Prerequisites & Installation
What you need installed before you begin, and how to install the Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD plug-in — which runs in both AutoCAD and Civil 3D.
Prerequisites
Both Rhino and a supported version of AutoCAD or Civil 3D must be installed on the same machine. Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD loads Rhino's engine into the AutoCAD (or Civil 3D) process, so a working, licensed Rhino is required even though you'll be working from inside AutoCAD or Civil 3D.
Required software
| Software | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Rhino | Rhino 8 or Rhino 9 (installed and licensed) |
| AutoCAD or Civil 3D | AutoCAD 2024, 2025, 2026, or 2027 or Civil 3D 2024, 2025, 2026, or 2027 |
| Operating system | Windows 64-bit |
Rhino 9 needs AutoCAD or Civil 3D 2025 or later. The 2024 build runs on the .NET Framework and can host Rhino 8 only. If both Rhino 8 and Rhino 9 are installed, you're asked which to use the first time you launch — see Choosing which Rhino to use.
Keep applications up to date. For full compatibility, make sure both Rhino and AutoCAD (or Civil 3D) are updated to their latest service releases before you begin.
Further reading: How we manage AutoCAD and Civil 3D versions
How the runtime maps to your AutoCAD or Civil 3D version
Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD ships three builds in a single package. The correct one is selected automatically for your AutoCAD or Civil 3D version — you don't need to choose:
| AutoCAD / Civil 3D version | Runtime used | Rhino versions it can host |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | .NET Framework 4.8 build | Rhino 8 |
| 2025 / 2026 | .NET 8 build | Rhino 8 or Rhino 9 |
| 2027 | .NET 10 build | Rhino 8 or Rhino 9 |
Why three builds and not one per release? Autodesk moved the 2025 and 2026 releases from .NET 8 to .NET 10 in an update, without changing their series numbers. The .NET 8 build therefore has to run under either runtime, which it does. This needs no action from you — it's only here in case you wondered.
Assumed knowledge
You should be comfortable with basic AutoCAD or Civil 3D navigation — opening a drawing, typing commands at the command line, and orbiting/zooming the viewport. Familiarity with Rhino or Grasshopper is helpful but not required; this guide introduces the few concepts you need as you go.
Installation
Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD is distributed as an AutoCAD plug-in bundle delivered by an installer. Because Civil 3D is built on AutoCAD, the same bundle loads in Civil 3D too — there's nothing extra to install for it.
Step 1 — Download
Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD and Civil 3D ship as a single installer — choose your host to download:
Step 2 — Run the installer
Close AutoCAD (and Civil 3D, if open), then run the downloaded installer (.msi) and follow the prompts. The installer places the plug-in bundle into AutoCAD's standard auto-loading location:
%APPDATA%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD.bundle
Any application placed inside the ApplicationPlugins directory is automatically loaded by AutoCAD (or Civil 3D) on startup, so there is no manual step needed.
The Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD.bundle folder after a successful install. (The numbered folder will vary to match the version of RiA you are installing.)
Step 3 — Verify it loaded
- Start AutoCAD or Civil 3D (2024, 2025, 2026, or 2027) and open a new drawing.
- Confirm the Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD ribbon/toolbar appears.
- As a further check, type
RHINOat the command line and press Enter — if the command is recognised, the plug-in has loaded.
A successful load: the Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD toolbar is available in AutoCAD.
If nothing appears:
- Make sure AutoCAD (or Civil 3D) was fully closed during installation.
- Check that you're on a supported version of AutoCAD or Civil 3D.
- Confirm that Rhino 8 or Rhino 9 is installed.
- Restart AutoCAD (or Civil 3D) and check again.
If the commands work but the toolbar buttons are missing — common right after updating — see Troubleshooting › The toolbar is missing after updating.
Further reading: Where your settings live
User settings, logs, and cache for Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD are stored under %APPDATA%\Bimorph\RhinoInsideAutoCAD. You won't normally need to touch this folder, but it's useful to know where logs are if you ever need to report an issue.
Your own preferences — the remembered Rhino version and the preview colours — live in UserSettings.json in that folder, and are edited from the Settings tab of the support dialog rather than by hand.