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 8 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 8 is required even though you'll be working from inside AutoCAD or Civil 3D.
Required software
| Software | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Rhino | Rhino 8 (installed and licensed) |
| AutoCAD or Civil 3D | AutoCAD 2024, 2025, or 2026 or Civil 3D 2024, 2025, or 2026 |
| Operating system | Windows 64-bit |
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 two 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 |
|---|---|
| 2024 | .NET Framework 4.8 build |
| 2025 / 2026 | .NET 8 build |
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, or 2026) 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 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.