topic Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF in Vault Forum

AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 10:55:30 GMT

Attach a PDF as an XREF with AutoCAD, then check in the DWG and PDF into Vault.

With Vault, rename either file. The below error will appear.

Can anyone else reproduce this? I can with Vault 2014 and 2016.

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

tahdesign1 — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:13:04 GMT

Using Acad 2014 with 2014 Vault Add-in but a 2015 Pro Vault server.

So I took a screen shot of this thread and saved as a pdf.

Inserted into Acad and checked into the Vault with delete working copy.

First issue was for some reason the created pdf is locked and AutoCad Vault add-in could not delete it:

However in the Vault I could do a check out on the pdf and then a check back in with delete and it worked.

So now both files in my vault with no working copies. I did a rename on dwg file and it did it without error.

However if I try to rename the pdf I get the following error which would expect since the vault can not tell from the pdf metadata what might be referencing it.

So I can not reproduce exactly what you are seeing.

If you would like me to try some other methods for testing for you let me know.

Or pass a sample set to me and I will push into my setup and try the rename to see if I get the same error.

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:23:16 GMT

I guess the question is, why when renaming the PDF or parent DWG do the links get broken?

This makes no sense to me, since the PDF doesn't have links of its own.

Also, when you do an ATTACH FROM VAULT within AutoCAD and select a PDF the below error appears.

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:32:23 GMT

CORRECTION: This happens when you attempt to rename the PDF.

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

tahdesign1 — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:44:03 GMT

In my setup I can rename the DWG and the link to the pdf is maintained. Since the DWG has a good record of what is referenced into it.

However, when naming the just the pdf there must be some particle record that knows it is being referenced by something else.

I do not get the error if I rename a pdf that has not been xref into a dwg.

So I just tried to attach a pdf from the Vault and did get the same error that you did. When attaching a pdf from the local drive you have the ability to tell it you are going after a pdf. However from the Vault attach I have to select all files to see the pdf so I guess then it believes that you are xref a microstation file for some reason....strange.

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

tahdesign1 — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:57:28 GMT

Aww I see you can rename the dwg it is the pdf producing the error.

So now I redid my test and yes when i expand the dialog I am seeing the same or similar error when renaming the pdf:

So it is strange that to some extent the Vault knows this PDF is referenced by the named drawing but can not fix the link.

I went ahead and let it rename the pdf. Then I pulled down the dwg from the vault and it did also pull down the renamed pdf.

However, the xref within the dwg failed since it is looking for the first name of the pdf when it was originally xreferenced.

So I assume this means that the Vault is capable of fixing the Vault link that know this files is being referenced by the other but can not reach into the dwg to fix the pdf xref name within the file.

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:35:42 GMT

Another weird thing, if a 2nd xref (DWG) is attached and you try to rename that DWG the error occurs.

If there is no PDF attached, then the rename work perfectly.

So the issue is, if a PDF is attached as an XREF, the that PDF for any other Xref's can't be renamed without breaking licenses.

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

tahdesign1 — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 14:00:24 GMT

Hmm I wonder if it effected by order.

If dwg was xref before PDF was would it then work to keep the dwg xref correct since it is first in the dwg data.

However, the thing to take away from this is that xref PDFs and vault renaming do not work.

I wonder, since the buzz last year at AU was that Vault would start producing PDF for visualization, if this functionality will change as Vault inherits the ability to better control the PDF format.

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

junyi_zhu — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 03:06:13 GMT

PDF xref is not supported by the vault addin. Please refer to the thread below for more details.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-general-discussion/vault-users/m-p/4481287/highlight/true#M49636

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:18:04 GMT

Is there a plan by Autodesk to get this supported with a future version?

Re: AutoCAD / Vault Issue: Attach PDF as an XREF

junyi_zhu — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 01:59:20 GMT

You can log a ticket in idea station to gather support.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-ideas/idb-p/2/tab/most-recent