCAD when the installation completes. Autodesk registers the application bundle automatically. Continue to [Activate your license](#4-activate-your-license).

### B. Direct bundle installation for one Windows user

Use this method when you downloaded a PrismCAD bundle directly from your organization or the PrismCAD website.

1. Close every AutoCAD window. AutoCAD keeps plug-in DLLs loaded while it is open.
2. Extract the downloaded bundle if it arrived in a ZIP file.
3. Open PowerShell in the folder that contains `Install-PrismCad.ps1`.
4. Run:

```powershell
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Install-PrismCad.ps1 -PerUser
```

5. Wait for **Installation complete**.
6. Start AutoCAD.

This installs the bundle for the signed-in user under:

```text
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\PrismCAD.bundle
```

No Administrator access is required.

### C. MSI installation for one Windows user

Use this method when you downloaded `PrismCAD-Release.msi` from the PrismCAD website.

1. Close every AutoCAD window.
2. Double-click `PrismCAD-Release.msi`.
3. Complete the Windows Installer prompts.
4. Open AutoCAD and run `PRISMCADHEALTH`.

The MSI installs the complete PrismCAD bundle, including the local sidecar runtime, under `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\PrismCAD.bundle`. No separate Python installation or Administrator access is required.

### D. Direct bundle installation for all Windows users

This method is for IT administrators.

1. Close AutoCAD on the target computer.
2. Open an elevated PowerShell window (**Run as Administrator**).
3. Change to the folder that contains `Install-PrismCad.ps1`.
4. Run:

```powershell
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\Install-PrismCad.ps1
```

The bundle is installed under:

```text
%ProgramFiles%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\PrismCAD.bundle
```

5. Start AutoCAD as a normal user.

## 3. Confirm the plug-in loaded

After starting AutoCAD, use either of these methods:

- Open **Plug-Ins → PrismCAD** on the ribbon.
- Type `PRISMCADHEALTH` in the AutoCAD command line and press Enter.

Healthy output contains both of these ideas:

```text
PrismCAD license: Licensed ...
PrismCAD sidecar: healthy=True ...
```

If you have not activated yet, the health command can still report the sidecar status. Continue to the next section to activate the license.

## 4. Activate your license

1. Request a free beta license from [insightits.com/prismcad/beta](https://www.insightits.com/prismcad/beta).
2. Check the email sent to the address you supplied. Copy the entire PrismCAD license key.
3. In AutoCAD, type `PRISMCADLICENSE`.
4. Paste the license key.
5. Check the confirmation that you accepted the beta agreement.
6. Select **Activate**.
7. Run `PRISMCADHEALTH` again.

![PrismCAD beta license activation window](images/license-activation.png)

Paste the full license key, check the agreement confirmation, and select **Activate**. The link in the window opens the license-request page if you still need a key.

The beta agreement permits upload of the local PrismCAD diagnostic log no more than once a day and only when it has changed. Drawing files are not uploaded.

### If activation does not work

- Confirm that you copied the complete key without leading or trailing spaces.
- Confirm that you accepted the beta agreement.
- Confirm that the computer can reach the PrismCAD licensing service.
- Install the newest PrismCAD build. Older plug-ins trust the retired bootstrap licensing key and cannot validate production licenses.
- Run `PRISMCADHEALTH` and keep its full output for support.

## 5. Run your first command

1. Open a copy of a drawing that is safe to test.
2. Select one or more drawing objects.
3. Type `PRISMCAD`.
4. Enter a request, for example:

```text
move selection north 10
```

5. Read the plan in the approval window.
6. Select **Approve & Execute** only if the plan, target, direction, and distance are correct.

Select **Cancel** if anything is incorrect. Cancel makes no drawing change.

## 6. Ways to work with PrismCAD

### Quick command window

Type `PRISMCAD` to enter one request at a time. This is the simplest workflow for a selected-object change.

### Dockable command palette

Type `PRISMCADPALETTE` to keep a PrismCAD prompt panel open while you draft.

### Project agent

Type `PRISMCADAGENT` to open the drawing-specific agent panel. It keeps conversation history and displays the local project index for the active drawing.

![PrismCAD agent panel showing drawing context, suggested prompt actions, a planned command list, and execution result](images/agent-panel.png)

The agent panel shows your drawing context, helpful example prompts, the proposed commands, planning explanation, and the result after an approved execution.

After changing selections or switching drawings, type `PRISMCADAGENTREFRESH` to refresh the agent’s current context.

If a project-wide search cannot find new or renamed drawing data, type `PRISMCADAGENTREINDEX` to rebuild the drawing’s local index, then try again.

`PRISMCADAGENTRUN` is an advanced command normally called by the agent panel itself to run the queued request.

## 7. Supported requests

PrismCAD runs only supported, validated operations. It does not run arbitrary AutoCAD commands generated by an AI model.

