AutoCAD XREF Tips & Settings: Overlay vs Attach + More! - External References | 2 Minute Tuesday

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Brandon here back with another new video!
In today's video we are taking a look at xrefs or external references in AutoCAD and how to properly set them up when inserting into drawings.
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[@dalskiBo]

CAD Intentions - awesome name - thanks for vids

[@SilverSibeMetals]

Thanks for the easy to understand guide on the different options for XREF.

[@SinCity4o1]

This helps a lot, I am a structural draftsman and designing an additional extension to a previous plan using xref works beautifully.

[@kevinrush4411]

I would rate this video as Basic intro to XREF.

[@davidfisher4007]

Great info. Thanks Brandon.

[@caddood]

I work at a mech duct shop as a detailer. I received a binded (xref attached) dwg where the arch background glows brightly anytime I hover over it. It is real distracting and I need to make it not highlight (glow) when I work over it. How do I do that?

[@Cadintentions]

totally! You can turn off those highlights or change the settings to another effect depending which version of Autocad you have These To get the legacy selection and preselection effects: change the values to 0 for SELECTIONEFFECT and PRESELECTIONEFFECT on the command line www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-change-the-highlighting-of-selected-objects-in-AutoCAD.html

[@mdabunayeem5560]

Xref Attachment: Example: Imagine you have a base plan (Drawing A) with an attached Xref for plumbing (Drawing B). Drawing B itself might reference another Xref for valves (Drawing C). If you then Xref Drawing A into a new project drawing (Drawing D), both the base plan and the plumbing (including the valves) will be included. Xref Overlay: Example: Using the same scenario, if you overlay Drawing B (plumbing) into Drawing A (base plan), only the plumbing elements from Drawing B will be visible. The valves referenced within Drawing B won't be included in the final display of Drawing A.

[@seanbrown7659]

Hi Brandon, great video! Aside from the nesting difference, is there a practical difference between overlay and attach? The documentation says overlaid XREF's work "without changing your drawing by attaching an xref." In what way does attach change your drawing that overlay doesn't? My main concern is performance and drawings getting bogged down. If attach tends to slow drawings down more than overlay, I might opt to overlay even where nesting makes sense just for the performance gain. I hope my question makes sense. I've tried searching for answers to this question but everything on the topic of attach vs overlay is just about the nesting/non-nesting difference.

[@ashleyrosso3345]

Thank you! 😁

[@juliesmith7993]

Well, the overlay option is exactly what i need to do. 🙂 what layer do you put the xref on, and, how do you make the box around the xref disappear?

[@ALFURQONTAWABI]

Nice sir ,very helpful

[@Cadintentions]

Awesome, glad it helped!!:)

[@AF-td2jf]

I work as a Fire AlarmCAD operator. Definitely would like to sign up for your classes. Would i be able to reach out to you if i had any inquiries if any kind? Also do work or have any Videos with Autolisp?

[@lesliegolden9285]

brandon my polyline grips dont go where I want them to as I adjust them - the entire polyline contorts radically do you you have any 1 to 1 services. willing to pay Thanks

[@solarwinds-]

Hi Brandon, We work in a server environment & work on our drawings off of a server. I don't know what you mean by a circular reference, so when you explain why one should use an overlay instead of attachment, I dont understand the concept. We always use attachment so that if the reference gets changed, it will change in the whole set of drawings which can be as many as 100 or 200 sheets.

[@EXA054]

Hi there... how do I manage that Dimentions that I took from an XRef keep unchanged once I update the XRef? Actually I loose most of them on the update :(

[@noveltycrusade]

Useful !

[@javierlozano2750]

Hi Brandon, thanks for your video. This is Javier from Colombia (South America). I'm an engineer, not an architect, but I draw in autocad plans that involve both, electrical (light fixtures, outlets, etc) plus some civil stuff (walls, doors, windows) and some times appliances (AC units, microwaves, dishwashers) and even furniture ; plans that are mainly for our technicians to understand better the electrical work to do. However, my plans look sometimes messy because I have not proper rules to use lines' thickness, transparency and even the right colors. When I compare my plans to plans done by architects, those look so different !! They use the right thicknesses, colors, hatches, transparencies, etc. Question : ¿ where I can find tips to make my plans better ?

[@chrisb3927]

Hi Javier, I am an architect and yes, we pay attention to line thicknesses, line colors, etc. The plan checkers and the contractors can that way read the intention of the architect's graphic representation. There are quite a few tutorials on KZbin about line thickness, line colors, and plot styles.

[@denisegalvin9002]

This was great. Thank you

[@ailyncampillan1718]

Thanks

[@Cadintentions]

Not a problem! Happy to help

[@GerryJ08]

Hi Brandon. So when I need to send my floor plans to the electrical, mechanical and structural engineers, is it best to bind the drawings? send the drawings along with the xref's or send the dwg floor plans as I have been doing? Thanks again for a great time saving tutorial. Cheers. Gerry J.

[@4OHz]

The best way is to eTransmit. Doing so looks at all files associated with the given file you want to send: xrefs, pdfs, jpegs, plot table. Then you can associate or disassociate any file or filetype you want to send. This gives the end user the best options to decide what they may or may not need.

[@omaralejandroramirez8209]

Very useful video

[@ferlyneaclan5568]

Hi! I am using templates for our layouts but we usually edit the details manually. How can I lessen the manual editing like for date and time?

[@liamconners8327]

I just recently help set this up for the designers at the company I work for. Simply put , the sheet template file needs to live separately (in model space) as a drawing. This drawing should then be linked to every sheet in your production drawings. It works wonders especially with drawing sets holding a lot of drawings..

[@d.c.broadstone2603]

Good video. How do I update changes to the exref?

[@Cadintentions]

Xrefs can be updated by going to the your external references panel and right clicking on a reference and choosing reload. You can also select the reference within the model space, and right click and choose reload there.

[@peanutbutter5463]

Can you do a video on how to evenly space and align objects? I am sketching the elevation on a main girder with symmetrical detail.

[@Cadintentions]

Definitely! I'll add it to my list. I do have a few on aligning object and spacing too. These may help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJuscoJ-qp6Sq9U kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4q1Xn6ohNSFlcU Cheers!

[@user-mh4tr8df9t]

That was useful.

[@d.c.broadstone2603]

Where is the layer management for exrefs? So I can turn of everything but the floor plan.

[@shafivazhayil6889]

Hi brandon , When i attach file. it will move far away. What is reason?

[@efratademssie5747]

How to minimise line when it is out of border

[@Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm1984]

Much better at speed 1.5x

[@icsaar99]

Thanks