Saving nested X-Refs

[Matthew Johnson]

The ability to overlay and attach dwg X-refs to ArchiCAD projects is great but can anyone let me know of a method to publish DWG files with the X-refed files saved as nested x-ref references rather than as if they were bound in the main file?

We use the x-refs to display civil and landscape information from our consultants in our drawings without having to redraw all the linework. Our consultants are getting frustrated however by having their linework sent back to them bound in a dwg file they then have to clean up before they can use.

[Thomas Holm]

Matthew wrote:
Our consultants are getting frustrated however by having their linework sent back to them bound in a dwg file they then have to clean up before they can use.

I'm not sure, but firstly, there's a difference in Archicad between "attached" and "overlaid" XREFs. You may want to investigate that. In the Attach dialog, point at this line and right-click to get at the context-sensitive help, and read.
I've been advocating for a long time that it would be nice to have the master file store just a pointer to the XREF, and not binding in the whole thing, but I think they've have had problems doing that because of Archicad's database nature, as opposed to Autocad's being basically graphic.

However, there's an easy workaround. Create and save a viewset for export with a layer combination where all the xref's layers are off . Use this view when exporting, and export "visible layers only". This will give your consultants what they want.

[Matthew Johnson]

Thanks Thomas for the advise. I agree with you that the master file storing just a pointer reference to the x-ref would be a far more logical and cleaner approach. We have recently started doing just as you suggested however the x-refs aren't referenced in the published file.

As an example;
Civil engineer A sends roadway drawings with driveways shown which Architect B x-refs into the architectural site plan so as to not have to redraw driveways for 50+ houses in a development. Architect B then wants to export the new site plan with Architectural linework and references to the Civil engineer's driveways so that Landscape Architect C can see the combined drawing without having to setup the whole x-ref tree from scratch.
Using the method as proposed the Architect B has to rely on Landscape Architect C creating the x-ref relationships in exactly the same way. Beacause of this we have been sending two files each time we export, one with the x-refs bound to show the final relationships and one without the x-refs for use as an x-ref overlay.