EXTERNAL REFERENCE

[ESchomberg]

Dear friends, I hate to throw out another question so quickly.

I mentioned in another post that I was having difficulty opening one of my old drawings from 2016(with my old settings) in to my 2017 with different settings. It created issues that I had to fix before I could make a simple modification to my old drawing.

A friend of mine(Dave) mentioned that most people would x-ref that drawing. I have not had time to research x-ref yet, though I remember reading about it in my cad book many months ago. Now my client has sent me new certifications for an old drawing I did. I am going to run in to the same issue. As you can see in my screen shot it is suggesting that I x-ref the drawing.

Does anyone have the patience to give me a quick crash course on how to do this so that a simple modification does not turn into an hours work for me?

I'm a visual person so screen shots and screen casts are awesome. If no one is available right now, it is ok, I can make it work. Any help always appreciated.

[Pointdump]

Hey Erik,

Use the icon that looks like a clipboard:

Here's a short and sweet explanation of Bind vs. Insert:
http://autocad-architecture-blog.com/tips-and-tricks/autocad-xref-bind-vs-insert/

Dave

[ESchomberg]

Hi guys. I figured out how to XREF a drawing(simple enough) but the drawing comes in as one entity(such as a surface when you click on it). I see the guys layers, right under mine but I cannot use them or add to the drawing if it is all one unit. I tried to explode it but that did not work.

[ESchomberg]

I selected the XREF drawing in model space.......right clicked......and selected "open XREF". Now I can work on the drawing but did I do this the correct way?

[Joe-Bouza · Accepted solution]

Sure why not.
Notice in the message box the suggestion was assuming you may want to use as a "underlay". The idea behind the XREF is just that; you want to refer to the objects. Obviously, if you need to modify you have to open or ref edit as you did. Then when you go back to the main file you see the changes in the reference file. The power of this is seen in a multi user team, where work can be divided and many people can work simultaneously on the components of a project and everyone is hip to the changes as they happen

[ESchomberg]

This gets a bit confusing. So basically I am working on one drawing but it is split into two different files? Because the drawing that I have XREFED is the one I will be working on, changing, adding to etc. Which makes me wonder why I am xrefing the drawing at all. I think the reason I am xrefing the drawing is because it is someone else's drawing and if I open it directly into my system there may be conflicts between my settings, layers etc. and his settings, layers.... Am I even close to understanding this correctly?

[Pointdump]

Hey Erik,

"Which makes me wonder why I am xrefing the drawing at all."

Joe summed it up pretty well with "you want to refer to the objects".

Here's an example of how I've used Xref's. I've needed to stake out footings, so I'd Xref in the architect's floor plan or the structural engineer's footing plan, or both. That makes your drawing "lighter" and you can draw your stuff without messing with the original drawings.

Dave

[ESchomberg]

10-4..... So If I am simply working on someone else's drawing there is really no point in xref??

[doni49]

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@Joe-Bouza wrote:
Sure why not.
Notice in the message box the suggestion was assuming you may want to use as a "underlay". The idea behind the XREF is just that; you want to refer to the objects. Obviously, if you need to modify you have to open or ref edit as you did. Then when you go back to the main file you see the changes in the reference file. The power of this is seen in a multi user team, where work can be divided and many people can work simultaneously on the components of a project and everyone is hip to the changes as they happen

---

Not just multi-user.  I use XREFs even on projects where I'm the only user.

I create one file that is a copy of my survey.  I then delete everything that will be demolished in the Demo Phase.  Now I'm left with a file that represents the "post demolition" condition of the site (except for the contours).

That is referenced into all my other plan sheets.  Next I create a file called "Proposed".  I'm pretty sure that you can guess what's in this file:  My proposed features (curbs, eop, sidewalks etc).  This file is also referenced into all my plan sheets.  Now if the sidewalk needs re-aligned, I do so in my proposed dwg file and that change is reflected in all my plan sheets the next time I open them.

