AutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 168 - Chapter 23 External Reference FilesAutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 169 - External Reference Files Overview 23.1 Attaches, overlays, lists, binds, detaches, reloads, unloads, renames, and modifies paths to external references (xrefs) in the current (or host) drawing. 1. Choose Insert, External Reference... or 2. Click the Xref Icon from the Reference Toolbar. or 3. Type XREF at the command Prompt. Command: XREF The following are Xref characteristics: -An external reference file is known as an “Xref”. -Current drawing contains only a “pointer”, the path and filename, to the Xref. -The current drawing does not increase much in size when it contains an Xref. -The Xref is reloaded each time the current drawing is loaded, thus always showing the latest revision of the Xref. -Xrefs import their linetypes, layers, text styles, dimstyles, views, ucs’s, vports, and blocks into their current drawing. -Each Xref named object is prefixed with the xref drawing name and a pipe “|” symbol. (i.e. HOUSE|A-WALL for drawing house.dwg and layer a-wall) - Xdep stands for external reference dependent objects. - Xref’s layers can be turned on/off in the current drawing. - Layer zero(0) resides on layer zero(0) of the current drawing. - Xrefs can be bound to the current drawing, in which case they become blocks.AutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 170 - -Xref layers cannot be made current the the drawing they are xreferenced into. - Xrefs can be snapped to. -Xref entities cannot be individually modified in the current drawing. -Xrefs can be plotted. -Xrefs can be detatched from the current drawing and will disappear. -The current drawing pointer, file and pathname can be changed. -Xrefs can be re-loaded during the current drawing session. -Xrefs can be nested. -Xrefs can be clipped to show parts of the reference files.AutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 171 - Attaching Xrefs 23.2 Attaches, overlays, lists, binds, detaches, reloads, unloads, renames, and modifies paths to external references (xrefs) in the current (or host) drawing. 1. Choose Insert, External Reference or 2. Type XATTACH at the command prompt. or 3. Click the Xref Attach Icon from the Reference Toolbar. 4. Choose a drawing name to attach. 5. Specify the insertion parameters.AutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 172 - Xref Layers 23.3 Layer Dialog Box -Each Xref named object is prefixed with the xref drawing name and a pipe “|” symbol. (i.e. HOUSE|A-WALL for drawing house.dwg and layer a-wall) -Xdep stands for external reference dependent objects. -Xref’s layers can be turned on/off in the current drawing. -Layer zero(0) resides on layer zero(0) of the current drawing. -Xref layers cannot be made current the the drawing they are xreferenced into.AutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 173 - Clipping Xrefs 23.4 Defines an xref or block clipping boundary and sets the front or back clipping planes. 1. Choose Modify, Clip, XRef or 2. Click the Xclip Icon from the Reference Toolbar. or 3. Type XCLIP at the command prompt. Command: XCLIP Select objects: Other corner: 1 found Select objects: pick reference file ON/OFF/Clipdepth/Delete/generate Polyline/ <New boundary>: Specify clipping boundary: Select polyline/Polygonal/<Rectangular>: First corner: Other corner: pick corners Defining a Clipping BoundaryAutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 174 - Xclipframe controls visibility of xref clipping boundaries. 1. Choose Modify, Object, External Reference. or 2. Type XCLIPFRAME at the command prompt. Command: XCLIPFRAME 0 Clipping boundary is not visible 1 Clipping boundary is visible Turning xclip frame on/offAutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 175 - Binding Xrefs 23.4 Converts Xreference files to block definitions in the current drawing. Associ- ated objects change names (i.e. the layer called HOUSE|A-WALL becomes HOUSE$0$A-WALL). Binding looses the connection to the referenced file. Xrefs can also be inserted like Wblocks. To Bind an Xref: 1. Choose Insert, Xref Manager 2. Choose an xref name. 3. Choose the Bind option. 4. Choose Bind or Insert. 5. Choose OK.AutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 176 - The XBIND command is used to bind layers, blocks, linetypes, styles, and dimstyles of an attached xref without binding the entire xref. 1. Choose Modify, Object, External Reference, Bind... or 2. Click the Xbind Icon from the Reference Toolbar. 3. Type XBIND at the command prompt. Command: XBIND Block / Dimstyle / LAyer / LType / Style:AutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 177 - Editing Xrefs (Xref Manager) 23.6 Detaching Xrefs Detaches one or more xrefs from your drawing, erasing all instances of a specified xref and marking the xref definition for deletion from the symbol table. 1. Choose a drawing name to detach from the Xref Dialog. 2. Choose the Detach option. Unload an Xref Unloads one or more xrefs. Unloaded xrefs can be easily reloaded. Unlike detach,unloading does not remove the xref permanently. It merely sup- presses the display and regeneration of the xref definition, to help current session editing and improvement of performance. 1. Choose a drawing name to unload from the Xref Dialog. 2. Choose the Unload option.AutoCAD 2D Tutorial - 178 - Reload an Xref Marks one or more xrefs for reloading. This option re-reads and displays the most recently saved version of the drawing. 1. Choose a drawing name to reload from the Xref dialog. 2. Choose the Reload option. Opening Xrefs to Edit 1. Choose Modify, Xref and Block Editing, Open Reference. or 2. Choose Modify, Xref and Block Editing, Edit Xreference in Place. 3. Edit the objects as desired. 4. Save the edits with