*INVALID* Xref error

[Anonymous]

Hello all,

I am working in AutoCAD LT 2019. I have file A (GROUND FLOOR), xref'ed into file B (GROUND FLOOR_Group A), and file B xref'ed into file C (Sheet file). 

The problem I am having is that when I try to Xref file B into my sheet file (or even new files) I often get the invalid error message below:

So I have used the recover all command, -purge (regapps), -purge (all), and audit on both files A & B. I have even wblock both the files and the issue is temporarily fixed, but then it comes back within a matter of 15/30 mins. I must also add that whenever I Xref file B into the sheets it is making the saving process SUPER slow.

I am attaching files A & B to this post in hopes that someone can please help me. My best guess would be that there is a rogue block or symbol that gets purged but keeps coming back... I am on a deadline in an office that has no in-house CAD support, so this is kind of my last attempt at fixing this issue after having searched the forums with no luck finding a solution to the same issue I am having. 

Thank you very much in advance for any help, suggestion, or scrubbing of this file. I wouldn't know where to start to look for the corruption in it...

[ian.mag]

Hey @Anonymous ,

I would suggest the following:-

1. In the Attach External Reference dialogue box, under Reference Type make sure you you have Overlay button depressed
2. In the Path Type make sure that full path is selected

Try the above settings and let us know what you get.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. What if the file needs to be Attached (like in the case of the Ground Floor file A) so that the drawing makes it to the sheet file?

[Bob_Zurunkle]

Wild guess here, but is B also XREFd into A as an attachment?

[ian.mag]

Hey @Anonymous 

It still works the same way. Actually overlay should be used when a file is XREFed more than once.

[Anonymous]

I was under the impression that overlay works only as one time attachment to the file and in further re-attachments it doesn't carry the drawing through...

[Anonymous]

No. A goes into B and B goes into C. No circular reference going on. 

[Anonymous]

I just read this in another thread, so I stand corrected. Thank you for pointing me to clarifying overlay vs attachment a little more...

"Overlaid xrefs

An overlaid xref does not load or bring with it any nested xrefs. For example, if you xref "A" into your parent drawing, which contains a nested xref, drawing "B", only drawing "A" will be referenced in. Drawing "B" will not be loaded into the parent drawing because it is a nested xref.

Attached xrefs

Attached xrefs, when referenced into a drawing, will include nested xrefs, which means if drawing "A" is referenced into your drawing and it has nested xrefs "B" and "C" in it, drawings "B" and "C" will be attached to the parent drawing along with drawing "A."

[Bob_Zurunkle]

It is possible to XREF A into B and B into A. Just not advisable unless you make sure both are overlays. I was just checking that you hadn't done this using Attachments.

[S.Faris]

Use command -RECOVER to open file GROUND FLOOR_Group A.dwg as I found 8 errors in the file(see below pic). Do a save as and try Xref'ing it now. It worked for me.

[Anonymous]

I have already done that, but the error comes back and persists. (Read original post). 

[S.Faris]

You had done a RECOVER command inside the file or -RECOVER to open the file?

[S.Faris]

Give it a try and let us know, if the error still comes back. 

The drawing is open on my Autocad for last >15min and there is no error. I just tried re-opening the file and even that didn't bring up any errors.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi, yes I have done both types of recover. I have to further test this, but so far someone in my office offered this method of cleaning/purging the file and no errors have come back (fingers crossed)...

"Open dwg file > do DXFOUT command > save as 2007dxf version > open the dxf file> do AUDIT and PURGE > resave back as dwg file > Done!
Sometime the number of XREF files and how it's xref in can slow down your files too. I would suggest running the DXF steps (above) in all your files, even the xref dwgs (if the file is greater then a few mb, it usually calls for a dxfout file clean up) and then check if all your XREF files can be xrefed in as overlay vs. attachments (for example, if the baseplan (walls and hatches) that we talked about is xref as an attachment into 5 drawings, CAD will circular reference when it's going back and forth to relink the same dwgs 5 times. and that can def. slow down production and saving time) Hope this helps."

[ian.mag]

Hey,

In other words,

Attachment - Tells AutoCAD to include other Xref attachments that are nested in the selected file.
Overlay  - Tells AutoCAD to ignore other Xref attachments that are nested in the selected file. This avoids multiple attachments of other files and eliminates the possibility of circular references (referencing the current file into itself through another file).

So to understand your case better, are you using sheet sets, or just the layout sheets in another drawing?

Case 1; I using sheet sets

1. Attaching the XREF as an overlay
2. Make sure that full path is selected under the path type
3. Creating model views in your drawing base file B
4. Create a sheet in the SSM and place the model view in the drawing sheet

Case 2; If using the layout sheets in file C

1. Attaching the XREF as an attachment
2. Make sure that full path is selected under the path type
3. While in file C, repeat steps 1 & 2

Make sure to save the drawings before XREFing them.

[user181]

Hi @Anonymous ,  I have a couple suggestions.   In your drawing ground floor there are what look like shrubs on a layer named L_PLAN_TREES.  They are a bunch of individual lines and there are over 80,000 of them. I would suggest creating a block and inserting it multiple times. Try using the command -purge and purging regapps, empty text objects and zero-length geometry.  Also if the drawing saves slow try setting SAVEFIDELITY to 0 because you have annotative blocks in the drawings. 

[Anonymous]

OK, I will give that a try and report back on performance. Thank you for your suggestion!

[Anonymous]

Quick question: The shrub blocks you talked about are already blocks. When I go inside the blocks I see the hundreds of lines you talk about. How do you recommend I simplify this geometry? I don't think I was able to follow your previous recommendation...

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@user181 wrote:

Hi @Anonymous ,  I have a couple suggestions.   In your drawing ground floor there are what look like shrubs on a layer named L_PLAN_TREES.  They are a bunch of individual lines and there are over 80,000 of them. I would suggest creating a block and inserting it multiple times. Try using the command -purge and purging regapps, empty text objects and zero-length geometry.  Also if the drawing saves slow try setting SAVEFIDELITY to 0 because you have annotative blocks in the drawings. 

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Quick question: The shrub blocks you talked about are already blocks. When I go inside the blocks I see the hundreds of lines you talk about. How do you recommend I simplify this geometry? I don't think I was able to follow your previous recommendation...

[user181]

Maybe they are trees or something else but when I open the drawing you posted all the object shown in pic below are individual lines and not blocks.  I was suggesting that could slow a drawing down having 80,000+ lines

[mbeveren]

This fixed my problem with my XREF, thank you!