Autocad Proxy Entities in Drawing

[Phil52]

I recently received an autocad drawing with a number proxy entities in it. They exploded ok. However by exploding them am I losing any properties that may be useful. And what really are proxy entities?

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> And what really are proxy entities?

AutoCAD has vertical products like AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD CIvil3D, AutoCAD Mechanical, ... and all of them know different object types, e.g. Architecture knows windows and doors, Civil3D knows alignmens, Mechanical knows screws, .. but these application-specific objects are only known to each single vertical product. If you take a drawing that was created by AutoCAD Architecture and contains windows and try to open it in plain AutoCAD or in AutoCAD Mechanical the windows are at least unknown objects. To be able to display them, to plot them and to have a minimum possibilities to access that objects the technique of "proxy objects" is used.

The same way Autodesk uses that technique for their verticals also application developer can create there own application-specific objects. As long as you have loaded that third party application you can modify that objects, if you have not loaded that application you can't.

Sometimes there are ObjectEnabler available, so you have a limited more options what you can do with that object, but that will not make such objects editable at all.

>> However by exploding them am I losing any properties

Yep, when you don't have to modify them you also have no need to explode them. Whatfor do you try to explode them? What does it make better to your workflow?

- alfred -

[Phil52]

When I try to copy them within the same drawing or into my own drawing for reference they disappear. Is there any war I can prevent this?

[Phil52]

How do I determine what third party software I need to edit them or do I need to know the intial programme that created them in the first place.

Is there a proxy editor add on for autocad that can edit all entities regardless of what created them?

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> When I try to copy them [...]

Forget that, copying an object of type proxy is by default not valid.

As you don't have the application (to handle that object under full control) you are not aware of some ID's or references behind the object-structure.

Depending on what application has created that object it might be an ObjectEnabler available that might allow copying such objects, but the chance is very close to 0.

- alfred -

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> How do I determine what third party software I need to edit them

Set your sysvar PROXYNOTICE to 1, then open that drawing. You'll get then a dialog that lists the applications and vendors of such unknown objects.

>> Is there a proxy editor add on for autocad that can edit all entities regardless of what created them?

As mentioned, every vertical product has it's own way to organize the internal structure, so there is no app that know them all and how to handle them.

Every single modification might be the death for the internal structure! How should any application know how I as application developer have built up my references between subobjects?

- alfred -

[Phil52]

So then. What is the best way to insert them into my drawings without losing the properties. XRef perhaps?

On the other hand as I am still unsure as to their value to my autocad drawings perhaps its just easiest to explode them.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> What is the best way to insert them into my drawings without losing the properties. XRef perhaps?

If insertion from one drawing to another will work depends on the object enabler.

To XRef the original drawing is the most secure way.

>> On the other hand as I am still unsure as to their value to my autocad drawings

No one else than you can give that answer 😉

- alfred -

[anishlal05]

hi alfred,thanks for the information,but please can you explain more about these third party application by an example,and how we get it?

[steve216586]

They're not third party, AutoDESK owns the rights to them. They sell them and sometimes couple them in packages. For instance, you can purchase AutoCAD, AutoCAD Mechanical, and Inventor as a package deal. The price is generally less than if you woul dpurchase these software licenses individually. Talk to an authorized AutoDESK dealer to get the most conclusive and accurate information about these products and which ones may serve you best, as per your specialty and/or industry needs.

[jggerth1]

Well, not completely correct.  There are a number of third party applications out tere in the wild that create custom object, and require an object enabler from that vendar to deal with.

The most common source of objects is of course, the Autodesk verticals mentioned.

[steve216586]

I don't use anything to create AutoCAD entities from third party applications, especially, found in the wild! In fact, I don't use ANY third party applications for anything I do in ANY program! They are usually created by some "hack" in an attempt to take money from legitimate software users, promising to accomplish something not native in that program. Mostly, they end up providing a workaround with limited testing and broad ranging unwelcome consequences.

Would never want to use them.

Wouldn't suggest to use them.

These boards are full of examples ranging from mere inconveniences, to fatal errors and file corruptions, which can happen if used.