AutoCAD Drawing Management & Output Latest Topics

refclose, not closingref!

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:05:36 +0000

So im editing a reference in place, and invoke REFCLOSE. everything is working fine. I save my changes, and expect to go back to the child drawing, but it seems im stuck in refedit still... i cant get around it... i end up with a lock on the file, even though the .dwl is deleted, and im the only user! this is the first time ive had this happen to me.... at least its not Friday afternoon.... but i guess being monday doesnt make it any easier!! :oops:

TEXT REQUIRED

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:33:55 +0000

I NEED TO TYPE TAMIL FONT HOW TO DO IN ZWCAD

Dynamic Blocks corrupted after a while of usage in ZWCAD

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:27:51 +0000

For context, I am using ZWCAD 2024 currently and I've created a dynamic block to be used in ZWCAD as an alternative to Multi-leaders to be an easier method to be able to DATAEXTRACT because my ZWCAD does not allow data extraction of MTEXT and MLEADERS unlike AutoCAD. I'd made the Dynamic Block to work exactly like a multileader would using, along with other parameters, Multiple Lookup Tables for rotating, extending and flipping the leader without affecting the order of text. That means they had to be created in licensed AutoCAD because ZWCAD's counterpart Flexiblocks do not have the LookUp parameter yet. The blocks worked normally as intended for a while on regular usage(working on, closing and reopening the file multiple times), but they stopped behaving like a dynamic block altogether suddenly after a few days on reopening the file. The blocks now seem to have been assigned different names by the software (*U15, *U16, and so) from its original name(m-Drawing M-Leader Block).
I have attached the files below:
Issue.dwg - File with the problematic Dynamic Blocks
MultileaderDynamicBlock.dwg - File with the original Dynamic Block

I have noticed this behavior with some other dynamic blocks in the files that I receive from consultants once in a while. Is this because of using dynamic blocks created in AutoCAD in ZWCAD? If yeah, why do they work perfectly for a while only to stop working all of a sudden? Is there a way to reverse this? I'd tried to replace the corrupted blocks with the original dynamic block reference, which would have itself been sort of a tedious task as there were so many instances in the drawing, but ZWCAD no longer recognizes the corrupted blocks as "blocks".

ChatGPT and other LLMs are of limited help, so please help a brother understand and, if possible maybe, correct this issue. Or is there an alternative to this?

Cheers!

Issue.dwg MulltileaderDynamicBlock.dwg

*A##### Blocks

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:06:10 +0000

Using ACAD 2010. All drafting is done in model space. Individual drawings are set up in paperspace. When I go to the first tab in paperspace, I put my engineers seal/signature on the finished drawing. I then CTRL-C my engineers seal/signature and go to the next tab and CTRL-V my engineers seal/signature on that drawing. Every time I go to a new tab, I have to purge the drawing because there will be hundreds of blocks in the drawing called *A#####. If I do not purge the drawing at every tab, I can CTRL-V my engineers seal/signature onto maybe 2-3 tabs then my computer runs out of memory. I them have to purge the drawing, save it, close it and reopen it.

This only happens when I am inserting an object into paperspace. I can work with the drawing for a week and I never get all these *A#### blocks. But as soon as I insert my seal/signature in paperspace I get all these #A#### blocks. FYI, my seal block is 54kB and my signature block is 84kB. It is irritating having to purge the drawing everytime I switch to a new tab .Any suggestions.

PDF TO CAD FILE

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:09:48 +0000

“Hi everyone, I want to convert a PDF file to a ZWCAD (DWG) file. Is there any good conversion tool for converting PDF to DWG? I already tried the PDF conversion option in ZWCAD, but the result was not accurate.”

FILE.pdf

SHX Text Not Editable in PDF

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:24:22 +0000

In ZWCAD 2026, our drawing uses isocp.shx font inside block attributes.
When exporting to PDF, the SHX text is converted to geometry and becomes non-editable in Foxit.
Is there any way to export SHX text as real editable text without changing the drawing font standard?

text issue.dwg

without sign 1.pdf

Blank DWG with a large file size...

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:52:40 +0000

Hey guys,

Ive got this blank DWG with a file size of 4MB... ive ERASE > ALL on all layouts, then PURGED a few times, i cant see any layer filters. The STATUS command says it has 241007 objects... but i cant find or get rid of them.

