Xref Clipping

After attaching a drawing as an external reference, you can define a clipping boundary by entering the xclip command. Defining a clipping boundary enables you to display only a portion of an external reference and suppressing the display of geometry outside the boundary. Clipping applies to an individual instance of an external reference, not the external reference definition itself. The portion of the external reference within the clipped boundary remains visible, and the remainder of the external reference becomes invisible. The referenced geometry is not altered, only the display of the external reference is edited.

You can use xclip to create a new clipping boundary, delete an existing boundary, or generate a polyline object coincident with vertices of the clipping boundary. Xref clipping can be turned on or off. When a clipping boundary is turned off, the boundary is not displayed and the entire external reference is visible, provided that the geometry is on a layer that is on and thawed. When a clipping boundary is turned off, it still exists and can be turned on. However, deleting a clipping boundary is permanent.

After an external reference has been clipped, it can be edited, moved, or copied just like an unclipped external reference. The boundary moves with the reference. If an external reference contains nested clipped external references, they appear clipped in the drawing. If the parent external reference is clipped, the nested external references are also clipped.


TIP You can also partially hide blocks using the xclip tool.


To define a rectangular clipping boundary

  1. Type xclip and then press Enter
  2. Select the xrefs and/or blocks you want to be affected by the clipping boundary. All selected xrefs and blocks highlight.
  3. Press Enter to complete the selection.
  4. Press Enter twice to accept the default options (create a new boundary and delete the existing boundary).
  5. Choose Rectangular from the context menu.
  6. Define the first corner of the clipping rectangle.
  7. Define the second corner of the clipping rectangle. The selected external reference(s) and/or block(s) are clipped by the rectangle.

TIP Alternatively you can first select all blocks and/or external references, then right click and select Xref Clip from the context menu.


To define a clipping boundary using a polyline

  1. Type xclip and then press Enter
  2. Select the xrefs and/or blocks you want to be affected by the clipping boundary. All selected xrefs and blocks highlight.
  3. Press Enter to complete the selection.
  4. Press Enter twice to accept the default options (create a new boundary and delete the existing boundary).
  5. Choose Select Polyline from the context menu.
  6. Select the polyline to use as clipping boundary

Other options for the xclip tool are:

Option Effect
On Activates all clipping boundaries in the drawing.
Off Switches off all clipping boundaries.
ClipDepth (3D only) Defines the clipping depth.
Delete Deletes the clipping boundary for the selected objects.
Generate Polyline Creates a polyline from the current clipping boundaries.
New Boundary Defines a new boundary. If a boundary already exists for the selected objects you are prompted to delete the current boundary.

If you want to see the clipping boundaries, you can turn on the xclipframe system variable. xclipframe determines whether the clipping boundary frame is displayed. When the clipping frame is on (set to 1), it can be selected as part of the object and plotted. To control the display of the clipping boundaries: type xclipframe and press Enter; choose On or Off from the context menu to toggle the display of the clipping boundaries. Clipping boundaries are moved, rotated and scaled along with the object


Clipping boundaries are moved, rotated and scaled along with the object


Example of an external reference clipped by a clipping boundary. The clipping boundary is the rectangle in the top view.

 

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Attaching external references

Changing the path for external references

Detaching external references

Overlaying external references

Reloading external references