Xref Layer

[Anonymous]

How do you know what layer your Xref is placed on in ArchiCAD 9? How do you control that when you attach an Xref?

[Anonymous]

Skaman40 wrote:
How do you know what layer your Xref is placed on in ArchiCAD 9? How do you control that when you attach an Xref?

In ArchiCAD 9 all the layers of the xREF are added to your layer list and elements remain on their orginal layers. This allows you to control what you want to turn on and off, but it is a royal pain when there are several xREFs all adding their layers to the list, or just one civil drawing with its usual abundance of layers.

There is also the possibility to draw on these added layers which be trouble if you delete the associated attributes when detaching the xREF.

I believe that this is much improved in AC10 but I haven't checked it out yet (very soon though).

[Anonymous]

Thanks Matthew, I had a feeling that was the case.

[__archiben]

Matthew wrote:
I believe that this is much improved in AC10 but I haven't checked it out yet (very soon though).

nope. same same. i attached an XREF for the first time in about a year yesterday and discovered all the same problems - most notably the ability to use all XREFed attributes, not just layers - i was encountering back in london all those months ago. what seems to have been improved is the process of deleting those attributes (and thus really exaggerating the above problem!). i recall that they often didn't delete back in the day . . .

~/archiben

[Aussie John]

I find it useful to rename the xref file with "zz" at the start to put all the layers at the bottom of your layer list (and out of the way)

[Laszlo Nagy]

In the last couple of weeks I have been exchanging drawings with our HVAC engineer.
What I did about the XREF Layer abundance thing is the following:

1. Opened a DWG file in AC.
2. Saved it as PLN.
3. Used this new PLN as a Hotlinked Module in my Project File.
4. Repeated this with all other DWG files.

The result was that the engineer's layers appeared in my Project File only once.
Instead of new layers:

GROUND_FLOOR_WALLS
FIRST_FLOOR_WALLS
SECOND_FLOOR_WALLS

(which would be generated if each of these DWG files is attached as XREF),

I had only

WALLS

layer created in my Project File.

Worked quite well.

I even think that refreshing these DWGs may also be viable. I would just open the new version of the DWG file in AC, save it under the same named PLN (overwriting the previous instance), and refreshing the Hotlink of this PLN in my ArchiCAD Project File.

[Anonymous]

laszlonagy wrote:
In the last couple of weeks I have been exchanging drawings with our HVAC engineer.
What I did about the XREF Layer abundance thing is the following:

1. Opened a DWG file in AC.
2. Saved it as PLN.
3. Used this new PLN as a Hotlinked Module in my Project File.
4. Repeated this with all other DWG files.

I've been thinking about trying this myself. Thanks for the info. I'll have to give it a go.

[Anonymous]

I will try the PLN method too. But I really like the Unload/Reload function of the xrefs.

Thanks

[__archiben]

Skaman40 wrote:
I will try the PLN method too. But I really like the Unload/Reload function of the xrefs.

when dealing with consultants who use autocad i do too. the key is to understand just which specific information you require from them (an acad DWG is often issued as a layout (paperspace) and comprising more than one of your consultants own XREFed files). sometimes you even get your own information back.

if you can get them to issue you just the modelspace 'xrefs' that you need, and try to establish a file naming convention that works for both of you, there is no reason why you should have to do any cleaning up, etc. of their files at all. similarly you should create DWG publisher sets that contain the information and file naming that aids them when you issue your information back . . .

it does help - as i think someone has already mentioned - to either get them to name their files with a Z, or (as i do) prefix all of your layers with spaces/numbers/characters that ensure your layers automatically stay at the top of the layer list.

back in the UK we exchanged information with engineers sometimes up to three times a day - not having to do any 'cleaning' aided that process considerably.

~/archiben

[Anonymous]

I'm doing the clean up on the AutoCAD side, for our in-house engineers. They are using Autodesk Bldg Sys 2006.

We are working on a 700,000 sq. ft. 18 story building. I have 37 xrefs of just the ductwork alone to link into our ArchiCAD 9 model. So updating has to be easy.

I can automate the cleanup on the AutoCAD side. Converting 37 DWG files into PLN files is not something I can automate. At least to my knowledge.