Civil 3D Labels missing due to Broken reference

rgraham · ‎05-16-2016

We have one project that has lost most Civil 3D lables of Data Refereced objects several times. When opening the drawing we get messages like the folowing:

AECC_STATION_OFFSET_LABEL [37328], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_VALIGNMENT_CRESTCURVE_LABEL_GROUP [3B001], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_VALIGNMENT_LINE_LABEL_GROUP [3B000], Broken reference, Remove

Immediately following these messages, no data references are broken.

I have a hunch the handles are somehow being changed in the source drawing and causing the link to the labels to be lost. Then the labels are "Removed" like the message says.

Most of our surface labels use reference text. These labels do not get "removed", but the reference surface is lost and then must be reset through properties and no major loss.

We have redone all labels in the past. Everything was fine for a couple months before it happened again.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Robert

Civil 3D 2015, Service Pack 3

AllenJessup · ‎05-17-2016

Are the drawings on a server? If so. Are the references by Mapped Drive or UNC path? You can use the Reference Manager to check.

Allen Jessup
CAD Manager - Designer
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rgraham · ‎05-17-2016

I've been thinking about that.

Yes on a server. Yes on a mapped drive, P:\

I've check XREF paths and DREF paths and they all refer to P:\

The only place I see the UNC path is the Acad Startup screen. Wierd thing is on the problem file, the UNC path shows up in the preview. On an archive from the day before where everything is behaving, the mapped drive path shows up. See attached image. I can't imagine this being related, but i've been watching for UNC path issues and this is the only one I have seen.

Another weird discovery. If I copy the problem file and the archive from the day prior off the network and open both with the network disconnected, the problem file reports the error message and the archive file does not. This leads me to believe the problem has nothing to do with being able to find the DREF source files. Rather something happened to the sheet files in the day between files. But it did happen to several sheeet files.

Still digging. Still looking for advice. Problem file and Archive file are attached.

Thank You!

rgraham · ‎05-18-2016

Since it is "Answer Day" I thought I'd try to get a little more insight.

Are there 2 different types of "Broken References"?

A typical Broken Reference (source drawing not found), the label would not get permanently removed from the drawing.

What is the "Enhanced reference audit doing?

Enhanced reference audit problems for database "C:\Users\rgraham\Downloads\Main.dwg"
(in the form: "Name, Reason, Repair Method"):
AECC_STATION_OFFSET_LABEL [3674E], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STATION_OFFSET_LABEL [36750], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STATION_OFFSET_LABEL [36751], Broken reference, Remove

rkmcswain · ‎11-08-2016

rgraham wrote:

A typical Broken Reference (source drawing not found), the label would not get permanently removed from the drawing.

What is the "Enhanced reference audit doing?

Enhanced reference audit problems for database "C:\Users\rgraham\Downloads\Main.dwg"
(in the form: "Name, Reason, Repair Method"):
AECC_STATION_OFFSET_LABEL [3674E], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STATION_OFFSET_LABEL [36750], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STATION_OFFSET_LABEL [36751], Broken reference, Remove

I'd like to know about this "Enhanced Reference Audit" also.....

Enhanced reference audit problems for database "xxxxxxxxxxxx.dwg"
(in the form: "Name, Reason, Repair Method"):
AECC_ALIGNMENT_TANGENT_LABEL [ED9F], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA01], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA02], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA05], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA45], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA47], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EB38], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EF30], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EF3F], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EFCC], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EFCE], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PIPE_LABEL [F0BF], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [E9FF], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA00], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA03], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA04], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA06], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA46], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA48], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA49], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EB39], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EB3B], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EB3C], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EF2A], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EF2B], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EF2C], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EF2F], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EF42], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EF45], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [F0BC], Broken reference, Remove

R.K. McSwain ● ● ● ● | CADpanacea | on twitter

rgraham · ‎06-06-2017

This problem has happened again in C3D 2017 and this time with Parcels Segment Labels. I will be reaching out to Autodesk support, but any insights is appreciated.

