Linetypes Will not Purge

[Mcdowall]

Hi,

So i have all these linetypes (see image) that i think originated in Microstation and have appeared on my computer when i binded a few DWGs derived from DGNs. (I can explain all that more if you think its warrented).

This is basicly what keeps happening.

- I open a brand new template, all line types are there (usual: dashed, phantom etc).

- I can work away happily, untill i copy something (a line, text, circle....) from a drawing that has these linetypes and BAM they all appear in the new drawing.

In this way, the linetypes have 'spread' into quite a few dwg's, and i cannot get rid of them once they are in the drawing and its saved.

A few other things....

- Other people in the office can open the drawings on their computers = NO weird Linetypes appear. Some open it and they do appear. (so if you open the dwg attached to this and find no linetypes, i dont know why!)

- The linetypes wont purge due to being in use etc

I would say the problem has originated from when I binded the xrefs, which is fine, but how to i fix it now?

The two main xrefs that appear to be referenced in the linetypes description are being used by other people in the workplace so i cant just delete them and start again.

Hopefully someone has as idea of what I can do/try to fix the problem!

[pericson]

I'll try that...thanks!!!!


Pam Ericson
Design Tech
Gleeson Constructors & Engineers, L.L.C.
2015 E. 7th St.
Sioux City, IA 51101
Tele: (712) 258-9300
www.gleesonllc.com

" Designers of Value - Builders of Trust"
[Description: cid:image001.jpg@01CA639C.1F46EBB0]

[pericson]

That worked beautifully!!!!! Thanks so much!!!!

[julian]

This fix works for me! Hallelujah and thank you. Drawings were becoming unemailable.

However, the colleague to my right (using exactly the same version of AutoCAD) has tried this with zero success. There are very few options to change, so I know he is doing it exactly the same way that I found successful.

😕

[sullivankatrin]

Julian, you may suggest to your co worker check for updates, if this is updated run a repair. The hotfix that became the new purge orphan data option in 2015 has a few parts that may not have loaded properly or may be missing key items.

You may also want to check workflow (check the box) or a "custom" work environment. Weird stuff like tools not functioning may occur when people try to migrate up their old comfortable profiles or get creative.

Lastly, most likely the hardest part... Look at how drawings are created, recycled drawings may contain all kinds of things that are not DGN linetypes and may be stuck there.

Good luck

[JHodge86]

The method i just used for this was as follows:

1)  command  DXFOUT    Saved to desktop as dxf.

2)  Opened the dxf you just saved, and then save as dwg.

3)  Opened the dwg, recovered as it stated until it loaded.

4)  Did an audit with repair.

5)  Purge all items.

6)  Save the cleaned up version back to whatever path you like.

Worked like a charm for me.

[brandonc2rw]

All,

After running into these issues, I found out that I had to use multiple methods in order to get whole drawings down to proper sizes. Imagine opening up an 18mb file that has only one xref which is a titleblock that is only 0.35mb. I was wondering where all of the extra data was coming from. So started using a few of these methods cited above and have reduced my file size down to 1.7mb. 

Here are the steps I followed:

1. Purge all using -PURGE command (this command purges more than the regular PURGE command that pops up a dialog box)

2. Purge unregistered applications using -PURGE command

(I have these two commands linked to programmable keys on my keyboards and I run them multiple times per purging session)

3. Run WBLOCK command with Entier Drawing option selected to create "filename" - Copy.dwg.

4. Open the "filename" - Copy.dwg file and run steps 1 and 2 multiple times to ensure all is purged.

5. Save and check file size. If it is acceptable then feel free to stop the process here. Otherwise continue. I was only at 16mb by this point...many years worth of improper drawing management.

6. Run DXFOUT command to export as "random filename".dxf. It saves as a random filename when running this command but the filename doesn't really matter as you will see in step 8.

7. Open .dxf file and run steps 1 and 2 mutlipe times to ensure all is purged.

8. Save as "filename" - Copy2.dwg (this step got me down to 10mb, great progress but still too big). 

9. Open up new template drawings and save as "filename" - Copy3.dwg.

10. Copy and paste from "filename" - Copy2.dwg to "filename" - Copy3.dwg. Purge, save, and check file size as you bring objects over to verify that file isn't growning unnecessarily large. After this step, I was finally down to 1.7mb, an acceptable size for the amount of objects I had in the drawings. 

Hope that helps anyone else that is dealing with these issues.

[vangelis2019]

That worked perfectly!

I was tearing my hair out! We picked up hundreds of unused Linetypes from a Contractor drawing that we simply couldn't get rid of.

Thanks. 🙂

[nicmegara]

this way did not work for me. Is there any other ways that might work?

[pendean]

IF the method in post 86 did not work, then those are still in use.

[matt.schuster]

nicmegara--(similar to my #37 post, but with a few more details)

Try the following:

 1. If your corrupted DWG has XREFs, start this process with the lowest XREF'd file and repeat until all XREF'd files and the primary DWG file are cleaned.

 2. Be sure that all other DWG/DXF files are closed. Open only one file at a time.

 3. Open the DWG file.

 4. -PURGE (all)

 5. _DXFOUT and save the file.

 6. Close the file.

 7. Open the DXF you just saved.

 8. -PURGE (all)

 9. Save as a DWG

10. Close the file.

11. Open the file. Now check for the unwanted linetypes. If that did NOT delete the linetypes continue on to step 12.

12. WBLOCK the entire drawing to a new file name.

13. Close the file.

14. Open the new drawing you just wrote with WBLOCK.

15. -PURGE (all)

16. Now check for the linetypes.

If that did NOT work, please post the drawing and/or provide the additional details about your platform/version, etc. It may help try all the above steps on a different machine if you have access to one.

[sullivankatrin]

If you are using 2016 or 2017 there is now a checkbox under purge dialog that says remove all orphaned objects, if you are using an earlier version let me know I will send you a work around solution.

Katrin Sullivan

Kleinfelder Information Technology Services
Practice Technologies Division

[nicmegara]

Hi i am using Autocad light 2013....None of the above mentioned methods have prevailed. The linetypes that wont go away you would think would still be in use by something hidden but i do not see anything that is using these lines. 

i will try to post the file. (the file is saved as a 2000 version)

[pendean]

The tip above works if you have LT2015 or later. Time to upgrade?

Attached is your file back cleaned up.

[nicmegara]

need solution for LT2013. thnks

[pendean]

That was it: upgrade or do this https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-lt-forum/linetypes-will-not-purge/m-p/6669291#M146328

[nicmegara]

thank you for your help. I will def make the recommendation to upgrade. 

-one question-

can you tell me why i cannot delete them on 2013? what are those linetypes attached to?

thanks 

[julian]

Try the wblock command

[nicmegara]

I just figured out the solution!!! lol so proud...You see we save all of our files under 2000.dwgs so clients with a earlier version of Autocad can access the files when we send them to them. (yes they should upgrade by now) Be that as it may, I decided to change that back to save files as a 2013 file and then do the WBLOCK command procedures and then poof when i opened the new file up, the linetypes were gone!!

[iteterkatsman]

it worked! thank you very much.

[rychcada]

Hi, I also have Line type issue. 

I have auto cad 2013 Lt at work and from time to time I need to import someone else's drawing into mine. This then creates lots of unneeded and unused line types. (Please see attached) I try purging the drawing to get rid of them extra line types but this does not work. I have also  tried the WBLOCK but this does not work either. Please can some help it is causing my files to become very large.

Thanks