ObjectARX
Encyclopedia
ObjectARX is an API for customizing and extending AutoCAD
. The ObjectARX SDK
is published by Autodesk and freely available under license from Autodesk. The ObjectARX SDK consists primarily of C++
headers and libraries that can be used to build Windows DLLs
that can be loaded into the AutoCAD process and interact directly with the AutoCAD application. ObjectARX modules use the file extensions .arx and .dbx instead of the more common .dll.
ObjectARX is the most powerful of the various AutoCAD APIs, and the most difficult to master. The typical audience for the ObjectARX SDK includes professional programmers working either as commercial application developers or as in-house developers at companies using AutoCAD.
New versions of the ObjectARX SDK are released with each new AutoCAD release, and ObjectARX modules built with a specific SDK version are typically limited to running inside the corresponding version of AutoCAD. Recent versions of the ObjectARX SDK include support for the .NET
platform by providing managed wrapper classes for native objects and functions.
The native classes and libraries that are made available via the ObjectARX API are also used internally by the AutoCAD code. As a result of this tight linkage with AutoCAD itself, the libraries are very compiler specific, and work only with the same compiler that Autodesk uses to build AutoCAD. Historically, this has required ObjectARX developers to use various versions of Microsoft Visual Studio
, with different versions of the SDK requiring different versions of Visual Studio.
Although ObjectARX is specific to AutoCAD, Open Design Alliance
announced in 2008 a new API called DRX (included in their DWGdirect library) that attempts to emulate the ObjectARX API in products like IntelliCAD that use the DWGdirect libraries.
AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a software application for computer-aided design and drafting in both 2D and 3D. It is developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. First released in December 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, notably the IBM PC...
. The ObjectARX SDK
Software development kit
A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
is published by Autodesk and freely available under license from Autodesk. The ObjectARX SDK consists primarily of C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
headers and libraries that can be used to build Windows DLLs
Dynamic-link library
Dynamic-link library , or DLL, is Microsoft's implementation of the shared library concept in the Microsoft Windows and OS/2 operating systems...
that can be loaded into the AutoCAD process and interact directly with the AutoCAD application. ObjectARX modules use the file extensions .arx and .dbx instead of the more common .dll.
ObjectARX is the most powerful of the various AutoCAD APIs, and the most difficult to master. The typical audience for the ObjectARX SDK includes professional programmers working either as commercial application developers or as in-house developers at companies using AutoCAD.
New versions of the ObjectARX SDK are released with each new AutoCAD release, and ObjectARX modules built with a specific SDK version are typically limited to running inside the corresponding version of AutoCAD. Recent versions of the ObjectARX SDK include support for the .NET
.NET Framework
The .NET Framework is a software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large library and supports several programming languages which allows language interoperability...
platform by providing managed wrapper classes for native objects and functions.
The native classes and libraries that are made available via the ObjectARX API are also used internally by the AutoCAD code. As a result of this tight linkage with AutoCAD itself, the libraries are very compiler specific, and work only with the same compiler that Autodesk uses to build AutoCAD. Historically, this has required ObjectARX developers to use various versions of Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment from Microsoft. It is used to develop console and graphical user interface applications along with Windows Forms applications, web sites, web applications, and web services in both native code together with managed code for all...
, with different versions of the SDK requiring different versions of Visual Studio.
Although ObjectARX is specific to AutoCAD, Open Design Alliance
Open Design Alliance
The Open Design Alliance is a nonprofit organization of over 1,200 members in 50 countries which develops Teigha©, a software development platform used to create engineering applications including CAD...
announced in 2008 a new API called DRX (included in their DWGdirect library) that attempts to emulate the ObjectARX API in products like IntelliCAD that use the DWGdirect libraries.