Enhanced reference audit problems for database "RLILCNV01 FM PH4 U4.dwg"
(in the form: "Name, Reason, Repair Method"):
AECC_PARCEL_SEGMENT_LABEL [1AE1D3], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PARCEL_SEGMENT_LABEL [1AE1D4], Broken reference, Remove
AECC_PARCEL_SEGMENT_LABEL [1AE1D5], Broken reference, Remove

Anonymous · ‎11-07-2017

Any solution found anywhere yet on this topic? Or maybe a workaround?

The same issue just started happening with me on Civil3d2018 with latest hot fix. When I reference (attach) a base file containing parcels, I can label the segments in host drawing, but when saving I get an error and message to run RECOVER. Upon reopening drawing, no labels are visible, with similar "broken reference" message as stated above.

rgraham · ‎01-22-2018

We are still experiencing this problem on occasional projects. Autodesk claims to have elevated this support case to their development team for further investigation.

They have speculated that it is related to NAS storage systems. We use a Nasuni Cloud storage system. Anyone else having this problem with NAS storage?

As far as a workaround, we can recover an exploded version of the labels by opening the drawing in 2015 instead of 2017. The labels will be Proxy Graphics that you can explode and wblock out.

Our main focus is to avoid labeling any Civil 3D object through xrefs. 😞 Most common with Parcel labels. We have seen it with Line and Curve labels, Alignment and Pipe Network labels as well.

Anonymous · ‎02-15-2018

This is related to (but possibly not the same as) the Line/Curve Table Tag and Xref Reload bug (which they supposedly fixed with a patch in 2017). We are starting to see it appear again in 2017, and now I guess in 2018.

The is reproduce-able very simply. The scenario is this:

Create some tag labels attached to lines/curves in an xref.
Do not create a table just yet.
Save drawing, open drawing. Labels are still there.
Reload any xref. Repeat step 3, labels are still there.
Add Tag Table to drawing.
Repeat Step 3, labels are still there.
Reload any xref.
Repeat Step 3, labels disappear.

Conclusion: Reloading any Xref corrupts the Tag Table regardless of which Xref was reloaded.

Solution: Do not reload any xrefs if you have Tag Tables in your drawing, instead save and reopen. Or, do not label Xrefs with labels.

Test this out with some of your other scenarios and let me know if you get the same results.

HTH,

Jim

Joe-Bouza · ‎02-15-2018

I'm sorry to hear this has happened to you. I have had this very message and issue and it was the result of using SAVEALLSHEETS in the sheet set manager. if this is true you should be able to restore a shadow copy to regain them.

I had this confirmed with autodesk that SAVEALLSHEETS kills your labels.

You can tell the difference between this and a broken ref, the broken ref would leave ??? SAVEALLSHEETS leave nothing.

the only fix is dont use SAVEALLSHEETS

Joe Bouza
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chris_brenton · ‎03-26-2019

I have another scenario that has worked for us. When you’re in a drawing that has Civil 3d labels on objects thru an xref (lines, curves, parcels, pipes, structures) the reloading xrefs is an issue. We have had corruption on drawings where we didn’t reload the xref too. When you save this drawing and you get this message:

Warning: An error occurred during save. We recommend that you run RECOVER on the drawing.

