I'm experiencing an issue with APS Design Automation (formerly Forge) where my AppBundle's PackageContents.xml is not being read/processed by AutoCAD Core Console, preventing my custom .NET DLL from loading.

Problem

WorkItems execute scripts successfully but custom commands are not recognized:

Command: _CLOUDEXPORT
Unknown command "CLOUDEXPORT". Press F1 for help.

What's Working:

• ✅ Script executes (no timeout)
• ✅ AppBundle loads via /al parameter
• ✅ DWG file downloads successfully

What's NOT Working:

• ❌ PackageContents.xml never processed
• ❌ DLL never loads
• ❌ Custom commands never registered

Configuration

Engine: Autodesk.AutoCAD+25_1

AppBundle Structure:

AutoCADEntityExporter.bundle/
 PackageContents.xml
 Contents/
 AutoCADEntityReader.dll
 Newtonsoft.Json.dll
 System.Data.SQLite.dll
 x64/SQLite.Interop.dll

PackageContents.xml (simplified to match Autodesk sample):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ApplicationPackage
 SchemaVersion="1.0"
 Version="1.0"
 ProductCode=""
 Name="AutoCADEntityExporter"
 Description="AutoCAD Entity Export Plugin"
 Author="Acme-Alpha">
 <CompanyDetails
 Name="Acme-Alpha"
 Url="www.example.com"
 Email="[email protected]" />
 <Components>
 <RuntimeRequirements
 OS="Win64"
 Platform="AutoCAD" />
 <ComponentEntry
 AppName="AutoCADEntityExporter"
 ModuleName="./Contents/AutoCADEntityReader.dll"
 AppDescription="AutoCAD Entity Export Plugin"
 LoadOnCommandInvocation="True"
 LoadOnAutoCADStartup="False">
 <Commands GroupName="AcmeCommands">
 <Command Global="CLOUDEXPORT" Local="CLOUDEXPORT" />
 </Commands>
 </ComponentEntry>
 </Components>
</ApplicationPackage>

Activity CommandLine:

$(engine.path)\\accoreconsole.exe /i "$(args[inputDwg].path)" /al "$(appbundles[AcmeExporter1002].path)" /s "$(settings[script].path)"

Script:

_CLOUDEXPORT
QUIT
Y

WorkItem Log Evidence

From WorkItem ID 326e895d59694796973e195fcb1db613:

[10/03/2025 18:36:32] Command line: [ /i "C:\DARoot\Jobs\...\input.dwg" /al "C:\DARoot\Applications\...\AcmeExporter1002[17].package" /s "C:\DARoot\Jobs\...\setting_script.scr"]
[10/03/2025 18:36:33] Command: _CLOUDEXPORT
[10/03/2025 18:36:33] Unknown command "CLOUDEXPORT". Press F1 for help.

Observations:

• No DLL loading messages in log
• No PackageContents.xml parsing errors
• Package path shows correctly in command line
• Script executes (3 empty "Command:" prompts appear before _CLOUDEXPORT)

Troubleshooting Completed

1. ✅ Compared with Autodesk official sample - Structure matches exactly

   • Reference: https://github.com/Autodesk-Forge/design.automation-.net-custom.activity.sample

2. ✅ Simplified PackageContents.xml - Removed all optional attributes

3. ✅ Tested both load modes:

   • LoadOnCommandInvocation="True" + LoadOnAutoCADStartup="False" → Fails
   • LoadOnCommandInvocation="False" + LoadOnAutoCADStartup="True" → Fails

4. ✅ Verified zip structure - Matches documented format

5. ❌ Attempted engine downgrade - AutoCAD+23/+24 unavailable or deprecated

Questions

1. Why isn't PackageContents.xml being read from the .package file?

   • The /al parameter loads the package correctly
   • No error messages about XML parsing

2. Has PackageContents.xml format changed for AutoCAD+25_1?

   • Official sample uses AutoCAD+23 (2017-2018)
   • Are there schema changes for newer engines?

3. Is there a validation tool for PackageContents.xml?

4. Should the zip structure be different for AutoCAD+25_1?

Environment

• API Version: Design Automation API v3 (now Automation API)
• Region: us-east
• DLL: .NET Framework 4.7, compiled for AutoCAD 2020+
• Dependencies: Newtonsoft.Json 13.0.3, System.Data.SQLite 1.0.118

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!