Save TIF file reference in .dwg file?

[Anonymous]

I'm having an issue with file references in ACAD 2020. Very often I reference TIF files in my drawing, save as .dwg, and then send the .dwg to another worker. In the past, this has always worked, and the TIF file showed up when the worker opened it. 

For some reason recently, I now need to send the TIF file along with the .dwg, and have the worker save the TIF file locally and reference it using xref. How can I avoid this?

Online, it appears that there are other formats I can use, but I'd prefer to keep using .dwg. Could an older year .dwg save fix this?

[mroble · Accepted solution]

On the surface, sounds like they may not have access to the location the TIF is located.

This has always been the case, you send a file, you have to send the referenced-in TIF (jpg, png, whatever files.

This may not have been a situation before because the referenced path is something he could still see, and access. So you can email him a copy of the drawing, and he opens it, it says "the TIF is located.... here..." and the path is satisfied.

By default, it looks:

a) In the specified path..

b) It looks in the same folder as your CAD file for referenced files

c) Looks in support folders in Options.

If that path gets changed at any point to a location that they do not have access to, then you're going to get issues.

I'd make sure he can access the location. Could be a mapping issue... Let's say you're using a letter mapped drive. If he doesn't have that letter mapped on his computer, it's not going to find it. Even if he can access that location through hard pathing. One of several scenarios that could cause you issues.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! That is very helpful. It's very likely that this is a drive access issue rather than an AutoCAD issue. I never thought of that.