xref alteration

Newbie here,forgive me if this has been answered elsewhere, however, I am trying to alter, unsuccessfully, an xref which has been sent to me.

When I double click on an item I just get that this is a locked file an un able to be edited.

 

How do I unlock the file so that I can edit it?

Do you still have the drawing open that it is xrefed into? Is the xref in another drawing that someone is working on? Is the xref drawing open in another folder?

Hi Dana,

 

Thanks for replying.

 

No I dont have access to the xref drawing other than the copy that was sent to me.

No one else is working on it.

No its not open in another folder.

Hmmmmmmm. I was searching for a solution on the forum and found

THIS THREAD

started on October 13, 2013 by someone using the ID of 6Tee7.

 

I am withdrawing from this discussion, without explanation.

Dana,

 

Firstly, let me appologise if I have offended you or done something against protocol. I am the same person with the same problem on a different project.

 

When I try to "clean up" the xref that has been sent to me I can remove some of the items but not alter the building components. They just all hi-light and I cant edit them.

 

I have read the link which you posted, however, I am afraid to make any changes to the program because I am scared it may make it even harder than it already is.

 

I guess I will just have to redraw the arch drawing from a paper copy.

 

Thanks again for your help

 

Regards

John

Not offended, it just appeared as though this thread was not legit, maybe that your ID had been hacked or something. It isn't often you see the same person post the same issue, almost exactly one year apart.

 

Are you attempting to edit the xref from within the main drawing, or do you have the xref open in it's own AutoCad session?

 

Close the main drawing and open the xref file itself. The xref file can have its own (nested) xrefs, as well.

 

You may be dealing with a couple of layers of nested blocks in that xref drawing. Select something, and see if Properties tells you if it is a block reference. If they are block references, Save As "My experimental xref.dwg" or something, and explode the blocks until you get to the level where you can erase or assign new layers to the things you need.

 

I know how difficult this is to deal with. I routinely am sent Architectural drawings that are somewhere north of 10 or 15 meg full of layers, custom hatches, and blocks for such things as lobby chairs, and parking lot curb & gutter, when all I need is a floor plan of the elevator lobby, and reception area.

 

You can always Save As... the xref as another drawing with a different name altogether, make changes at will, and xref that drawing instead of the original. There is an additional benefit in that. The architect could send another update, and it will not overwrite the existing new custom xref. So you get to compare the differences before some drafting manager saves all of the new ones right over the old ones without telling anybody. Yup, architects always show revision clouds and fully explain the changes very clearly. Yeah, right.

 

EDIT: I still don't know where from or why the "Locked" message is coming into this. There are only THREE ways to lock a drawing, by password protection, by having the same file open in another program session someplace, OR by having it saved or changed to READ ONLY in Windows.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Dana W

Shoot in the dark .

 

Check if the External Ref. is ready-only

Shoot in the dark .

 

Check if the External Ref. is ready-only

Oh, that's more than a shot in the dark. That is the first obvious thing I should have thought of. Last night Mr. Samuel Adams helped me forget that one.

 

There are two ways to get around that. One is to find the xref file in Windows Explorer, right click, click properties, and see if the Read only box is checked. If so, click it unchecked. You may need an Administrator userid to change it.

 

If the above does not work, Either call your IT administrator, or open the xref dwg ONLY, in autoCad, and save it as another drawing with a slightly different name, like EDIToriginal name.dwg, in the same folder. Then change which drawing you are xref-ing in to the main drawing. Don't change anything in the xref until you have the attachment name and path changed in the main drawing, it is just expedient to be careful. You want to be sure it affects the main drawing in the same way, before you begin to edit it.

 

As an aside, I am sure you are aware that AutoCad 2008 is notorious for getting bloated scale lists, and adding or changing xref paths seem to exacerbate the problem, so every now and again, go into Options > User Preferences > Default Scale Lists > Reset Scale lists. If you catch it in time, that will clean them up. Hopefully, you are not using 2008 any longer.

Edited November 2, 2014 by Dana W

Thanks for all the suggestions I will try them and let you know how I go.

 

Unfortunately I am still using 2008 on my laptop while I am meant to be having a "holiday" away from the office!

Triumph!

 

I am not sure how I have done it but I have achieved what seemed to be the impossible.

 

I saved the drawing under another name, as you suggested, purged it twice and then double clicked on the arch I wanted to edit and it took me to refedit. In that area I was able to edit and then save the changes and then rename the drawing.

 

Thanks for the help I wouldn't have got there without it.

 

Again, I appologise for any confusion previously.

 

I only use this resource when I am holidays(supposedly)

 

John

Triumph!

 

I am not sure how I have done it but I have achieved what seemed to be the impossible.

 

I saved the drawing under another name, as you suggested, purged it twice and then double clicked on the arch I wanted to edit and it took me to refedit. In that area I was able to edit and then save the changes and then rename the drawing.

 

Thanks for the help I wouldn't have got there without it.

 

Again, I appologise for any confusion previously.

 

I only use this resource when I am holidays(supposedly)

 

John

Glad to hear you got it worked out. It was more than likely simply saving it as another file that removed the read only lock.

 

Apparently you were taken to Refedit at that point because the "xref" has at least one xref attached of its own.

 

Nested xrefs and nested blocks, ya gotta love 'em.

 

Remember now, that should the sender give you an update of that original file, it will not overwrite the custom version you created, so keep that one. You will have to find a way to apply the updates yourself. On the other hand, if you renamed your file back to the original name, it will overwrite your changes, if you save it as the same name, so be careful how you save it or save as... when or if it comes in.

Dana,

 

I wont have to worry about any updates as all the arch are completed. They were just waiting for me to complete the mechanical so they can overlay it.

 

Thanks again for your wisdom.

 

regard

 

John