Need to synchronize after every save

[PTB_JEWELL]

I'm working in C3D 2012 and I have a drawing that's causing a bit of a problem.

Everytime I save my drawing it tells me "data shortcut definitions may have changed" and it asks me to synchonize the references. Not a huge deal, I can just synchronize and keep working in the drawing. Where the problem comes in is when I create my plan and profile sheets. Part of that process includes saving the drawing, which causes the drawing to become un-synchronized and then that is duplicated into each plan and prifile sheet as it is created. Now when I try to open any of the p&p sheets I get an error before the drawing is even done opening that says a command is active and it the drawing locks up until I hit Ctrl+c af few times to clear the error. That's a problem not only because it's really annoying, but also because I can't publish using my sheetset manager, or at least I can't do it efficiently. To get it to work I have to babysit the stupid thing and cancel through the error as each sheet opens.

My theory is that the sync issue is the cause of the error in the plan and profile sheets. Any idea how I can try and **** the problem in the bud and just get the synchronize error to go away right up front? None of the referenced files are actually being changed or saved, so I'm not sure what is causing the program to think that I need to re-sync all the time.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Jay_B]

Couple of questions.
2012 Service Pack? Enter ABOUT @ command line.
Are there any pipe network source dwgs attached as an xref to the drawings with the syncing problems?

[tscheevel]

Is it possible that one of your data shorcuts references data that originates in the same drawing?

[PTB_JEWELL]

Thanks. That got me on the right path.

I have an alignment drawing with the mainline alignment data shortctted out. In my main drawing I have the alignment referenced in, but then I created some offset alignments in that main drawing for use as median curb tagets. My error was that I shortcutted the offset alignments out of the main drawing instead of creating them in the alignment drawing and shortcutting them out of there. When I created a separate intersection drawing with the offsets referenced in and then x-reffed that intersection drawing back into the main drawing it created a circular reference that the program didn't like. 

Moving my offset alignments out of the main draing and into my aligmnent drawing and then data shortcutting from there fixed the problem.

Thanks again, this will save me a ton of time.

[john.mckenzie]

I make it a point of strict file naming convention so that I always know where my C3d objects are to be encountered.

They all start C3d_

C3d_surf_v01_partial1

C3d_surf_v01_complete

C3d_algn_c01

C3d_corr_c01

this allows me to know fairly quickly where my objects are. I may have 3 (or many) surface files, but my naming convention points me to where they are. Note the partial and numbered as opposed to the complete. Building surfaces can consist of many pieces pasted together etc etc. by numbering sequentially (the partials) I get a hint of how the complete surface was derived. granted, this is not an absolute since sometimes surface builds are a bit less linear than I represent here. BUT it does give a hint or place to start checking.

I also set up rules for myself that I try not to break (but there are exceptions to every rule). I datareference some objects into my sheet files and xreference others. I try to maintain the same methodology/workflow across the entire office, and AT LEAST across the entire project.

For instance. If I have a project that is simple, all sheets use the same scale, rotation, etc.

I would create a reference file......data reference the surface in....... label and style it appropriately. Then I would reference this to all sheet files just like in the old days.

If the project is more complex, I would datareference and style and label as needed per sheet.

OR maybe set up reference for 95% of sheets that are same scale/rotation/etc. and datareference for minor exceptions.

Half of the problems encountered in a CAD wotrkflow come down to data management. Think of drawings as databases and how that data is accessed and a the workflow issues melt away.

SO AFTER ALL THOSE WORDS. WHAT DID I SAY?????????????

have a plan/process that supports your workflow and stick with it. make your files predictable so you know how they will work before you even open them. That is the key to a good workflow and reducing these types of issues.