I understand how to create them and reference them. My question is, do you create seperate dwg files for them?
I have a baseline that is in my survey dwg, I create a shortcut. But, then when I xref the file, the baseline in the survey dwg is in there and then I reference the baseline aswell. Now I have the baseline twice.
Should I have one dwg with my alignment, surface, etc that will be just the data shortcuts.
This way anything I create a data shortcut for will not also be in an xref.
Any input would be appreciated
You will see the baseline in the Xref. But to work with it you need the Data Shortcut. Where you use them depends on your workflow. We have a Base Map with all Survey and the Existing Surface, an Alignment and Profile Drawing that has a Dref to the Existing Surface, a Corridor Drawing that Drefs the Alignment and Profile where the road is designed. Then we Xref/Dref what ever we need into the Design Drawings.
Allen
Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager
Maybe I should have worded my question differently. So, you do not have a dedicated dwg file for the data shortcuts, you just freeze them in the xref?
We probably would freeze it if we ended up with an object in an Xref duplicating a Dref. However that doesn't happen often. We might also set the Dref to No_Display sine it's usually we don't Dref it unless it's needed to work with. You can still work with an Alignment of Surface even if it's not displayed.
Allen
Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager
Since I'm going through this now. I thought I'd add a few thoughts. Since an object is only created on one drawing and Dreffed in to others. The only way you're going to have an Alignment (for example) in a file you're xreffing is if you have, what I might call, a circular reference.
Since the original Alignment only exists in the Alignment & Profile drawing I don't have it duplicated in any files I'd need to Xref. We plot the profiles from that drawing but the Alignment exists only to Dref into the Xsec and Design drawings.
If someone needed the base map plotted with the Alignment. I'd either reload the base map drawing in the A & P drawing or create a drawing with the base map Xreffed and the Alignment Dreffed. Hope this might help some.
Allen
Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager
Hi Howard, You can but it is not essential. If you DS a baseline into another dwg to design say a corridor surface that ultimately gets xrefed into a sheet files you could do one of a couple of choices:
Have noshow or no plot style in the design files that get xrefed into a sheet file or vise verse.
Or the sheet file is set up with the base and all the design elements are data shortcut into the sheets.