AutoCAD APPLOAD Command: How to Load LISP Files and Apps

Loads and unloads LISP, VLX, FAS, ARX and DVB applications and sets them to load at startup.

Command: APPLOAD
Aliases: AP
English name: Load Application

The AutoCAD APPLOAD command opens the Load/Unload Applications dialog. From there you can load AutoLISP (.lsp), compiled LISP (.fas, .vlx), ObjectARX (.arx) and VBA (.dvb) files. It is the simplest way to use a LISP tool you downloaded: select the file, click Load, and the status line at the bottom of the dialog confirms it loaded successfully.

A LISP file loaded with APPLOAD is only available in the drawing that was open at the time; when you open another drawing you need to load it again. The Startup Suite solves this. Click the Contents... button in the Startup Suite area, use Add... to put the file on the list, and it loads automatically every time a drawing opens.

AutoCAD shows a security warning when you load an executable file from a folder that is not a trusted location. The SECURELOAD system variable controls this: 1 (the default) warns for files outside trusted locations, 2 loads only from trusted locations, and 0 turns the check off. Trusted folders are stored in TRUSTEDPATHS and can be added under OPTIONS > Files > Trusted Locations. Keeping your LISP files in one folder and adding it as a trusted location is the safe way to stop the warning.

How to use it

Type APPLOAD or AP and press Enter, or go to the Manage tab > Applications panel > Load Application.
Browse to the folder that holds your LISP file and select the .lsp file.
Click Load; if a security warning appears and you trust the source, choose Load Once.
To load it every time, click Contents... under Startup Suite, click Add..., select the file and click Close.
Close the dialog and type the LISP tool's command name to run it.

Options

Load: Loads the selected file into the current drawing; the result appears in the status line of the dialog.
Loaded Applications: Lists the applications loaded in this session; applications such as ARX files can be unloaded here.
Add to History: Adds loaded files to the History List tab so you can reload them quickly later.
Startup Suite (Contents...): The list of files loaded automatically whenever a drawing opens; use Add... and Remove to manage it.
SECURELOAD: Security level: 0 no check, 1 warn outside trusted locations (default), 2 load only from trusted locations.
TRUSTEDPATHS: Folders that load without a warning; edit them under OPTIONS > Files > Trusted Locations.

Notes and tips

Dragging a .lsp file from File Explorer into the drawing area also loads it.
Add your LISP folder to Trusted Locations instead of setting SECURELOAD to 0; it is the safer choice.
The Startup Suite stores the file path; if you move the file, remove it from the list and add it again.
AutoCAD LT supports AutoLISP starting with AutoCAD LT 2024; older LT releases cannot load LISP.