Xref!

[Amber D]

I feel silly.

I must admit, I’m self-taught when it comes to CAD, and I’m having a few problems with the xref. I’ve been all over the forum (where I learned everything I know about CAD- thanks everyone!), and still can’t figure out how to explode an xref-ed drawing. Could someone tell me (in extreme layman’s terms) how one would go about doing such a thing?

I saw a few promising threads, but the resolution given to them wasn't available to me (I think because I'm using such an old version)....

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Tiger]

I'd say Bind the X-ref and then Explode.

 

can't remember how it is in 2000 - but i'd guess you can right-click on the x-ref and choose Bind. Otherwise there should be a button somwhere.

 

And no reason to feel silly, better to ask and learn something new than be quiet and learn nothing

[skipsophrenic]

Should tell you how to do it in the autocad help file. (Try "Bind x-refs" as the search term.)

[Amber D]

Should tell you how to do it in the autocad help file. (Try "Bind x-refs" as the search term.)

 

 

I did the help thing, and where it sent me, it says I should select an xref, and click bind. The only problem is, I can see the xref, but my only option is attach (the rest of the boxes are greyed out?) When I click attach, it wants me to pick a file to attach it to.

 

In this sense, if I attach it to a different file, will it bind it to this file?

[Tiger]

Do you have multiple x-refs in the file? Can the one you want to bind be a nested x-ref? as in, x-reffed into a file first, that is in turn x-reffed to your file?

[Amber D]

Yes, there are multiple xrefs. Right now I'm doing the e-mail correspondence thing with the guy who sent me the file. He directed me the same way you all did, and I managed to click "bind" this time, but when it regens, after I close the xref manager, the command line says *Invalid*.

 

The guy I'm dealing with says that I would just have to explode twice to get over the multiple xref issue, but I haven't gotten that far yet.

 

As soon as I figure out how to attach a file, I will attach my step-by-step actions to get to the *invalid* in the command line.

[Tiger]

HAve you opened the file and done a Purge/audit? THat usually solves my Invalid-issues.

 

The other option is to avoid the X-ref issue alltogheter and just import it as a block and explode it then.

[Amber D]

HAve you opened the file and done a Purge/audit? THat usually solves my Invalid-issues.

 

The other option is to avoid the X-ref issue alltogheter and just import it as a block and explode it then.

 

What is this purge/audit you speak of? I haven't heard of it, but anything's worth trying! :wink: I can't upload the step-by-step, the file's too big, and it really doesn't show much.

 

The *Invalid* in the command line stumped the guy who sent me the file and was offering his help, so now I'm really at a loss....

[Tiger]

OPen the file. type the command PURGE and hit PUrge All repeatadly until you can hit it no more. THen type the command AUDIT and select Yes to fix any errors. THis mihgt take a while but be patient.

 

I hope this works the same in 2000 though...

 

Purge/Audit is something you should do with every file before you send it to someone, as well as on every file that you get sent to you.

[Amber D]

I did all of that. For PURGE, it gave me:

 

No unreferenced blocks found.

No unreferenced layers found.

No unreferenced linetypes found.

No unreferenced text styles found.

No unreferenced shape files found.

No unreferenced dimension styles found.

No unreferenced mlinestyles found.

No unreferenced plotstyles found.

 

For AUDIT it gave me:

 

96 Blocks audited

Pass 1 39 objects audited

Pass 2 39 objects audited

Pass 3 700 objects audited

Total errors found 0 fixed 0

[Tiger]

that is good, because then the file is good.

 

It's bad, because then that does not solve the problem.

 

HAve you tried just importing it as a block instead?

[dtkell]

It sounds like the x-ref you want to bind is attached to another drawing that is also an x-ref.

You need to go to that drawing, and make the x-ref an "overlay" (always a good idea). All you need to do to achieve this is double click on the word "attach" in the x-ref dialogue box and it switches to overlay.

Now you go back to the original drawing and either insert the drawing you just made into an overlay asa block or x-ref it and bind/explode. This achieves the same thing.

[Amber D]

yes, the xref contained an xref, apparently, according to the guy who sent it to me. All I have is this one file, sent to my company from an architect (who did not even draw it 1:1!). I'm not sure if you're saying to go back to the origional (which I don't have) or just go back to the file I do have and make it an overlay.

 

Tiger, I'm not sure how to make a block? Like I said, I'm self taught, and blocks aren't something I've learned. The CAD I do know I picked up doing the tutorials on this site, and for the most part I keep to the basics.

 

I appreciate you putting up with my lack of experience!

[Tiger]

No worries Amber D - we all start somewhere

 

Simply (because it's getting late here, and my brain can't do more than simple stuff) a block is just a DWG, any ol' dwg. The difference is that instead of importing it as a x-ref -you import it as a block. You should find it under Insert and then Block. Then it's pretty much the same dialogue box as with x-refs with scales and stuff.

 

Do you have both files? The file that the guys said was x-refed to it as well? What DTkell means is go to the file you have, and make sure all x-refs there are overlays (or if they are not loaded or missing, detach them)