### Move, rotate, copy, and delete

Select the objects first.

```text
move selection north 10
translate selected walls east 25mm
rotate selection 90
copy selection up 2
delete selection
```

Move and copy requests need a direction and distance. Rotate requests need an angle in degrees.

### Update block attributes

Select blocks that contain the attribute you want to edit. Common tags include `MATERIAL` and `MAT_CODE`.

```text
set material code to WC-01 on selection
update attribute MATERIAL to TILE-42
apply mat code ABC-123 to selection
```

For project-wide changes, identify the block type clearly:

```text
set material code WC-02 for all toilets
```

### Insert supported fixtures

```text
add a toilet
insert a door at the cursor
place a wall
add a window
```

### Label rooms and extract existing room tags

```text
this is the kitchen on the second floor
label the selection as bathroom on level 1
name this room 6162 floor 3
extract room tags from this drawing
```

### Run a multi-step request

Use `then`, `and then`, `followed by`, or `;` to combine supported steps. PrismCAD displays each step for approval.

```text
move selection north 10 then rotate 90
copy east 5; delete selection
shift the selected walls left 8, rotate them 45 degrees, then duplicate them upward by 2
```

If an approved multi-step execution fails, PrismCAD rolls the transaction back rather than keeping a partial result.

## 8. Configure optional AI assistance

PrismCAD handles supported basic requests without an AI API key. An optional OpenAI-compatible key can improve interpretation of longer or more ambiguous requests.

1. Type `PRISMCADSETTINGS`.
2. Enter your key and preferred settings.
3. Save the settings.
4. Retry the prompt.

The API key is stored locally in:

```text
%LOCALAPPDATA%\PrismCAD\prismcad.settings.json
```

Even with optional AI assistance enabled, every proposed operation still has to pass validation and receive your approval before execution.

## 9. Update PrismCAD

### Update a standard installation

1. Close AutoCAD.
2. Download the newer PrismCAD bundle.
3. Run the same installer method you used originally.
4. Start AutoCAD.
5. Run `PRISMCADHEALTH`.

The installer replaces the existing PrismCAD bundle. Do not overwrite files while AutoCAD is open.

### Update a local test deployment

1. Close AutoCAD.
2. Rebuild or obtain the current local bundle.
3. Refresh `Outputs` using:

```powershell
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\code\PrismCad\deploy\Sync-PrismCadOutputs.ps1
```

4. Restart AutoCAD.
5. Use `NETLOAD` on:

```text
C:\code\PrismCad\Outputs\Plugin\PrismCAD.AutoCADNet8.dll
```

6. Run `PRISMCADHEALTH`.

To make this local build load automatically for the current user, run:

```powershell
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\code\PrismCad\Outputs\Install-To-AutoCAD.ps1 -PerUser
```

## 10. Uninstall PrismCAD

1. Close AutoCAD.
2. Remove the PrismCAD bundle folder that corresponds to your install method:

```text
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\PrismCAD.bundle
```

or, for an all-user installation:

```text
%ProgramFiles%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\PrismCAD.bundle
```

3. Restart AutoCAD.

Your optional local settings and diagnostic logs remain under `%LOCALAPPDATA%\PrismCAD`. Remove that folder only if you also want to remove local PrismCAD settings, index data, and logs.

## 11. Troubleshooting checklist

### PrismCAD command is unknown

Confirm that you installed a compatible AutoCAD 2025/2026 bundle, then restart AutoCAD. For a local test build, use `NETLOAD` with the current `PrismCAD.AutoCADNet8.dll`.

### `PRISMCADHEALTH` says the sidecar is unhealthy

Close AutoCAD, restart it, and run the command again. For a local build, confirm that the `PrismCAD.bundle` folder is beside the `Plugin` folder under `Outputs`. Do not load an old DLL from a different directory.

### A prompt cannot find target objects

Select the target objects and use a selection-scoped request. For project-wide requests, run `PRISMCADAGENTREINDEX` and retry with a clearer block, room, layer, or attribute description.

### The proposed plan is wrong

Select **Cancel**. Rephrase the prompt with explicit targets, direction, distance, angle, attribute tag, room name, or floor. Nothing is executed until you approve.

### AutoCAD reports a blocked or untrusted plug-in

Use the official signed release bundle. Local test builds may show a trust warning until the plug-in is Authenticode-signed.

## 12. Privacy and support

PrismCAD’s standard workflow runs locally. If you configure an optional AI provider, prompt text and relevant retrieved context are sent to that provider. The beta diagnostic log can be uploaded to Insight ITS at most once a day when it has changed. Drawing files are not uploaded.

For support, email [insightits.info@gmail.com](mailto:insightits.info@gmail.com). Include:

- AutoCAD version.
- Windows version.
- Whether this is a standard installation or a local test build.
- The complete `PRISMCADHEALTH` output.
- A screenshot of any error.

For a concise website page, use [WEBSITE-USER-GUIDE.md](WEBSITE-USER-GUIDE.md). For quick prompt examples, use [PROMPT-GUIDE.md](PROMPT-GUIDE.md).