topic Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog in AutoCAD Forum

External References need to be reloaded dialog

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 15:56:49 GMT

I am currently in a situation where I am working with a drafter in India, I'm currently in Oregon. Everytime he sends me AutoCAD dwg files that contain xrefs, I am prompted with having to reload them, even if I am just opening the file for the first time, and have not made any changes to the xref. Reloading the files, doesn't actually resolve the issue, as it will still prompt me that I need to reload the file, even after I reload it. The only solution that I have come across, is that I have to open every file that is used as an xref, and simply save it. After saving it, the next time I open a dwg that uses that file as an xref, it will no longer prompt me that it has to be reloaded. Sorry for the lengthy explanation, do my knowledge we are both using the same version of AutoCAD. Does it have anything to do with him being in India? That doesn't sound like it should matter.

Thanks in advance.

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

kennyj — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 16:14:55 GMT

Hi dcam!

Are you working off of your own copy of the same XRef file; or is your India drafter sending you the XRef(s) each time with the file he sends you?

I agree I do not think it is a version or location issue; I suspect it is more a computer configuration issue and the AutoCAD file recognizes it is on a different machine/set-up.

I suspect if you are each working off a local copy of the XRef, the issue would be that the AutoCAD file would show a different date/time stamp, etc. on the India XRef than it does on your XRef, so when it reloads your XRef, it isn't getting an update to the stamp it is looking for. When you save the XRef those properties show the XRef is the most current, and the CAD file accepts the update.

Can you locate the XRef on a server that both you and your India team can use to ensure you are both using the same files?

Shooting in the dark here, but hopefully it will help you track down the final solution.

-Kenny

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 16:24:49 GMT

Each time we send files back and forth, we'll etransmit the files we are working on, and work from the files from the etransmit.

We are currently not sharing a server between us, and often I'll work from my own c: drive, not from our company server.

Could it be from the time stamp of the file? As he is 12.5 hours ahead of me, when I receive a file from him, the timestamp of the file is often ahead of what my current time is (like it is from the future, lol). Right now for example, it is 9:20am locally, but all of the files are showing a timestamp of 5:00pm, which is ahead of my current time.

Again, simply saving each file when I receive it from him, solves the issue.

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 16:32:00 GMT

Could it be the path to the XREF files?

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 16:33:42 GMT

We are using relative path. But this occurs even if the xref file is in the same folder as the host file.

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

john.vellek — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 17:30:19 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

I see that you are having problems with Xref's. Is it possible that you have some long path names involved or a drive mapping issue? I noticed that you are using relative paths.

Put the xref in the same folder as the parent dwg and select no path. Does that resolve the issue?

If you think this is time stamp related, what happens if the user in India saves all of the files including the master and then you open them after the time stamp on those files? Do you see the same problem?

Can you attach a couple of the files so I can investigate further?

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

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 14:10:01 GMT

@john.vellek attached is a sample file that I've attached for you to look at. I did not attach my titleblock, but with the other xrefs, you should still see the issue. Open FA-105 THRU 108.dwg which is our main file, all other xrefs will load from there.

Edited by request
Discussion_Admin

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

john.vellek — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 17:54:44 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

If I open the drawing file this isn't happening for me. It does happen however, when I try it through the Sheet Set. After I open the drawing, save it, then I can access it properly in the Sheet Set manager. The paths are stored there as well as in the Xref Manager.

See if this helps with your issue.

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

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 18:09:05 GMT

@john.vellek I am currently not opening my files through the Sheet Set Manager, I'm opening though Windows Explorer, just the regular folder structure. I am still seeing it. Here is a screen shot of a file I just opened. As you can see, all of my xrefs need to be reloaded, with the exception of the the files that I had already worked within and saved.

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

john.vellek — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 18:22:43 GMT

Hi @Anonymous, Here are teh exact steps I took.

Copied the entire contents of the Zip file to a new folder.

Opened AutoCAD 2016

Double-clicked in Windows Explorer the FA-105 THRU 108.dwg

I am prompted to Update the location of the referenced files - I select Ignore

Then I click the Reload Modified Xrefs button

Next, I open the XREF manager and everything looks good.

What steps are different than your process?

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

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 18:28:40 GMT

@john.vellek that works for that current session, but if I close the file (even if I save), and re-open the file, all of those xrefs need to be reloaded again. I am trying to figure out why it is prompting me to reload the xrefs in the first place. If I open each individual xref and save the file, it will no longer prompt me to reload.

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

john.vellek — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 18:39:29 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

I think what you are seeing is normal behavior. After I Update the Xref's by hitting the relaod button, it takes almost no time at all for AutoCAD to continue. In fact, it knows that the xrefs haven't changed.

I believe when you reopen the drawing, it prompts again because the original path is not the same as the current path. So, for instance, if the India user had the folder at the root of the C drive and you did as well, the prompt likely would not appear.

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

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 05:05:44 GMT

@john.vellek I appreciate all of your help today, and I finally think I've discovered the problem. I believe it was the time stamp of the file all along. I would receive files from my drafter in India and the time stamp would be 12 hours ahead of my current time. I've waited for my current local time to pass what the timestamp on the files were, and it would no longer prompt me to reload the xrefs upon opening the files. This would also explain why saving the xref files solved the issue, as saving it locally would creat a new timestamp local to my time.

I hope that makes sense.

Thanks,

Re: External References need to be reloaded dialog

kennyj — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 08:49:53 GMT

Go back to the first response you received; share some love. 🙂