topic Unwanted text/file info in model space XREF??? in AutoCAD Forum

Unwanted text/file info in model space XREF???

will9ESP8 — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 18:50:09 GMT

I don't xref all that often, so am obviously not the best at it... but usually it works fine.

Right now I'm trying to xref something in, and no matter how I try, I get all this extra text and stuff in the drawing. See below. What am I doing wrong and how do I get the geometry in clean?

Re: Unwanted text/file info in model space XREF???

will9ESP8 — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 19:24:17 GMT

Well, I figured out that all that text junk is attributes for the blocks I'm xreffing in. So now I can turn off attribute display, but then I lose my own attributes as well. In the original xrefs the blocks all have attributes, but despite the attribute display being set to normal, they don't show up and pollute the drawing. How do I get the xref to come in and show just the geometry, and not all the attribute junk? I tried turning the attribute display to off in the xref but that didn't work - it still shows up based on the attribute display in my drawing. Any ideas?

Re: Unwanted text/file info in model space XREF???

paullimapa — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 21:07:07 GMT

one way is that in the xref drawing itself those attributes should be placed onto a different layer.

Then when that drawing is referenced in, those layers can be frozen by picking on them by running the LayFrz command or that xref layer can be frozen inside the Layer Properties Manager

Are you able to share that drawing including the xref by running the eTransmit command?

Re: Unwanted text/file info in model space XREF???

cadffm — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:12:16 GMT

Hi,

att display in Xref = not showing

So you use att display ON in your file? As standard or just temporary?

I am asking because that seems unsual (as standard).

As Paul wrote: A tool to switch all Attributes on separate layers in the sourcefile is a way.

There's no way than editing the sourcefile, if you want to set attbdisp ON.

Re: Unwanted text/file info in model space XREF???

ChicagoLooper — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 01:08:19 GMT

Hi @will9ESP8

So you have an xref. That xref has one (or more) blocks. You want to turn off the block attributes to reduce clutter in your working drawing, correct? And at the same time, you want the attributes in your working drawing to remain visible.

You can do this:

1. Open your xref.dwg. Enter BATTMAN on command line=>Then follow steps shown in Image-1.

<<You'll need to make each individual attribute of that block invisible before clicking Apply-OK>>.

Image-1

2. With the xref still open, repeat BATTMAN for the next block. Be sure to make all attributes in the second block invisible too, not just the first one. Repeat until all blocks in your xref have 'Invisible' attributes.

3. SAVE the xref. <<If you don't save xref, Invisible Mode won't take effect in your working drawing.>>

4. Back in your working drawing, enter XREF on command line=>go to External References Palette. Your xref will display Needs reloading. (Refer to Image-2.) Highlight the the xref's name=>right-click=>Reload.

Image-2

The attributes in the xref will now be INvisible and the block attributes in your working drawing will remain VISIBLE.

Re: Unwanted text/file info in model space XREF???

imadHabash — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 03:20:03 GMT

Hi,

Would you please attach here both CAD dwg file ( xref file + host dwg )?

Re: Unwanted text/file info in model space XREF???

will9ESP8 — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 15:20:35 GMT

Hey guys,

Thanks for the responses! I thought I responded yesterday, but having this same window open in two spots seems to have broken it somehow and even though I hit 'reply' it didn't pop up and gave me an error. Anyway, I got it working, by setting the attdisp to 'normal' in both the xref, and in my drawing. Seems to work for now at least, and I'm so slammed trying to finish up these drawings I didn't try all of the other responses to see how they behave.

I know part of the problem is that the drawing I'm xref-ing in has dozens of blocks, and each of those blocks is made of blocks, and each of those has other blocks,,, and all have attributes that were populating. Ugh. And, all of the attributes and some of the important geometry is on 'none' layer, and I lose stuff I need if I froze that layer.

Anyway for now it appears to be working and I'm plowing ahead on labor day... Thanks again!