[jmayo-EE]

Just to add to the good advice already here, it is generally better to share AutoCAD data with Xrefs and Civil 3D data with Drefs.

[doni49]

Erik,

I think maybe it would be helpful for you if you were to take an Acad class or two.  Don't get me wrong I have no issue with you coming here for help understanding these things (and I'm certain that just about everyone else around here would agree with that sentiment).  But I think that you spend a lot more time trying to figure things out on your own and/or with the support of this forum and it most likely really slows down your progress on your projects.

I'm thinking that if you had a class that covered some of these basics, you'd probably get through your projects much more efficiently.

The problem with trying to learn it on your own is that you don't know what you don't know.  Meaning that in this case you didn't know to research XREF.

Just something to consider.

A lot of my own knowledge is from self-learning (sitting at the computer and just tinkering and seeing what the different tools did) but that was after I'd had a few classes under my belt.

[ESchomberg]

Yeah that would be nice. Problem is I work full time as a surveyor during the day. Don't think any schools around here teach it at night any more. Checked in to some online stuff(pretty expensive) and I don't know what you get, don't even know if there is an instructor involved to ask questions.

I have actually learned quite a bit by clicking and cursing and asking questions on here. I can draw boundaries and topos all day long but my friend just asked me to do a drawing that I have no experience with. Maybe I should learn to research first instead of solely relying on the forum when I get stuck.

[rl_jackson]

Although it would be on a self teaching basis, Autodesk University has a lot of training materials on-line of C3D as well as other programs that are quite useful, and offer some invaluable tips and tricks.

[doni49]

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@ESchomberg wrote:
Maybe I should learn to research first instead of solely relying on the forum when I get stuck.

---

That's NOT what I was saying.  By all means ask any questions you like -- that's what these forums are for.  And I'm sure there's someone out there who will eventually read your question(s) and learn something in the process.  That's also what these forums are for.

My point was only that having a class or two would help you with the basics so that you at least know what you need to self-learn.  This XREF issue was the perfect example -- you didn't know to research it until you had a need to use it.

I was just trying to help you get your work done more efficiently.  Do you have any vacation time available?  If so, maybe it would be worth taking a few days of it to take a class.

[doni49]

Erik,

Where are you located?

[ESchomberg]

Oh no.... I totally understand you are trying to help. Actually I have talked to the Cad instructor at our community college it was more of a sign up for semesters (very expensive) long term classes. They did not do short(week long) or night class stuff. And I have heard a couple of guys at work saying they wanted to learn but even our VOC schools here don't teach it anymore.

[ESchomberg]

Will look into that. I think time is my biggest problem with education. Work by day and draw surveys by night to try to get my money back out of the program.

I can definitely see where you would suggest classes I have been bombarding the forum for the last couple months. Most of that was because my old computer crashed and I ran into a lot of issues getting 2017 up and running. Most Cad users(like where I work at ....an engineering firm) do not even have to fool with all of the settings. They have more experienced techs that set everything up(all they have to do is use the program). And they always have guys in the office that can answer questions if they get stuck. I ask them things on occasion but they are mostly too busy to fool with me. However come Monday I am sure I can ask how to do a match line and sheet sets and they will show me because it's simple stuff. But If I asked them how to do an alignment and pipe network(at least the survey guys would be lost). I once asked the guy in the engineering Dept. to give me lessons for money but I don't think he was interested.

[ESchomberg]

Panama City Florida

[Pointdump]

Hey Erik,

"...clicking and cursing..."

That's always worked for me!

Keep doing what you're doing. I've learned lots from your threads.

RL's suggestion of Autodesk University is excellent. They are searchable special-topics and the hour-long classes are recorded and archived. I've watched dozens of them.

Dave

[ESchomberg]

Nice!!!! Do I just Google it? Or it's something you find within the program itself?? Speaking about "Autodesk university"