OpenDCL Studio

OpenDCL Studio is a comprehensive piece of software designed from the ground up to empower AutoLISP programmers by allowing them to customize the DCL (dialog control language) in AutoCAD.

Put simply, OpenDCL Studio provides you with all the necessary tools to modify the DCL user interface by adding more modern Windows-related elements, such as buttons and text boxes. You can also change the colors, sizes, borders and names, just to name a few of the actions that the tool can perform.

The utility features a straightforward and unimpressive user interface that looks a bit outdated by modern standards. Nevertheless, this does not affect the program's functionality, as the main window of OpenDCL Studio provides you with quick access to the main features.

Regardless of you being an advanced AutoLISP programmer or not, working with OpenDCL is no challenge. Despite not having the most user-friendly interface out there, the app manages to simplify the process of modifying the DCL in AutoCAD.

Most of the work with the utility revolves around its menu bar and toolbar where you can find most of the app's basic features. The app also comes with a toolbox panel that displays most of the advanced tools, so that they are always within your reach.

With just a few mouse clicks, you can add modal and modeless dialogs, control bars, options tabs, file dialogs and palettes. As far as control types go, OpenDCL Studio packs plenty of them.

You can easily add animations, calendars, check boxes, file explorers, grids, hatches, hyperlinks, labels, scroll bars, sliders and splitters, just to name a few.

While OpenDCL Studio comes with hefty documentation, not all things are clear (for example, the supported versions of AutoCAD).

Taking all things into consideration, OpenDCL Studio is clearly not the most entertaining application out there, but for those few users who want to modify AutoCAD's DCL it is certainly one of the most useful ones.