CAD automation
for Inventor & AutoCAD.
Design automation, automatic shop drawings and AI assistance for Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD and Civil 3D – developed in Lucerne, Switzerland, by design engineers who know the work at the screen first-hand.
What is CAD automation?
CAD automation (design automation) means capturing design rules once as a program or parametric model, so that the CAD system generates parts, assemblies, drawings and bills of materials on its own. In Autodesk Inventor this is done with iLogic rules and the Inventor API; in AutoCAD and Civil 3D with .NET or Python extensions.
Every design department has work that repeats endlessly: the same assembly in new dimensions, drawings to a fixed scheme, parts lists transferred by hand. BayTech turns the rules that live in the heads of experienced designers into parametric models and programs. Variants, drawings and data are created at the push of a button – and your team gets back to designing what is genuinely new.
Variant design
Parametric models with iLogic and the Inventor API: input values in, validated part or assembly variant out.
Drawing generation
Views, dimensions, title block and parts list following your drawing standards – instead of building every sheet by hand.
Connected data
CAD linked to Excel, databases or ERP – and applications linked to each other, such as Civil 3D and Inventor via SAT, DWG or IFC.
What we automate in Inventor, AutoCAD and Civil 3D
For machine and plant builders, special-purpose machinery, design offices and infrastructure engineering firms.
Configurators & variant models
One master model instead of a hundred copies: parts and assemblies driven by parameters or tables – including plausibility checks on the inputs.
Automatic shop drawings
Drawings derived from the 3D model by rules: views, sections, dimensions and title block. In pilot use for prismatic and profile parts, continuously extended.
Parts lists & exports
iProperties, bills of materials, DXF for laser cutting or STEP for suppliers – automatic, complete and in your naming conventions.
Sheets & annotation
In AutoCAD and Civil 3D: blocks, layers, labels and plan sheets to your standards – even for large drawing archives.
Linking applications
Civil 3D supplies the requirement, Inventor the matching component, Navisworks checks for clashes – without transferring data by hand.
AI assistance in CAD
Our own interfaces connect AI assistants directly to Inventor, Civil 3D and Navisworks: read models, set parameters, run rules and check results.
Mast generator: from terrain model to finished mast.
For overhead line design we linked Civil 3D and Inventor: the layout in the terrain determines location, height and mast type. Inventor automatically generates the matching mast variant from a parametric model and returns it to Civil 3D as a solid – without a single mast being modelled by hand.
- Requirement taken directly from Civil 3D
- Parametric Inventor model with iLogic
- Returned as SAT into the terrain model
- Basis for 3D model and clash detection
AI assistant for Autodesk Inventor, Civil 3D and Navisworks
We have developed our own interfaces (MCP servers) that let AI assistants work directly in Autodesk Inventor, Civil 3D and Navisworks. The assistant does not just give advice – it acts inside the application, fully logged and under your control. Models stay on your machine.
Read & check
Read parameters, mass properties, iProperties and drawings and check them against rules or standards.
Change & generate
Set parameters, run iLogic rules, create variants and exports – confirmed step by step.
Controlled
Every step is logged. The geometry itself is created deterministically by rules – the AI steers, it does not invent.
When does CAD automation pay off?
Many similar variants
The same components are designed again and again in different dimensions.
Drawings to a scheme
Much of the design time goes into detailing and dimensioning rather than into the solution.
Knowledge tied to one person
Only one experienced designer knows the rules – holidays or retirement become a risk.
Data entered twice
Dimensions and article data are copied by hand between CAD, Excel and ERP.
Start small, show value fast
Analysis
We review your design workflows and typical parts and estimate the savings potential.
Pilot on one part
One specific part or assembly is automated – measurable and low-risk.
Implementation
Extension to further parts, drawings and interfaces to your systems.
Training & support
Team onboarding, documentation and adaptation to new Inventor releases.
LYNTRX – from 2D plan to 3D asset inventory
Our software reads existing overhead line drawings and generates the 3D model, wire statics and installation documents – CAD automation at scale.
Frequently asked questions about CAD automation
What is CAD automation?
CAD automation means that repetitive design work – part variants, drawing generation, bills of materials and exports – is handled automatically by rules and programs. The CAD system produces the results from input values instead of every part being designed by hand.
What is the difference between iLogic and the Inventor API?
iLogic is the rule environment built into Autodesk Inventor: rules are stored directly in parts and assemblies and are well suited to variants and configurators. The Inventor API is the full programming interface that lets external programs control Inventor – for example to generate drawings across many files or to link Inventor with other systems. We use both, depending on the task.
Which CAD applications do you work with?
Our focus is Autodesk Inventor (iLogic and Inventor API), AutoCAD, Civil 3D and Navisworks. For other systems we assess the options case by case.
When does automation pay off?
As soon as parts or drawings are regularly created according to the same rules. Often a single frequently used part is enough for the effort to pay for itself within a few months.
What do you need for a first assessment?
A typical part or assembly as an Inventor file, a matching drawing and a short description of how variants are created today. From that we show you what can be automated.
Can our designers maintain the solution themselves?
Yes. We document the rules clearly and train your team. iLogic rules stay in your models and can be used without our licence.
Is our design data sent to an AI?
Only if you want it to be. Automation with iLogic and the API runs entirely locally. When AI assistants are used, we agree together which data may be used.
Do you work outside Lucerne?
Yes. BayTech is based in Lucerne and works for clients across Switzerland and the German-speaking region – analysis and training on site, development and support remotely.