VISRETAIN not enough

So, I gotta run something by you guys, to see if there is something I'm missing.

My setup goes like this; I have drawings A, B and C. They are all x-refed into drawing M. Then drawing M is xrefed respectivly into Q, X and Y. And the Q, X and Y drawings are the ones that I plot.

In drawing M I have VISRETAIN set to 1 because that's where I do all the work so I want it to look the same from day to day.

In drawings Q,X,Y I want to have VISRETAIN set to 0 so that I can set everything up in drawing M and then just use SSM and plot and trust that Q,X and Y (mostly) looks like I want it.

Now the problem - it doesn't work like this. If I unload A,B or C in drawing M then they stay unloaded in Q,X and Y so that's fine.

But the specific layers of the xreffed drawings A,B and C that I freeze in the drawing M are not freezed in Q, X and Y drawings.

So I have to go in separatly in the drawings Q,X and Y and freeze layers, which makes it both take a lot of time and it increases the chances that I don't freeze the same layers and the drawings Q,X and Y don't look the same.

Does anyone know how to solve this problem? Or do I just have to deal with it?

Maybe try changing the attachment type from 'Attach' to 'Overlay' (or vice versa)

Why not just set everything up in drawing M how you wish to finally print them out?

Once you are happy with them, goto Q, X and Y to detach and then re-attach drawing M.

Surely that would achieve your desired results ?

Maybe try changing the attachment type from 'Attach' to 'Overlay' (or vice versa)

in the M drawing? doesn't really work - the A,B anc C drawings need to be x-reffed along to Q,X and Y. Or in Q,X and Y? will try.

Why not just set everything up in drawing M how you wish to finally print them out?

Once you are happy with them, goto Q, X and Y to detach and then re-attach drawing M.

Surely that would achieve your desired results ?

Would it? I'll try it.

Would it? I'll try it.

I just tried my earlier suggestion, but it didn't work

I just tried my earlier suggestion, but it didn't work

And it doesn't make a difference if I use Overlay or Attachment.

just a wild idea not sure if it'll work but try inserting a, b, c as blocks into M and try using the _Layoff express tool.

After quite a thorough search via google; it seems that either 1 of 2 options would be the best way to go:

1. use of Layer States

2. Xref in A, B, C, and M separately into each of Q, X and Y

That would be a good idea Skipso - but I gotta keep them as X-refs - these things change all. the. time.

So Layer States is the way to go then....can I set up one in M.dwg and then just use it in Q,X and Y?

So Layer States is the way to go then....can I set up one in M.dwg and then just use it in Q,X and Y?

Hopefully so yes; but remember to document the Layerstates onto a non-printable layer in your drawings (and also possibly xref M)

Yeah...and you can export a layer state to another drawing.

i agree with both NBC and AVITWeb.

I can't seem to get the Layer States to come with M.dwg into the Q,X and Y drawings - and I have the "don't show x-refs layer states" box unticked - is there something else I need to do?

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Tiger, I just got it to work using LayerStates.

You need to work as you would normally in file M; once you are happy with the look and feel of the drawing (including the attached xrefs A, B and C) make a new Layer State. Save your drawing M.

Go to Q, X or Y. If your xref M is already attached, launch Layerstates, and restore the Layerstate that you created whilst in drawing M. This should restore all the layers to how you had set them up in drawing M.

When restoring the layerstate, try to ensure that:

1. "Don't list layer states in Xrefs" is unticked.

2. "Turn off layers not found in layer state" is unticked.

I follow your instructions NBC, but the Layer State I create in M is not showing up in Q,X or Y. What I think is the difference is that in Layer State manager in M, on the new layer state I have created the "same as DWG" is per default set as Yes in my new layer states, and I can't get it to change to No (which all the other states are set as) - could that be the culprit? Anyone know how to change it?

could you post a screenie of what you mean please, as I'm not sure.

sure, here's my Layer States Manager in M.dwg - but I just noticed that the CTN-layer state that I created yesterday is set to No in the 'same as dwg'-column and that still doesn't come along to the Q, X and Y-files

That column you refer to, only tells you what layer state is set to be current.

If you select CTN_STATE, and click on Restore, you should see Yes in that column next to CTN_STATE.

Do any of the other Layer States within that image migrate across to Q, X or Y ?

here's one from Q - the ones that are transferred from x-refs into M are transferred along to Q - but nothing else.

Is xref M attached or overlaid into Q ?