Explode Error - external reference Autocad 2017

[eric.guizzetti]

 How can i explode an item when it states its an external reference?

[user181]

An external reference is a separate drawing file and can't be exploded. If you right click on it and select the OPEN XREF option you can open that drawing to edit it. Or you can right click and select the BIND and INSERT OPTION to insert that drawing into the current drawing. After that you can explode it.

[imadHabash]

Hi,

xrefs can not be explode except when you BIND it which this bounded xref become a block. XREF vs EXPLODE it's a big dangerous story Be careful !!!

Good Luck..

[Anonymous]

Why do you want to explode an XREF??

[eric.guizzetti]

I've tried to Bind the file with no luck. I had (6) seperate DWG's and all of them will bind minus the one I was thinking of exploding first.

[eric.guizzetti]

I wanted to pick grid lines on an imported file. I didn't want the XREFd file to act like one large image as I wanted to drill down to the lines separately.  

[user181]

You can also try to insert that file in your drawing with the INSERT command and select the BROWSE button at the top and browse to the file location and select it and then insert.

[eric.guizzetti]

My whole issue involves the fact that the file will not bind. I am under the impression that the file must have some unrealized issue.

[imadHabash · Accepted solution]

HI,

if do you want to take lines or any elements from xrefs you can use NCOPY command.

[eric.guizzetti]

These are consultant files. Interesting fact is, I have a site file with (6) other files inside it. When I dig through each file separately I can see that one file has another file inside it but I don't have access to that file. What I am seeing is a main site file, with (6) Xrefed files, those files have been linked into eachother multiple times. In cleaning up the mess, I have discovered files I don't have access too.

[imadHabash]

would you please show us your External Reference palette ? 

[eric.guizzetti]

attached

[imadHabash]

Hi,

as seen from below image press Tree View button which will arrange xrefs as main master file and nested files under it.select the main master CAD file which contain and host all the other file and right click to BIND it.

[eric.guizzetti]

I tried this workflow prior. 

1. It won't let me click on the main file and bind. I can try to bind each file separately.

2. When Binding _2140774-B I always get this message "Some Objects in  the specified file XREF(s) failed to Bind.

[Anonymous]

NCOPY will copy lines out of the reference file into the current DWG.

BINDing an XREF makes it a block so it will behave as a block requiring exploding before editing.  BINDing the XREF will divorce it from the parent DWG file meaning subsequent changes to the source file will NOT be automatically reflected in the target file.

[Anonymous]

You have nested XREF's attempting to recreate blocks that already exist from previous BINDs.  Try renaming the blocks in the target file to something that doesn't match the names of the XREFS attached to the file not binding.

[Anonymous]

Almost sounds like an xref within an xref within an xref etc...

Use caution when binding and exploding xref as your drawing will become huge in size not to me a layer nightmare.

Good luck.

[john.vellek]

Hi @eric.guizzetti,

If you can share your files, please put them in a ZIP and attach to a post. Or if you need to keep them private you are welcome to email them to me at john.vellek@autodesk.com.

[john.vellek]

HI @eric.guizzetti,

Did you ever figure out the Xref Bind issue with all the great suggestions in this thread? Please post with the status of your problem.

Again, If you are willing to share the file that can not be bound I am happy to examine it for you.

[Anonymous]

To enable import into a truss design program