How should I bring someone else's drawing into my CAD template: XREF, Insert, Copy???

[ChristopherVolosy]

We get drawings from other engineering firms.  I bring them into my CAD template drawing so I have all my settings. 

I don't know the best way to bring their drawings into mine.  Because we are finding errors when bringing in different ways.  I am learning a little about the UNITS: "FEET" vs "US SURVEY FEET".

I have tried bringing in a Proposed Site Plan CAD drawing different ways and gotten different results!!!  One drawing was UNITLESS.  When I did an INSERT it came in in a totally different location and a totally different scale likes scaled 24x from 0,0,0).  When I copied everything from 0,0,0 and pasted to 0,0,0 it came in what seemed to be OK in the "right" location.

Then I brought in an Existing Conditions Survey CAD.  I did an XREF and it came in 1.727' away from the "right" location.  But if I copied and pasted 0,0,0 it came in in the "right" location.  I found out that drawing was in "FEET" instead of being in "US SURVEY FEET".  When I changed it to "US SURVEY FEET" and saved and then XREF'd it in it came in the "right" location.  I was saying "right" because I wasn't sure which location was correct.  Verifying point coordinates I found out the "right" was the correct location.

I like using XREF because I can turn it all on and all off in one shot (one layer).  I don't like the copy/paste because if anything is Frozen or Off it will NOT copy, and sometimes I don't want to turn on EVERYTHING from another company because I don't know what all their excess layers are.  That is why I like INSERT because it inserts everything whether off or frozen.  But sometimes that doesn't work (as above).

Also is there a way to get an architectural drawing to insert into a CAD drawing at the proper scale?  It "usually" comes in at 12x the scale and I just scale it down.  But NOT ALL THE TIME (sometimes it is 1:1).  Is there any way for CAD to determine if a drawing's scale is different and bring it in in the correct scale?

[NateSarles]

There is a lot to unpack here... But for starters, my firm uses the Copy-Paste method combined with the Layer Translate tool. We will thaw and turn on all layers, copy everything, and paste to original coordinates in a temporary file. I will then translate all the layers and explode anything I don't want, bursting blocks and changing styles accordingly. Then I will purge that file, and finally I will copy and paste everything once more to the correct, and final, template file. Tedious but Can be done quickly with the right tools and processes.

I have also never seen an Architect be courteous enough to provide engineering scaled drawings.

[ChristopherVolosy]

Is your temporary file just opening a new drawing?  It scares me to unfreeze / turn everything on because companies sometimes use a lot of 'void' layers, and it's hard to sort through what layers they want to be used or ignored.  And we get CADs from several different companies all with their own standards. Especially when a company makes a "mistake" and drawing EVERYTHING under ONE LAYER!!!  And some companies will have like 10+ layer just for Drainage!!!

[brian.strandberg]

Typically I will follow this process when opening Civil 3d files from another consultant.

In the consultant drawing:

1) Purge Excess Civil 3d styles with the PURGESTYLES command.  Keep doing this until it returns 0 items to purge.

2) Then follow up and fully purge everything, blocks/layers/regapps everything.

3) Use the IMPORTSTYLESANDSETTIGS command to import our template.  Make sure you check the import settings button at the bottom left.

4) If I'm going to be working with this drawing for a while I will want to convert the layers to ours.  Depending on the scale of the issue I may use LAYTRANS, LAYDEL, LAYMRG.

[NateSarles]

I usually create a duplicate of my final drawing to use as a temporary.

If I get a file where everything is on layer "0" I step away from my desk, go get a shot of whiskey, and come back ready to face my demons... Or just tell the surveyor to do better lol

As far as not knowing what all the layers are, have you used the Layer Translator with the "Show Layer Contents When Selected" option checked? It's a game-changer... I will load my template file in the "Translate To" side that way my Template layers are all there and then just have the dialogue box off to the side and the window zoomed out to see the whole site and Bob's your uncle.

Its not a cure all, if there are stupid layers or whatever, it can still be a pain. I just don't have the luxury of not actually translating all the objects and layers to our styles as that is the procedure for my company.

[ChristopherVolosy]

So you work in their drawing? And import your stuff?

[NateSarles]

My muscle memory hits Ctrl+S too often to work in an OG file from someone else lol

[brian.strandberg]

Typically I will start with their drawing.  I keep a stock version.  I should add step 0, save it as something else.

This has worked well, copying the data to a new drawing won't fix any issues with layers or style weirdness, and this also won't fix any styles being used.  If this is important to your workflow you can use the Replace Style in the prospector which will swap out the styles being used with another one. 

One advantage of working on the file they sent is it eliminates any issues copying items to a new template.  If I document a process and say "Thaw and turn all layers on", someone will still miss this step.  This could result in missing objects that should be in the drawing but are not.

[AllenJessup]

As far as coordinates go. The only way you can define "Correct" in this case is whatever system you are using. You're doing the right thing by being careful to check what you bring in. One good place to start is opening the drawing you've received and seeing what coordinate system they have set. It might not be right but it may give you a starting point.

The Classic Insert dialog box has a check box for Locate Using Geographic Data. I never use it but it might be worth a try.

The Attach Xref has the same check box.

The mystery coordinate system is an old problem. The only way I know is to do the diagnostics you're using. unless you're only getting drawings from subs so you can tell what system you want the drawings in. There's not much else you can do.

The worst is when you get a drawing that has System X set in  the Drawing Settings but is either drawn in System Y or in no system at all. Sometimes all you can do is Move > Rotate > Scale or try to Align the drawings.

Whether we Insert or Xref depends on if we're going to have to edit Text Styles, Text Height, Blocks, etc or change a lot of layering so what we don't need.