XREF FADING

[jsiegel-vanderweil]

I'm using ACAD 2014.

I noticed when I attach an XREF, it automatically gets faded, as if it's already on a locked layer and LAYLOCKFADECTL is being used.

Is there a separate command to automatically fade an XREF?

Thanks...

[kennyj · Accepted solution]

Hi jsiegelZLM2V!

Did you try:

XDWGFADECTL

yet?  This should let you change the variable on how the xref is displayed.

Hope this helps,

-Kenny

[pendean]

OPTIONS command, Display tab, lower-right corner are the fade controls for Xrefs. help yourself.

[Patchy]

layer lock fade is different than XDWGFADECTL

[qnologi]

XDWGFADECTL = 0

LAYLOCKFADECTL = 0

VSCURRENT = 2

[john.vellek]

Hi @jsiegel-vanderweil,

Welcome to the Autodesk Community!

Are you looking for the XDWGFADECTRL command?

If not, let me know and I can dig in deeper.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Kent1Cooper]

[Wow!  Three Replies within the same minute, and within 5 minutes of the question!  Here is Help (from Acad2017, but nevertheless...) about that System Variable.]

[jsiegel-vanderweil]

that's it!
for some reason, the default was set at 50...
thanks keenyj

[jsiegel-vanderweil]

thanks everybody!

i like to set LAYLOCKFADECTL, as it tells me if an XREF is on a locked layer (preferable so i don't accidentally do something to it!).

i was getting confused in 2014 bcos a newly attached XREF was already faded, but NOT yet assigned to a locked layer...

[douglas.shortCM2W5]

Here's something I discovered.

TO FADE A pdf XREF.

In model space, click on the boundary line that surrounds the xref.

When you do that a heretofore unseen tab magically appear--it's called PDF underlay at the end of your ribbon.  It's very helpful--which is why the AutoCAD folks don't talk about it or make it known.

Anyway, a new set of options will appear with that PDF UNDERLAY tab--they appear below the ribbon:  ADJUST, CLIPPING, OPTIONS, PDF LAYERS, TOUCH

I have no idea what they hell they all mean, but for the purposes of fading the pdf xref, click the ADJUST button.  This will bring up a new window with a very sensible Contrast slide bar and a FADE slide bar.  You can slide the bar and instantly the image will fade as you move it.  Why this magical window doesn't appear when you type Xdwgfadectl is a mystery only AutoCAD can explain.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Why this magical window doesn't appear when you type

>> Xdwgfadectl is a mystery only AutoCAD can explain.

Simply because an attached PDF is different to an attached DWG(XRef).

And so the display entities within the different files have to be handled differently. For the attached XRef you do have the  layers within the XRef's to control (each can be set to a different color, lineweight, linetype, ...) which can not be done for objects within a PDF, therefor you have a different control for how it's displayed.

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

This worked perfectly, set the value to 1. 

[Anonymous]

Thank you. You deserve a medal.

[cadpro78]

Here is a video showing how to fade xref in layer manager

[tjohns]

Thank you for the step-by-step.

[aeci801]

Thank you ! You made it simple.