Can't copy or Wblock drawing because of proxy objects

[bmonk]

I am using Autocad 2006. I am trying to <ctrl> copy some objects from one drawing to another. But when I try to <paste to original coordinates> it won't let me. In fact, it isn't even highlighted in the drop menu.

So, I figured I would just Wblock it, and go from there, except when I hit the save button, I get this message: "Wblock operation rejected due to a proxy object that does not allow copying".

I never knew that proxy objects couldn't be copied.

Anyway, I set my proxy notice back to <1>. and re-opened the dwg. I got the proxy notice and scrolled down to find out that the proxy objects were from Civil 3D 2006.

ummm, OK didn't know I did anything with that program, but oh well.

So, I DL'd the object enablers for it. Re-opened the drawing and did not get a proxy notice. I thought I was in business, but nope. It still would not let me copy or write block.

So, my question is this. My drawing has tens of thousands of objects. How do I identify the proxy objects, so that I can just erase them, and re-create them.

Or is there another trick I can try, but just don't know about?

Deadlines are looming here, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[bmonk]

OK, well, I think I have figured it out.

I went Wblock crazy. I just started wblocking random things until it worked. And when it did I would turn off those layers. And so on and so on. Any way, figured out that it was 11 points on one layer that were causing the problem. Don't know where the points came from or why they were there. I deleted them, and everything seems to be just fine.

The solution may be unconventional, but it worked.

Just thought I'd update ya.

[jgratton]

I am also going down this particular path of enlightenment and frustration.

I have learned:

1. Proxy means stand in, in other words you can see them but they are not really there in your drawing.
2. Autocad copy works on them because they stay inside the drawing but wblocking and windows copyclip/pasteclip does not because they are intended to share information with other drawings.
3. Applications that create them (arx-type programs) have a way of saving "down" so we vertically challenged people can work with them
4. You can adjust through OPTIONS command whether you get a warning they are in your drawing, and whether they show themselves to you.
5. I dislike them intensely because they create more work for me
6. If I ever decide to sell software for a living, I will use them too so people will have to buy my program if they want to work effectively with these drawings!

[scott.wilcox]

I am using Autocad 2006. I am trying to <ctrl> copy some objects from one drawing to another. But when I try to <paste to original coordinates> it won't let me. In fact, it isn't even highlighted in the drop menu.

So, I figured I would just Wblock it, and go from there, except when I hit the save button, I get this message: "Wblock operation rejected due to a proxy object that does not allow copying".

I never knew that proxy objects couldn't be copied.

Anyway, I set my proxy notice back to <1>. and re-opened the dwg. I got the proxy notice and scrolled down to find out that the proxy objects were from Civil 3D 2006.

ummm, OK didn't know I did anything with that program, but oh well.

So, I DL'd the object enablers for it. Re-opened the drawing and did not get a proxy notice. I thought I was in business, but nope. It still would not let me copy or write block.

So, my question is this. My drawing has tens of thousands of objects. How do I identify the proxy objects, so that I can just erase them, and re-create them.

Or is there another trick I can try, but just don't know about?

Deadlines are looming here, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

A quick workaround is to save the drawing as a DXF file, and then open the DXF. The DXF file creation removes metadata and proxies.

Scott

[scott.wilcox]

I am also going down this particular path of enlightenment and frustration.

I have learned:

1. Proxy means stand in, in other words you can see them but they are not really there in your drawing.
2. Autocad copy works on them because they stay inside the drawing but wblocking and windows copyclip/pasteclip does not because they are intended to share information with other drawings.
3. Applications that create them (arx-type programs) have a way of saving "down" so we vertically challenged people can work with them
4. You can adjust through OPTIONS command whether you get a warning they are in your drawing, and whether they show themselves to you.
5. I dislike them intensely because they create more work for me
6. If I ever decide to sell software for a living, I will use them too so people will have to buy my program if they want to work effectively with these drawings!

As far as proxies go, the objects are there, but they are not vanilla AutoCAD entities, (i.e. civil contours or rtext diesel string). Vertical applications create these and use AutoCAD as it's graphics engine to display them (i.e. Eagle Point entities). Since you don't have the vertical application installed, AutoCAD cannot display them; instead, it creates a proxy. Think of it as an image frame for an image not found; AutoCAD knows where it belongs, but cannot display it.

If the proxy graphic is an AutoCAD vertical entity, such as an AEC civil object, you can download and install object enablers, which allow vanilla AutoCAD to display the entities. In some cases, you can even explode the objects down to AutoCAD entities.

As noted above, PROXYNOTICE controls whether or not AutoCAD warns you of proxy entities in a drawing.

[BrenBren]

And this still works today!! Thanks, Scott, this was just what I needed. Customer wants us to use their title block, so we have to modify to include our required information too; and I wanted to start the drawing with our template, so we have all of the tools we need to do the drawings. I couldn't insert the customer title block into our template, but saving as a dxf and then reopening as a drawing worked perfectly!

[jaberwok]

And this still works today!! Thanks, Scott, this was just what I needed. Customer wants us to use their title block, so we have to modify to include our required information too; and I wanted to start the drawing with our template, so we have all of the tools we need to do the drawings. I couldn't insert the customer title block into our template, but saving as a dxf and then reopening as a drawing worked perfectly!

You have to wonder why a titleblock would need special objects.