Sporadic block visibility/xref problem - have you had this issue?

[c.prettyman]

We're having a little issue with blocks, and we're trying to narrow it down a bit - it's one of those annoying things that happens sometimes but not others, and we haven't figured out why, yet. I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this:

We have a number of standard annotation blocks - detail and section callouts, etc. They are annotative, and (typically) dynamic.

When placed in a model file they don't always show up in a sheet file when xreffed in.

It's not the obvious possibilities - not having the appropriate scale, or being on a frozen layer. Those things also happen from time to time, but they are easily fixed user errors. There is some other thing happening, which is what I'm working on.

If we purge the model file, and then reload the xref, that will fix it, at least for a while.

We have not determined (yet) if it's always annotative blocks, or always dynamic blocks, or always annotative dynamic blocks, although we're trying to determine if any of those conditions are required. Most of our projects are using the sheet set manager, so it could also be related to having placed the callout, or the view through SSM. Again, we're still trying to narrow it down.

So, has anyone seen something similar? If so, have you found a cause?.

[irneb]

Usually I find this happening due to the AnnoAllVisible variable. I generally set it to 0 for layouts and 1 for model space. That "usually" fixes the problem.

Otherwise it sounds as if there's an error in the DWG/Block. Please note with DB's redefining blocks from another DWG could screw them up. If you use Insert or Design Center to redefine, you also need to immediately issue a BEdit, BSave & BClose so the existing DB references are updated correctly.

Even if you copy-n-paste a DB from one DWG to another (without the redefine) it could break the DB (only the ones you're copying) if the definitions between the DWG's are different. In which case 1st do the redefine as above, then do the copy.

[phaedra]

I have been having this issue too, but it's just with certain text and leaders, not blocks. Non are annotative, and I've messed with the ANNOALLVISIBLE settings, to no avail. In the past, if I went in to the xref file and audited it and saved it and then reopened the host file, that would usually do the trick (temporarily). Now that doesn't seem to be working. I've searched through many threads but haven't come up with anything... if anyone else has any ideas please let me know, as I'm stumped. Thanks in advance.

[wishwehadarchicad]

Where do you find: AnnoAllVisible

[jaberwok]

Where do you find: AnnoAllVisible

You type it at the command prompt.

[irneb]

You type it at the command prompt.
Or the toggle switch just right of the scale box in the status bar:
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