How do i select individual lines in an Xreference?

[Anonymous]

Why the heck do the creators of autocad think highlighting the whole xref as a block is helpful? I want to be able to select individual lines like in Microstation.  Is this possible? 

[Anonymous]

That really depends on what you want to do with the geometry you want to select, after you select it.

This article may help >link< 

Let us know if this is what you are looking for

[Anonymous]

Im not trying to edit the reference. In microstation, you can select individual referenced lines, you cannot do anything with these lines unless you want to copy them in using the simple and norma copy comman (autocad gave it a shot with "NCOPY" command but it sucks) , and it will give property info at the bottom of the screen of what reference and what layer lines are on, It doesn't automatically select the whole reference.

[Patchy]

No, it has been this way for decades, try XLIST

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Sorry it didn't help....I've never used Microstation, so just taking a guess. I don't think there is a way to do what you are asking, but someone with more knowledge than me might be able to help....

[Anonymous]

Well you would think they would make improvements instead of changing the logo every two years. I grew up using autocad in highschool and college, after getting a job and using other programs, autocad is pretty horrible. The fact I am limited to a uselessly selecting the whole reference as a block, is ridiculous.

[imadHabash]

Hi,

>> (autocad gave it a shot with "NCOPY" command but it sucks)

In AutoCAD this limitation -that you don't like- is the power of using Xref's . it's kind of guarantee for your references to be in safe and untouchable . Sometimes .. i wish that i have a lock to prevent others from making modifications for attached xrefs .   This is the other angle of your issue. 🙂

All the best ... 

[Anonymous]

If you used it, you would never go back to autocad! I guess you could compare it to having all of the "xref" levels actually in a drawing, but them being locked. You can select them and get information, copy them into the drawing, just not move them or modify them because theyre still truly in another file.

[Anonymous]

In microstation theyre still locked references. If you wanted you could "edit in place" or "open the xrefd drawing". The only difference is, I can see information for specific lines and yes copy them in (like ncopy) but way better because I can select multiple lines at once or individual, not one at a time like ncopy. I have no idea why this is a hard concept. Highlighting the whole reference does absolutely nothing.

[pendean]

Sounds like you need to complain to your boss and switch back to MS: not much any of us end users (just like you) can do about except get into pointless heated discussions about how everyone is right/wrong about it all 🙂

You can let Autodesk know of your wishlist here in the meantime https://www.autodesk.com/company/contact-us/product-feedback

"it is what it is"

HTH

[Patchy]

Well you would think they would make improvements instead of changing the logo every two years.

☺ ☺ ☺ Definitely, not much improvement for the fee they whack you ☺ ☺ ☺ 

[Anonymous]

I was hoping for a LISP command!. I honestly am dumbfounded at somethings autocad never updates

[pendean]

LISP forum is over here my friend, repost and be very detailed about your desire https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-customization/ct-p/AutoCADTopic1

[LyleHardin]

There is an old LISP routine called "Probe" that does a better job than XLIST, but it's pretty cryptic to read the results. 

If you are just looking for the layer of the object in an Xref, you could use the PickLayerOff command and look at the command line to see which layer it turned off, then UNDO. Not terribly elegant, but it's quick and easy. Two picks and a Ctrl Z. 

Other suggestions like Edit Reference in Place or Open Xref (both from right clicks on Xref) will work too, but can be a pain if the xref is huge.

Bottom line, no, there is not a built in way to do this like you can with MicroStation.

Just curious what is it, exactly, you are trying to do? What properties are you interested in of the Xref's entities. I've seldom needed this feature.

[pkolarik]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Im not trying to edit the reference. In microstation, you can select individual referenced lines, you cannot do anything with these lines unless you want to copy them in using the simple and norma copy comman (autocad gave it a shot with "NCOPY" command but it sucks) , and it will give property info at the bottom of the screen of what reference and what layer lines are on, It doesn't automatically select the whole reference.

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If that's all you're after is the xref name and layer name of a particular line, it's truly a very, very simple solution. All you do is pick the "Freeze" layer button. Your command line will tell you exactly the xref and layer names of the object you just selected.

[RobDraw]

It sounds like you just want to complain and don't care about a solution. The complaint department is down the hall and to the left.

If you are here for a solution, tell us what you want to do with the selection. The way to do it in AutoCAD will be different from that other software and it might be an extra step or two but you can get what you, just not the way that other software does it because, well, it's a different program.

[Anonymous]

Its not necessarily a command. If you have ever used microstation, you can click on specific lines in the reference to copy (just normal copy) them through for their properties, or if hover over said line, it will give you the layer and xref it is located in.

In autocad the whole thing just highlights which is not helpful at all, even when youre trying to click on other lines. If you use "Ncopy" you can only pick one line at a time.

If you can turn off the "whole selection" for groups or blocks in a drawing, why would you not be able to do that with reference?

I do civil design, i can have 100s of layers with lines that look similar, its a lot easier to sort through or work in a file when it doesnt just randomly highlight the whole reference for no reason. 

[RobDraw]

Comparing nuances between platforms and trying to use it as an argument about how useful a program is holds no weight to me. Learn to use the program with the tools available and you won't get frustrated.

Just because you can't do something the way you think it should be done or can do in a different program doesn't mean that there is a valid workflow for what you desire.

I'm not going to add any more suggestions because it's obvious you don't want solutions other than the way you think it should be done.

[pendean]

>>>... If you have ever used microstation...<<<
if you need that ability, it sounds like you need to be using that program: sell it to your bosses, no one here can do much about it, we are end users just like you.

Note: the only two places to do them that Autodesk looks for them are here (you have to convince others to vote for it, so work on your argument for it, flesh out the details, explain way better how it would work, avoid the lazy option of just linking back here):
https://www.augi.com/wish-list

And here (you have to convince Autodesk, so work on your argument for it, flesh out the details, explain way better how it would work, avoid the lazy option of just linking back here)
https://www.autodesk.com/company/contact-us/product-feedback

And realistically, unless they are already working on it, you have 3-5-10 years (if ever) wait for it to show up, if you were successful with your pitch.

Good luck.

[RobDraw]

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@RobDraw wrote:

Just because you can't do something the way you think it should be done or can do in a different program doesn't mean that there is a valid workflow for what you desire.

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This should read, "... doesn't mean that there isn't a valid workflow..."

So, instead of complaining about it not being possible, ask about how people accomplish it.