|
| Insert toolbar:
|
|
| Insert menu: External Reference |
|
| Command line: xref |
The External Reference dialog box is displayed.
If you enter -xref at the command prompt, AutoCAD LT presents options on the command line.
XREF attaches, overlays, lists, binds, detaches, modifies the path of, and reloads other drawings as external references (xrefs) to the current drawing.
You can attach xrefs to create subassemblies that make up a drawing. You can overlay xrefs to check how your drawing relates to other drawings.
Attaching or overlaying an xref is similar to inserting an entire drawing as a block. The contents of the specified drawing, except for overlaid xrefs, are copied into a new block definition. Instances of the xref in the drawing are block references.
When you open or plot a drawing containing xrefs, AutoCAD LT automatically reloads the latest version of each xref.
Attaches, overlays, lists, binds, detaches, reloads, unloads, renames, and modifies paths to external references (xrefs) in the current (or host) drawing.
Displays a flat listing of the attached xrefs and their associated data. You can sort the list of references by name, status, type, file date, file size, or the saved path and file name.
Selecting any field highlights the xref name and selects the xref.
Displays a hierarchical representation of the xrefs, displaying the relationships between xref definitions. Tree view shows the level of nesting relationship of the attached xrefs, whether they are attached or overlaid, and whether they are loaded, unloaded, marked for reload or unload, or not found, unresolved, or unreferenced.
You can also use the F3 and F4 keys to toggle between list view and tree view.
Displays the Attach Xref dialog box.
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. Only the xrefs attached or overlaid directly to the current drawing can be detached; nested xrefs cannot be detached. AutoCAD LT cannot detach an xref referenced by another xref or block.
Marks one or more xrefs for reloading. This option rereads and displays the most recently saved version of the drawing.
Unloads one or more xrefs. Unloaded xrefs can be easily reloaded. Unlike detach, unloading does not remove the xref permanently. It merely suppresses the display and regeneration of the xref definition, to help current session editing and improvement of performance.
Displays the Bind Xrefs dialog box.
Displays the Select New Path dialog box, in which you can select a different path or file name.
Saves the path, as it appears in the Xref Found At field, to the currently selected xref.
Converts xref definitions to standard local block definitions. XBIND adds xref-dependent symbol table definitions, such as blocks, text styles, dimension styles, layers, and linetypes to the local symbol table. To bind a nested xref, you must also select the parent xref. There are two methods of binding xrefs to the current drawing, Bind and Insert.
Binds the selected xref definition to the current drawing. Xref-dependent symbol table names are changed from blockname#$#symbolname to blockname$#$symbolname syntax. For example, if you have an xref name RED containing a layer named BLUE, after binding the xref-dependent layer, RED$0$BLUE becomes a locally defined layer named RED$0$BLUE. The number in $#$ is automatically incremented if a local symbol table definition with the same name already exists. In this example, if RED$0$BLUE already existed in the drawing, the xref-dependent layer RED$0$BLUE would be renamed RED$1$BLUE. In this manner, unique symbol table names are created for all xref-dependent symbol table definitions bound to the current drawing.
Binds the xref to the current drawing in a way similar to detaching and inserting the reference drawing. Rather than being renamed using blockname$#$symbolname syntax, xref-dependent symbol table names are stripped of the xref name. For example, if you had an xref named RED containing a layer named BLUE, after an insert-like bind, the xref-dependent layer RED|BLUE would become the locally defined layer BLUE. As with inserting drawings, no symbol table name incrementing occurs if a local symbol table shares the same name as a bound xref-dependent symbol. The bound xref-dependent symbol would assume the properties of the locally defined symbol table name.
? / Bind / Detach / Path / Reload / Overlay / <Attach>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Lists the xref names, with path, and xref type, and the number of xrefs currently attached to your drawing. AutoCAD LT displays the following prompt:
Xref(s) to list <*>: Enter a wild-card pattern or press ENTER
Converts a block, making it a permanent part of the drawing.
Xref(s) to bind: Enter a name or a list of names separated by commas
The dependent symbols, such as layer names, of the former xref are added to your drawing. In each dependent symbol name, AutoCAD LT replaces the vertical bar symbol (|) with three new characters: a number (usually 0) between two dollar signs ($).
Erases all copies of a specified xref from your drawing, and marks the xref definition for deletion.
Xref(s) to detach: Enter a name or a list of names separated by commas
AutoCAD LT does not detach an xref referenced by another xref or block.
Displays and edits the path name associated with a particular xref. This option is useful if you change the location of or rename the drawing file associated with the xref.
Edit path for which xref(s): Enter an xref name
AutoCAD LT lists the xref and its existing path and prompts for the new path:
Xref name: Enter
the xref name
Old path: Enter the existing path name
New path: Enter the new path name
Reloads one or more xrefs. If another person is currently editing the xref, AutoCAD LT loads the most recently saved version.
Xref(s) to reload: Enter a name or a list of names separated by commas
If AutoCAD LT encounters an error while reloading, the XREF command ends and the entire reloading sequence is undone.
Attaches a drawing as an external reference (xref) overlay. If you reference a drawing that itself contains an overlaid xref, the overlaid xref does not appear in the current drawing. Unlike blocks and attached xrefs, overlaid xrefs cannot be nested. If another person is currently editing the xref, AutoCAD LT overlays the most recently saved version.
Xref to overlay <current>: Enter a file name or press ENTER
For more information about attaching xrefs, see Attaching and Overlaying Xrefs.
Attaches a drawing as an external reference (xref). If you reference a drawing that itself contains an attached xref, the attached xref appears in the current drawing. Like blocks, attached xrefs can be nested. If another person is currently editing the xref, the drawing attached is based on the most recently saved version.
Xref to attach <current>: Enter a file name or press ENTER
For more information on overlaying xrefs, see Attaching and Overlaying Xrefs.
At the Xref to attach or Xref to overlay prompt, you can also enter a tilde (~) to display a dialog box if FILEDIA=0; otherwise, the standard file dialog will be displayed.
If the xref (including the path) exceeds 31 characters, you need to assign a name different from the drawing name at the prompt using the following syntax.
Xref to attach: xrefname=referenced_file
To request a File dialog box, use the tilde (~) character.
xrefname=~
If the xref you specify is not already attached or overlaid, AutoCAD LT creates a new xref, using the name of the referenced file. AutoCAD LT then prompts for an insertion point, scale, and rotation angle, as described for the INSERT command.
When reading objects from the xref into the new block, AutoCAD LT copies only those objects created in model space and ignores objects created in paper space. Thus, viewports and other objects in paper space do not become a part of the block definition.
In a master drawing, the 0 and DEFPOINTS layers and the CONTINUOUS linetype override entries with the same name that exist in the attaching or overlaying xref. Any objects on these layers remain unaffected. If the DEFPOINTS layer exists in the attaching or overlaying xref but not in the master drawing, the DEFPOINTS layer becomes a permanent part of the master drawing.
Related Commands:
BLOCK creates a compound object (a block definition) from
a group of objects. INSERT places a previously defined
block or drawing in the current drawing. LAYER controls the creation and visibility of layers along
with layer settings. XBIND binds dependent symbols of an
xref to a drawing.
System Variables:
FILEDIA controls the display of dialog boxes used to read
and write files. XREFCTL controls the creation of the xref
log file.