Can someone please take a look at this DWG and let me know how i can clear it out and reduce the file size?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40227213/Big%20Empty.zip

Uploaded to DropBox... the DWG was too big to attach to the post.

Thanks again.

Choose which attributes to display in Block Reference.

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:09:47 +0000

Hi
I have two attributes as fields which i dont want to show/display in the Block Reference window. See screenshot. How do I make them disapear there so you dont accidentally change them?

Kindly regards

Section marker.dwg

Dynamic block - align to viewport

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 01:37:38 +0000

Hi there,

I've created a dynamic block (multiple visibility states) but require it to 'align to viewport'. I have this option when turning MTEXT annotative, and when I first created the block before adding the visibility states, however once the visibility states are added the option to 'align to viewport will not work.

The block is to display a power pole. Regardless of the orientation of the window, I require the 'X' on the last option to always be an 'X', not a '+' when the UCS is changed to a 45 degree angle.

I have read this is not possible due to the block being dynamic, I have also looked at creating cogo point label styles however, I require all 3 of the above scaled for 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45m power poles which I'd rather have one block/multiple visibility states.

Apologies if what I have said does not make sense I am still very early into my civil3d career.

Appreciate any assistance.

Cheers,

Automating schedules, dates, etc. on the plot.

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 16:38:55 +0000

Hi,

Below is an example: how could this be automated, to get current date on the plot, automatically number the drawing and update the fields on this schedule instead of manually goig to each text block and typing?

Dynamic Block help

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:35:41 +0000

I am creating a dynamic block for our PPart (production parts) callouts on our drawings. It's an arrow with a line, a bubble on top of the line, and text inside that will say P62, P50, etc. etc. This is my first attempt at dynamic blocks.

From the top quadrant of the bubble to the bottom tip of the arrow I've assigned a Polar Stretch parameter so that way when it's inserted you can grab the grip at the top of the bubble and stretch it in any direction it's needed and it rotates around the arrow point.

My question is if there's a way to keep the text inside the bubble to always be horizontal. I guess it would need to rotate in the opposite direction as the bubble when it's being moved around? Or would I have to set it to be perpendicular or parallel to some point maybe? Any ideas?

MEP to PCF file for AUtoCAD Isometric WS

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:53:12 +0000

Im new to CADTutor, and fairly new to AutoCAD. I used to use Plant 3D which has the ability to create PCF's and Isometric drawings, but Im now using MEP. for the most part, a better solution for our company, but now we cant create isomtric shop drawings. AutoCAD now has Isometric WS CLoud. Any ideas how we can create a PCF file from an AutoCAD MEP 2013 drawing? its seems rediculous that it cant???

it seems like Isometric WS is real loser if you can only use with Plant 3D

Dynamic Block w/Rotation and Stretch

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 19:06:53 +0000

I keep running into the same issue with this dynamic block. I need to be able to both stretch and rotate it. But when I rotate it and then try to stretch it I don't get the results I want. As I experiment with the block I find that when I include what I think is needed AutoCAD reports that I have a circular reference in the block. ???

DynBlock101.dwg

Block Will Not Change Color

Wed, 03 Aug 2016 21:08:29 +0000

I have a pretty basic block (circle around a number, only used in paper space) that refuses to change color. If I go into properties and change the color to white, it continues to display as cyan. If I change the color via BEDIT (I've tried changing it to bylayer, byblock, and straight up white with this method), it still displays as cyan. I've also tried changing my plot settings to try and force it to print black; I found a way to do so with some tinkering, but that also makes most of my other colored blocks print as black -- and of course, I need these other things to print in color. I do not have this problem with this block in other drawings.

Also, I would like to leave the block in tact if possible -- no exploding -- else I'll have many, many little circles that need to be exploded and changed manually. It seems like this should have a very simple solution, but I can't figure it out.

Any ideas on how I can fix this very frustrating issue? Thanks!

paperspace/wireframe issue

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 22:32:02 +0000

I draw my drawings in model space, but when I go to paper space, the viewport is in landscape mode and I need portrait. I was able to change it to portrait but now the wireframe (?) is still in landscape mode and I can't get it to change. In addition to that, what I see in my viewport some of my text and titleblock info doesn't show up but it does in model space. I have never had these issues before. I am using autocad 2022.

