topic Re: XREF Transparency in AutoCAD Map 3D Forum

XREF Transparency

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:59:38 GMT

Just upgraded from AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 to AutoCAD Map 3D 2011, and noticed that by default my XREFs are showing up with what looks like a 50% transparency giving them a "washed out" look.

Is there a system variable to correct this?

Re: XREF Transparency

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:05:42 GMT

Nevermind, found it:

Options -> Display -> Fade Control -> Xref Display

Evidentally it's set to fade all xrefs by default...

Re: XREF Transparency

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 14:33:16 GMT

Hi.

This only works on display... rigth?

Is there a way when this "transparency" can be printed?

thanks in advanced,

(sorry about my english)

Re: XREF Transparency

Pointdump — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 15:50:06 GMT

Do this. Step1:

Step 2:

Dave

Re: XREF Transparency

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 16:31:51 GMT

thaks Dave,

but this is not my problem,

my question is, how can i asign a printable transparency to a xref.

i can see a transparency (or fade) of a xref, but can i see it in real paper???

i`m not sure if it is possible, but should be 🙂

thanks!

Re: XREF Transparency

Pointdump — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:10:16 GMT

Yes, unless I'm misunderstanding you, I think this is what you want. Try it.

Dave

Re: XREF Transparency

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 21:27:24 GMT

😄

i´ve tried this, in fact, i ussually plot with transparency,

what i want to know, is:

that transparency that we set to DISPLAY in model (maybe a xref, maybe a block)

can be translated to plot...

i can make a hatch, and plot it with 80% transparency...

but a xref? can i?

Re: XREF Transparency

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 18:22:27 GMT

Can you please assist us further? Answer the above question?

Re: XREF Transparency

llaframbo — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 01:09:28 GMT

I am having the same issue. Xref is faded, plot transparency is checked. but yet it does not print transparent. Why? I do not know.

Re: XREF Transparency

Alfred.NESWADBA — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 10:02:17 GMT

Hi,

>> Xref is faded, plot transparency is checked

If the display of the XRef is faded just because of the setting of XDWGFADECTL (>>>details<<<) this means nothing for plot, this is just a display setting.

To make it really transparent you have to assign either the layers property "transparency" or the entities a transparency property which makes it transparent for plotting.

- alfred -

Re: XREF Transparency

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 20:48:14 GMT

I'm having a similar issue I think. Its crazy, I open the xref and the solid hatch is transparent. As soon as I insert the xref into my drawing its solid and nothing I can do changes its transparency. I've tried TRANSPARENCYDISPLAY, I've tried checking the plot transparency box in the Plot configuration. I even went in and changed color 9 to be transparent and that didn't even fix it and the solid hatch is color 9. So I don't know what to do? I'm using AutoCAD 2018 also, not sure if that's a glitch or not?

Re: XREF Transparency

ScottHodges — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 22:47:32 GMT

As Alfred said above, transparency for an object is set per the object in the original xref (have a look in your properties box), or in the layer manager in the parent drawing if the objects in the xref are bylayer.

Re: XREF Transparency

Ntuthuko. — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 08:00:33 GMT

Good day @Alfred.NESWADBA, @ScottHodges, Dave any one who can assist.

I am having the same problem and the responses above do not resolve it.

I have a drawing XREF'd into my current drawing. In the Layer Properties Manager I selected the XREF filter to show only the XREF layers. I set the TRANSPARENCY setting of the layers to 70% (the VP TRANSPARENCY setting automatically follows suit). Now, in the Page Setup Manager of my layout I have DISPLAY PLOT STYLES and PLOT TRANSPARENCY checked, so the transparency reflects on my layout. However, when I plot the drawing, the XREF objects have no fade or transparency at all. What could be the reason for this.?

All assistance is appreciated.

Regards,

Ntuthuko

Re: XREF Transparency

Alfred.NESWADBA — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 09:26:07 GMT

Hi,

>> However, when I plot the drawing, the XREF objects have no fade

>> or transparency at all. What could be the reason for this.?

The objects within the referenced dwg-file don't have set their transparency to "byLayer"?

If you are on AutoCAD 2016 or newer you might try to set XREFOVERRIDE to 1 (>>>details<<<) and try the same again.

If you want to show us small dwg-files (parent dwg and referenced dwg with some objects that don't show their transparency while plotting) it would help to identify the exact reason.

Please let us also know your AutoCAD version and service pack.

- alfred -

Re: XREF Transparency

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 15:49:54 GMT

I was having the same issue with aerial photographs attached as xrefs. I wanted them to plot with a 65% fade as an underlay. What worked for me was opening the xref'd images, right-clicking on the image and selecting "Adjust" under "Image". This allowed me to fade the image when it plots.

I hope this helps.

Re: XREF Transparency

curly.hart — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 06:52:00 GMT

@Alfred.NESWADBA

I have just discovered this XREFOVERRIDE option. Thank you!

Normally, when I start a job, I have to open the architectural file, select all, explode Block References, repeat a couple of times until they're gone, select all, change lineweight to ByLayer, change transparency to ByLayer. Then repeat for Ground, First, Roof etc.

XREFOVERRIDE does all of this for me. Brilliant. My question, why wouldn't I want this turned on? I thought I read somewhere in the AutoCAD help that they recommend not to use it, but not sure where I read that.

Cheers,

Curly.

Re: XREF Transparency

Alfred.NESWADBA — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 07:11:37 GMT

Hi,

>> My question, why wouldn't I want this turned on?

I would not see a reason to keep it turned off, however, there does not exist a general rule for it has to be on or off.

It depends on the drawing files you get/you use as external references and the workflow you go.

I would also not know any Autodesk documentation that suggests a specific setting. If you have a link you can show it and I can look into it.

- alfred -

Re: XREF Transparency

JReidhead — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 22:39:19 GMT

I just spent a couple of hours on this. I literally tried everything mentioned in this discussion. I did not have my viewport set to layer "0", when I changed it to "0" several of the items I had tried but not changed back started working. Now I have to go find out which item I changed to make it go to 50% transparency and change it back to something a little darker :') If any of you are still attempting this, try changing your xref to the layer zero in it's original drawing.

Re: XREF Transparency

ChicagoLooper — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 23:14:24 GMT

@JReidhead wrote

<<.....If any of you are still attempting this, try changing your xref to the layer zero...>>

The fade condition of an External Reference can controlled using using the SLIDER found in the Options Setting. Any change regarding the the layer that's hosting your viewport is purely coincidental. The XREF slider is here:

Or........if you prefer the system variable use XDWGFADECTL. The value ranges from -90 to +90. You can read about it here:

Re: XREF Transparency

JReidhead — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:48:31 GMT

Thanks @ChicagoLooper, I uploaded my comment prematurely. I appeared to be fixed, but printing, the actual issue, is still not working. The fade control doesn't seem to be working either, when it's faded at all I believe that's what is causing it to not show up at all. I'll keep trying and see what I can figure out