Stop everything and recall what you changed in this drawing since the last time you saved. You are going to redo some work. If you get this message there is nothing you can do to this file to fix it. As soon as you open the drawing again you will get the dreaded message of

Enhanced reference audit problems for database "xxxxxxxxxxxx.dwg"

(in the form: "Name, Reason, Repair Method"):

AECC_PARCEL_SEGMENT_LABEL [1AE1D3], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_PARCEL_SEGMENT_LABEL [1AE1D4], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_PARCEL_SEGMENT_LABEL [1AE1D5], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_ALIGNMENT_TANGENT_LABEL [ED9F], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA01], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA02], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA05], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_PIPE_LABEL [EA45], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [E9FF], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA00], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA03], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA04], Broken reference, Remove

AECC_STRUCTURE_LABEL [EA06], Broken reference, Remove

So as soon as you get the recover message, close Civil3d without saving again. Locate the *.bak file and rename it back to a DWG file. Next, go to your TEMP folder where Civil3d/ACAD stores temporary files of commands and xrefs with Windows Explorer. The default location is: C:\Users\\appdata\local\temp\ . Next delete all *.ac$, *.bak, and *.tmp files. After these steps you can get back into the drawing and redo any work that was lost.

This problem doesn’t come back after these steps are done. We stumbled on to this when one person on the team had a problem with some drawings, while another person didn’t have the problem at all. As soon as the person did these steps, the files didn’t have a problem for that user.

Another note is we just recently switched from 2016 to 2018. Some of our teams that were working on old files seemed to get this issues more than teams that started from our 2018 template. But it has still been randomly happening. For example a set of paving plans that shared the same xrefs, only 3 drawings out of 10 lost the curve and line table and tags.

We try to also follow best practice and run PURGE, Purge RegApps, Audit, etc… on our xrefs and sheet drawings. I think this helps with having stable and clean drawings. But when it comes to this error, it has to be a programming error if a reboot fixes it.

Until Autodesk states they have fixed this, we are moving away from labeling xrefs.

Anonymous · ‎05-20-2019

I think I might have found the solution to this issue for myself. As a practice, I create an AutoSave folder on my desktop. I then set the path to that folder. I found that I also had to set my temporary folders to that same file. Both the dwg and the xref. After I set those paths, my labels remained intact.

Anonymous · ‎05-21-2019

I was wrong about my fix for missing labels due to Broken references. I tried saving to 2018, changing my filepaths back to default and recovering my xrefs first. My last attempted fix was to bind my xref instead of attaching. I am sure anyone who has tried this, understands the ways you have to work around having a giant block to edit instead of separate drawings. I thought it would work because the block was inside of the drawing and therefore could not be detached or broken. Wrong. The labels detached the first time reopening as though my xrefs became detached previously.

So, the final fix for me is to explode all of my labels, my tables and anything else that makes Civil 3D 2018 a functional, state of the art, program.

I learned AutoCad before Softdesk or Landdesktop were in the picture. The methods I have to use now are more archaic than the methods I used 30 years ago with release 2 and windows 3.1. I am very disappointed that the developers at Autodesk are not able to fix the issue that people have complained about since release 2015.

If anyone has a better solution.

tcorey · ‎11-04-2019

I have to laugh. I read this entire thread, becoming less and less convinced there was an answer to this problem, when I came upon your short post "I think I might have found the solution to this issue for myself...."

Then this latest post, "I was wrong about my fix..." I went from high to low in an instant. 🙂

Tim Corey
MicroCAD Training and Consulting, Inc.
Redding, CA
Autodesk Gold Reseller

New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. -- Kurt Vonnegut

jdwitten · ‎02-18-2020

We recently started having issues with one of our projects. Previously I used Civil 3D 2016 for a LARGE project containing roughly 1300 dedicated Civil 3D sheets across multiple sheet sets and never had an issue with the Broken References that would kill all of the labels you are talking about here.

Previously I was working across a Talon Server with direct paths, where here we are using 2018, nasuni based service/servers with relative paths...

Is it AutoCAD?, Server?, User?, Pathing?...Generally speaking I'm leaning toward, #1 Pathing, #2 AutoCAD with a tie between Server and User...

Were keeping our eyes open for further issues and solutions...

chris_brenton · ‎07-30-2021

Has this error been fixed in newer versions. This post suggests is a fix for this, but no one anwsered this string if it has been fixed. Please let us know. Planning to move to 2021 and would love to have this ability again.

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