How do I unlock Xrefs?

[Erika Epstein]

I received 5 dwgs that seem to be Xrefs with site information.
I am unable to edit them. Any element I select gives me the following message:

"this is an item of an attached Xref file and cannot be edited"

I have checked that the translator is set to editable and that all elements and layers are unlocked and ungrouped.
I've tried opening them in AC9 with the same results.


What am I doing wrong?
Do I need to instruct them to embed somehow, and if so please explain the correct terminology, the xrefs into a dwg so I can work with the elements?

Thanks in advance,
All help welcome,
Erika

[Link]

Erika, if you want to manipulate them, you'll need to 'Bind' them. Do that in the X-Ref Manager.

Cheers,
Link.

[Erika Epstein]

Hi Link,
Thanks, but I've tried binding and it didn't work. In 10 it crashed AC so I switched to AC9. Still no go.

This is the second time they have resent the files.
Are there any special instructions I should give them?
Or__?

[Link]

It's been a while since I've dealt with a situation like this, so someone else may be better to answer it for you. I remember there being a Pack'n'go command that worked quite nicely in AutoCAD.

Alternatively as a quick fix, you may have some luck simply inserting them as a Drawing (using the Drawing tool) and then exploding. Sounds nasty, but it may get the job done for now.

Cheers,
Link.

[Erika Epstein]

Packing,
that's the term I was looking for.

[Thomas Holm]

Erika,
when you recieve them you should Open, or Merge into an empty .pln, not Attach as Xref or insert as Drawing.

Then you can save a module for each Xref and re-link them to a Master if you like.

But you may not need that if you can see the file's contents.
- Unlock all layers
- Turn on Groups
- Select something (now the whole file should be selected)
- Turn off Groups
- Copy (now this will copy each indivdual item instead of the whole thing)
- Paste

Now you should have an editable copy of the dwg's content. Turn off the Xref by it's Master layer, and start editing.

[Anonymous]

Erika wrote:
I received 5 dwgs that seem to be Xrefs with site information.
I am unable to edit them. Any element I select gives me the following message:

"this is an item of an attached Xref file and cannot be edited"

I have checked that the translator is set to editable and that all elements and layers are unlocked and ungrouped.
I've tried opening them in AC9 with the same results.


What am I doing wrong?
Do I need to instruct them to embed somehow, and if so please explain the correct terminology, the xrefs into a dwg so I can work with the elements?

Thanks in advance,
All help welcome,
Erika

As Link stated you need to bind them. But before doing so make sure all layers are unlocked. If a layer is locked, it will not bind.

[Link]

Thomas wrote:
But you may not need that if you can see the file's contents.
- Unlock all layers
- Turn on Groups
- Select something (now the whole file should be selected)
- Turn off Groups
- Copy (now this will copy each indivdual item instead of the whole thing)
- Paste

Now you should have an editable copy of the dwg's content. Turn off the Xref by it's Master layer, and start editing.

Mark wrote:
As Link stated you need to bind them. But before doing so make sure all layers are unlocked. If a layer is locked, it will not bind.

Are you guys sure about this??

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

Link wrote:
Are you guys sure about this??

Cheers,
Link.

Actually, i just tested it. I am wrong. This use to happen to me in ArchiCAD 9. I just assumed it happened in ArchiCAD 10, but looks like it does not happen anymore.

Erka, i tried to recreate your problem without success. I can only think the problem is to do with how the dwg was originally saved, be that to do with version or not saved from AutoCAD but another cad package. You could try getting your consultants to supply the drawing as a completed bound dwg, no xrefs. Open the dwg in a new ArchiCAD instance and then this can then be hotlinked into your working ArchiCAD file.

[Erika Epstein]

Thom, Mark and Link,
I know it should have worked as Thom and Mark outlined, but no, that would have been too easy.
I had followed all the unlocking of layers etc that were suggested but most elements were still uneditable. I was able to successfully bring in the 5 dwgs as individual figures and exploding them per Link. Aligning each took forever, or at least seemed that way.


I requested a packed version but who knows when that will arrive. I did ask what version of autocad they have as this kind of problem hasn't reared its ugly head in years. Even bringing them in as library parts wasn't entirely successful...

In the meantime thanks for all your help and suggestions that led to success.