Searching multiple dwg files for text

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 18:56:03 +0000

I'm looking for a program that will search across multiple files and directories for particular words in our dwg files. I don't want to replace the words, just locate the files that contain them. We have a huge library of dwg files for repeat customers and engineers. We often waste time looking for details we used previously for a customer. If we could just do a search of the dwg files for say "Jones Contracting" or "formliner" or "Cumberland County" and get of listing of the dwg files that contain that text, what a wonderful world this would be! Help!?!

Dynamic block - Lookup table for visibility states - not working

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 11:13:58 +0000

Can someone please do a check on why the lookup tables are not working.

I have 2 states in there at the moment. 1 arrow and 2 arrows.

But when I test using the grips , it doesn't work.

Test3.dwg

Replace/Redefine Block Removing Attributes

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:25:35 +0000

First off I want to say thanks for allowing me to join in this exchange of knowledge on this forum.

I'm working with some "dirty" blocks that contain several attributes. I've cleaned the blocks up by wblocking, cleaning, & purging the newly created block. I also removed any attributes within the file, including those within blocks within the file. I then renamed the file and inserted it into the drawing, and did a replace block with another through express tools. The problem that I have is the blocks are replaced with the clean version, yet the attributes remain. Is there a solution to this. I do not want any attributes to remain and the only way I know how to fix it is to replace them one at a time. Thank you for your help.

Also, I'm using AutoCAD 2004.

Array Path stretch issue

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:12:25 +0000

Hello, I seem to have come across an issue with array path, I am using a straight line as my path and when I stretch it in any direction the objects rotate.

I intend to include this in a dynamic block, but I have to prove the concept first. This is for a spiral stairway; I have found a way to make AutoCAD do the required calculations but cannot find a way for the path array to be altered without having an issue.

I have done this in Autodesk inventor, however we have very few licenses for it, most of which are being used by engineers.

Attached is a "Basic" example of the path array.

Path Array Sample.dwg

Impossible to change attribute text size within dynamic block

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:31:56 +0000

I regularly use the attached dynamic block but have a big issue in that I cannot control the attribute text size without having to explode and then individually edit every bock.

The attribute is defined with a unique text style and was hoping to use that to control but this does not work, nor does trying to use annotative elements.

I tried making the text style annotative, the block it is part of and the dynamic block that contains the sub blocks - no luck.

Is there a solution to this?

Beam.dwg

Binding Drawings with XREF

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:56:24 +0000

hi folks

It been sometime

here is the problem that i have. i need to send a drawing out to a clent of our's. it has a XREF with it . so here what i do. open drawing, purge it, go to xref manger highlite the referrence, right click, hit bind, Bind Xref/DGN underlay window comes up check bind hit ok it go thur it stuff. the xref disapear from the drawing but it still shows in the xref manger with a coment on the command line that say : Error : at least one of the specified xref failed to bind for an unknown reason. so what steps am i missing, could be a easy fix. all help is well come

thank you for the support

brl2008

text field

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 06:43:51 +0000

dear all i have text as PROPOSED & EXISTING WATER CROSSING AT CH 81+137.23 & CH 21+152.45 and i want to take part of Thes text as name of title CH 81+137.23 & CH 21

i think as field but i can't doit can you help me

Working with point cloud data in AutoCAD

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 20:27:58 +0000

I am working with point cloud data in AutoCAD and facing difficulty cleaning unnecessary points. When using crop or section tools in top view, the ceiling and floor points also get removed. Is there a way to create a true limit box, similar to Trimble RealWorks, that allows selective cleaning?, i can only use autocad, it is a assignment

.DXF files not showing up

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 20:21:28 +0000

Hello, I have AutoCAD LT and created a new template this week, but I'm having an issue when saving .dxf files to be sent to our laser cutter.

When the drawings are converted from inches to mm and saved, they are over 2000 KB, and the drawings do not appear on the laser computer. Our usual file size after converting and saving is around 200 KB.

I am able to save the same drawings in our previous templates and send them to the laser, no problem.

I have done PURGE, AUDIT, and selected all to make sure there are no unaccounted-for objects. All the save and plot settings under OPTIONS match up with the template that saves the .dxf correctly.

What am I overlooking? An issue that occurs when adjusting the DWGUNITS? A preference for saving formatting?