topic Preventing images in XREF's showing in drawings in AutoCAD Forum

Preventing images in XREF's showing in drawings

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 05:36:46 GMT

I have an drawing for utilities that I use to hold services information, and I xref this into another drawing. For context, I have aerial images in the xref file using the "Insert Image" command. However the images always show up in my drawing when xreffed in and confuse things.

Is there a way to prevent this, similiar to the overlay/attachment option for drawing xref's? I like to be able to edit the services xref directly as this changes often, so would prefer not to detach the images all the time, but only turn them off.

Re: Preventing images in XREF's showing in drawings

pietro.pedone — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 08:45:44 GMT

Hi @Anonymous !

As you correctly stated, there is currently no way to choose an "Overlay" option for images.

However, there are a couple alternative solutions that I would like to suggest you:

- Moving all images to a layer, and keeping that XREF layer turned off in the master drawing;

- Unloading and reloading the images as needed through the -IMAGE command. You may also create two buttons (one for loading and one for unloading) with the following macros:

For unloading (hiding) all images: ^C^C _-IM _UNLOAD * _REA
For reloading (displaying) all images: ^C^C _-IM _RELOAD * _REA

(remember that Macros should have an extra space at the end to send the command!)

If any of these procedures help you, please accept this answer as a Solution! 🙂

Re: Preventing images in XREF's showing in drawings

pietro.pedone — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 13:51:24 GMT

Hey @Anonymous ,

Just checking back about my post earlier today. Did it help you? If so, it would be great if you could mark it--or some other user's answer--as a Solution! 🙂

Otherwise, just update this thread with any additional info and we'll be happy to continue helping you 🙂

Re: Preventing images in XREF's showing in drawings

Bob_Zurunkle — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:50:48 GMT

Here's what I do with PDFs to keep them away from my 'parent drawing'. I use a separate drawing called PDFs for nothing but my PDFs, and I XREF that into an x-base drawing as an overlay. I use the x-base drawing for all of my plan views, but XREF that in turn into my parent drawing, where I do the elevations/sections and plan sheets. Because PDFs is an overlay in x-base, it doesn't carry forward into the parent drawing.

I wonder if the same principle works with images? It's worth a shot...

Re: Preventing images in XREF's showing in drawings

vinodkl — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 16:03:25 GMT

Create a separate layer and add the xref into the that layer and freeze it when not required and thaw it when you need it.