Possible bug - batch plot with nested xref

[brian]

I have a file that won't print correctly using batch publish.  I can print one sheet at a time though.

The file has three xrefs one of which has a nested xref

Xref1: titleblock inserted into paperspace on each layout

Xref2: baseplan inserted into model space

Xref3: elevations inserted into model space --  this file also xrefs the base plan

So the plan is xref'd and xref'd via nesting in the other file.

When I batch plot, Xref1 shows, Xref3 shows EXCEPT the nested plan, and Xref2 doesn't show at all.

When I batch plot other files with the plan xref'd in once, no problems.

When I plot one sheet at a time no problems.

In the screenshot attached are the two results. On the left you see an elevation (xref3) and a portion of the plan (xref2 nested in xref3) below for reference as well as the enlarged ceiling plan (this is the regular xref2).  On the right, the batch plot gives me neither.  But the lines drawn in the xref3 elevation comes in as does the titleblock xref1.  

My assumption is that because I xref'd the same file into this drawing as an xref and a nested xref, AutoCad LT for Mac doesn't like it - but only when batch publishing.

******

More information:

Even when plotting single sheets, there is a strange thing happening where the outlines of wipeout shapes are plotting - even when the layer is turned off and/or frozen in that viewport.  To eliminate this, I had to set those layers properties to 'do not plot'.

******

System:

ACLT2016 for Mac w/ update 4

OS: Sierra v10.12.1

Hardware: Mac Pro 64, 64GB ram, 3.5 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon E5 and AMD FirePro D700 6144 MB Graphics Card.

[maxim_k]

Welcome to Autodesk Forums!

Hi,

>>>>My assumption is that because I xref'd the same file into
>>>>this drawing as an xref and a nested xref, AutoCad LT for Mac
>>>>doesn't like it - but only when batch publishing.

I cannot reproduce such issue on my side with newly created drawing (AC 2016 on Yosemitte)

Maxim

[brian · Accepted solution]

I ran audit on all the files and although it 'repaired' 8 issues, it didn't change the outcome of the plots. 

It seems to have something to do with the server path mapping of the xref files.  

When the server path mapping function is set, it automatically converts the xref path from

  /Volumes/X-Drive/Projects/[project folder]/[file name].dwg  to

  P:/[project folder]/[file name].dwg

When opening the file, or printing from the file, ACLT sees the P:/ path and reconverts it back to the long name. 

When batch plotting, ACLT saves the file as a copy to /tmp/AcPublish_45467/[file name].dwg and plots from there.  However, the batch plot function isn't resolving the server path mapping feature, therefore the xref file disappears.  I don't know why only the plan xref disappeared and the others didn't, but maybe it was mapped differently or the path was not relative?

I have removed all server path mapping from my ACLT, relinked the xrefs and nested xrefs so that they use the OSX filepath, and now it batch plots fine.

I believe this is a bug, but for anyone else having missing xrefs in batch plot with xrefs on mac, if you use server mapping, turn it off as a temporary fix.

[Emmsleys]

@brian, 

I'll go ahead and log this bug with our development team. 

I would also urge you to leave feedback here as well: Product feedback - Autodesk

[Anonymous]

How do you turn off server mapping? Is this in CAD or elsewhere?

[13lacIe]

@Anonymous
It is an AutoCAD for Mac command (XREFPATHMAP) and doesn't exist in the windows version as far as I am aware. The good news is I don't think you need it either way, I think it was a pathing issue and it was fixed when it was re-linked properly.

Another person at our office had this issue and it was a referencing error on the first level xref that AutoCAD usually error catches(hence why it works most of the time) but doesn't in the case of nested xrefs with batch plotting.   The first level xref's path to the second level path included the folder it was already in (eg. errored path: .\xrefs folder\drawing.dwg correct path: .\drawing.dwg where both xrefs are in the same xrefs folder). AutoCAD usually works around this error because when the xref is missing with the specified path it also tries the folder where the drawing with the xref in it is for files with the same name.