topic Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ? in AutoCAD Forum

How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

Angayo — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:02:54 GMT

I have Autocad Architecture 2016.

I am trying to make measurements on existing plans. That involves drawing lines over them and clicking those lines. Sometimes it is useful to be able to turn off snap on those backgrounds or to turn of selection while they remain visible. XREFs apparently are always selectable and snappable.

For DWFs one can turn off the snap with the variable dwfosnap, but they remain selectable (and the colours are bad). Is there a way to make a good background for which one can turn off snap and selection ?

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

pendean — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:32:56 GMT

Not an option: if it's onscreen, you can snap to it.

if you place your XREF on it's own layer you can lock that layer and reduce any unintended movement of the xref.

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

RobDraw — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:09:51 GMT

Convert it to an image.

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

john.vellek — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 19:12:21 GMT

HI @Angayo,

Is using a PDF underlay an option for this process. You can toggle the PDFOSNAP if you want to disable snapping to PDF points and entities.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

Angayo — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 06:24:55 GMT

Thank you for the suggestions.

Currently I tried dwfs. They allow to turn off snap, but are always selectable and the Autocad help fails to explain how to use them. How do pdfs and images compare as backgrounds ? Where can I find help on how to use backgrounds ?

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

john.vellek — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:18:22 GMT

Hi @Angayo,

I suggest exploring the possibility of images as underlays and controlling selectability using IMAGEFRAME.

If you have some drawing samples I am happy to help mock something up for you to play with.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

Angayo — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 07:40:14 GMT

Hi john.vellek,

Where can I find information on using images as background ? In the article ‘About Underlays’ are only mentioned dwf, dwfx, pdf and dgn. The glossary describes none of these as being images. In addition, changing the variable imageframe to 0 does not hide the frame of my dwf.

I also do not understand what the variable imageframe has to do with snapping and selecting.

Thank you for the offer, but I don’t want a particular drawing as non-snappable and non-selectable background, but a procedure that I can explain to colleagues.

I am also starting to notice another problem. The use of dwfs IN ADDITION to xrefs creates additional work and problems. The time saved by being able to turn off snap and selection may not be wort hit. It would be bette rif I could REPLACE xrefs with something else. Of course, best would be if snap (al least) and selection could be turned off for xrefs.

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

hmsilva — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 08:29:00 GMT

@Angayo wrote:

I have Autocad Architecture 2016.

I am trying to make measurements on existing plans. That involves drawing lines over them and clicking those lines. Sometimes it is useful to be able to turn off snap on those backgrounds or to turn of selection while they remain visible. XREFs apparently are always selectable and snappable.

...

Hi Angayo, a workaround:

Insert xref in layer Defpoints ( remains selectable and snappable )
Turn layer 0 off ( not selectable neither snappable )

Hope this helps,
Henrique

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

ВeekeeCZ — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 12:23:56 GMT

You can also try THIS add-on available on AutoDESK APP Store which has options to turn on/of snapping, selecting of XREF. Very nice, I can recommend.

I just wish that the author expends this abilities for layers as well some day.

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

Angayo — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 06:34:57 GMT

@ hmsilva :

Drawing on the Defpoints layer allows tot to turn off snap and selection, but there are two hickups :

It does not work for XREFs (but does for DWGs)
That is not the purpose of that layer, so problems might appear, e.g. knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Putting-objects-on-non-plot-layer.html (false after short testing)

I am trying it, to see how it works out.

@ BeekeeCZ :

The description mentions explicitely the ability to turn off snap and selection for XREFs, so that should do what I want. I will stick with DWFs and Defpoints for now.

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

hmsilva — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 08:26:05 GMT

@Angayo wrote:

@ hmsilva :

Drawing on the Defpoints layer allows tot to turn off snap and selection, but there are two hickups :

It does not work for XREFs (but does for DWGs)

That is not the purpose of that layer, so problems might appear, e.g. knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Putting-objects-on-non-plot-layer.html (false after short testing)

I am trying it, to see how it works out.

...

@Angayo

I have used this method for decades, to draw over XREF's.
On my side works with images, PDF's, DWF's, DWG's and DGN's. Try to freeze insted of turn layer 0 OFF.
'Moving' XREF's to Defpoints, it's only to have the ability to turn those objects not snappable, after all the drawing work is done I 'move' back XREF's to the correct layers.

As I had said it's just a 'workaround'...

Henrique

Re: How to use a drawing as non-selectable background ?

Angayo — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 07:34:48 GMT

I tried the add-on XREF Tools Extra on plans made by Vectorworks exports. They are slow plans and XREF Tools Extra was slow as well. I suspect that with better plans the tool would be faster. Dwfs are slow as well (even though the file size is a lot smaller). Pdfs seem worse.

The disabling of selection is buggy. With selection and snap off I want the drawing being absent, except for being visible. If selection cycling is on, the drawing is still selectable when selectable items are stacked on it (including ‘non-selectable’ XREFs). That is, the XREF is included in the selection cycle. In addition, selection boxes cannot be started on an XREF. Moreover, the ‘first command ignore bug’ still manifests itself (a bug where you have to confirm a command twice when something selectable is in the background). I have the impression that the add-on implements non-selectability by preventing it sometimes, but the XREFs are still considered selectable by Autocad (although pre-selection highlighting is off).

DWFs on layer Defpoints with layer 0 turned off seem more impervious to selection. I will probably try that approach next time.

Does anyone have any advice to give on the other possible background formats or point to some explanation about them ?