How to Load a LISP File in AutoCAD: APPLOAD and Drag & Drop

What loading a LISP file means

To load a LISP file in AutoCAD, you have AutoCAD read the .lsp file once, and the commands inside it become available in that drawing. Copying the file somewhere or double-clicking it is not enough; AutoCAD itself has to load it.

Every tool on eplisp.com is a single .lsp file with no installer. Save it to a permanent folder (for example C:\eplisp) and load it with one of the methods below.

Method 1: Load with APPLOAD

APPLOAD is the most reliable method. On the ribbon, Manage tab > Applications panel > Load Application opens the same dialog.

• Type APPLOAD at the command line and press Enter.
• In the Load/Unload Applications dialog, browse to the folder that holds your .lsp file.
• Select the file and click Load.
• If a security warning appears, choose Load Once.
• When the status area at the bottom says the file was loaded successfully, click Close.

Method 2: Drag and drop

You can also drag a .lsp file from File Explorer and drop it onto the AutoCAD drawing area. It is fast, but it only loads the file into the drawing that is currently open. When you open another drawing, you need to load it again.

Drop the file onto an empty part of the drawing area. Dropping it on the file tabs or the ribbon may not load it.

How to check that it loaded

When an eplisp file loads, it prints a line such as [eplisp] loaded. Commands: ... at the command line, listing the commands in the file. If the command line is hidden, press Ctrl+9 to show it, or F2 to see the full history.

You can also load a file from the command line. Use forward slashes in the path instead of backslashes:

(load "C:/eplisp/boq.lsp")

Running the command

After loading, type the command name at the command line and press Enter, for example BOQ for the bill of quantities tool. Command names are not case sensitive.

What "Unknown command" means

If AutoCAD answers with Unknown command, it does not know that command name. In almost every case the file is simply not loaded in the current drawing.

• If you opened a new drawing, load the file again there, or set it up to load automatically.
• If Do Not Load was chosen in the security warning, the file was not loaded; load it again.
• Check the language: the English file defines BOQ, the Turkish file defines KESIF.
• Compare what you typed with the command list printed when the file loaded.
• AutoCAD LT 2023 and earlier have no LISP support, so the file cannot load there at all.