AutoCAD XREFs Explained! External Reference Tutorial & Must-Know Tips

[@Cadintentions]

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[@WaywardScooterGirl]

When it comes to binding an XREF, I'd add that it's a useful tool for saving out a revision. If you want to preserve the revision at a certain point in the design, save your file with another name ( I use Filename_Rev.1, Filename_Rev.2 etc.) and then bind all the external references. The design can then proceed, but the XREFs in the revision won't update because they've been bound in as a block. This is a workaround if you don't have any sort of product data management system that's performing these functions for you. Not every company, especially the smaller ones, do.

[@Cadintentions]

Yes! Definitely a great use case for binding XREFs! Thank you for the comment and process Thanks for watching too Cheers, Brandon

[@nexai_max]

Thank you, for the really long time of using AutoCAD at work, I finally learn something new :))

[@Cadintentions]

That's awesome! Always excited to share something new to experienced users:) Cheers and thanks for watching

[@pietervdberg7055]

Good idea to attach an X-ref on an X-REF layer

[@dartagnandebatz3304]

This exposition was so clear...Thanks Brandon!

[@Cadintentions]

Thanks! Glad you liked it and happy to help!

[@noveltycrusade]

this video is useful, thanks for that. Took a bit to wrap my head around X-references 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@gustavoportillo9492]

Excellent explanation

[@Cadintentions]

Thanks! Glad you liked it and thank you for watching/commenting!

[@WilberWiley]

Great video. Thanks You answered alot of my questions

[@Lisp_structural_designers]

Great work

[@user-ey5cc7ne9c]

Nice explanation

[@AhmedIsmail-mk2tu]

Thanks❤

[@user-jx4se3tk9v]

Like many, I've got multiple paper spaces representing drawings to have the same xrefed title block. I've yet to get each sheet to load a relative path .dwg title block. I find myself needing to insert the xref as many times as I've got paper spaces / drawings. Since 99% of all work done on Autocad requires a title block, I'd figure that this would have been made simple from day 1. I find autocad to lack intuitivity and it pains me to perform the same task multiple times. I also find it frustrating that there aren't any videos demonstrating this on youtube. Although this is an informative video and I learned things like layer freezing, I've yet to come across a video demonstrating the easy and automatic application of a title block on each paper space.

[@travel4work]

New subs here!👍

[@brinventor354]

I would like to use views as blocks from a Inventor dwg in my autocad drawing. I can place them via the disigncenter but keeping them updatet is very time consuming. Can I use xrefs for this?

[@zerazavr]

Hey, I would like to ask about x-ref selection on the drawing: sometimes it highlighted as blue selection and sometime as doted lines. How I can turn it off from doted lines to blue selection as on the video?

[@patriceedwards9620]

How do you edit an x ref? for example, If I clipped too much is there a tip for editing it instead of hitting undo ?

[@pashtoon3192]

Hello! Sir, do you teach online?

[@benjaminpaynter7550]

So if I get a .dwg file from outside of my organization and there are layers that are greyed out in properties and not showing up on the drawing, it may be that these are externally referenced layers and not being found because they aren't saved in the file, just referenced?

[@Cadintentions]

Yep exactly, it the layers are greyed out likely related to an xref

[@scpk2246]

Hi guys, how to make Model Space and Layout Space always look like a "Print Preview"? -this way we can always see the actual output - without always going to Print Setting to preview how it looks

[@drbookie2169]

when i detach and unload it still sits in the xref manager window thing. with red arrows on the both sides. why is it still there and not disappeared? how to make it gone?

[@drbookie2169]

all my layers are faded dark grey and those are set to print icon , should be g2g but those xref layers aretn showing up in print preview. Why? how to print the damn xref layers?

[@sergiovelaquez9355]

11:00 I dont have the okay or check mark option I got the an "X" option that is it. can someoen help

[@lolitabb88]

Is there a way to lock original file so noone can edit it?

[@drbookie2169]

what if i xref'd the wrong file, now i need to delete it all and purge all of it off this drawing file? aka how the fuck do i undo all this without using the undo arrow?

[@SidekickSam24]

right-click the file in the xref box and "detach"