Utility or method to easily assign/re-assign paths temporarily to resolve x-refs

[mjohnson.60622]

Does anyone know of a utility or method to "easily" assign/re-assign drive paths temporarily to resolve x-ref paths? I use a laptop setup at the office with docking port connected to a mapped network drive. At home or in the field, I need to be able to copy that directory from the network drive and then "replicate" the path to resolve the x-ref's. Its seems to be a more difficult task than I would have thought. I used to do it twenty years ago in DOS in the autoexec.bat (c=a). The disk management doesn't work for me because I have a single boot drive with one partition. I can map drives like crazy on the network because I map them as network devices, even my on. But outside of the workgroup on a local drive, it seems impossible. Ideally, I have a small pocket seagate 5 gig that I would like to use as the "assignable" drive. Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

[Virago87]

I had a similar question have a look here....

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=15004

[Rick.B]

If you simply want to change the Xref paths use REFMAN.

START->ALL PROGRAMS->AUTODESK->(Your current AutoCAD product->)REFERENCE MANAGER

If you are trying to set up AutoCAD search paths I would create a new profile for each use.

I hope this helps. :smile:

[mjohnson.60622]

You'll appreciate that in the past I had the benefit of a cad-administrator, whom I politely (emphasize politely, I swear) directed to fix things. I have since transitioned and am currently at an "in between" stage at my new firm in developing that resource and am since on my own. I would probably define my skill level as "street-cad", not particularly elegant but trying to work in that direction. Problem is whenever I start to figure things out they change the program and since I don't work forty-plus hours on cad a week, my learning curve is a little more elongated. The REFMAN, which I have not used I will explore as I think it will benefit me in other ways.

Generally (in regards to my current situation) I receive an architectural library of files (a large amount of files with many levels of x-refs). I generally map a network drive with their drive letter and create their directory structure within. I can very quickly look at the files and extract what I need. Then we create nested files for our use but the first step and our second step, which I won't go into share the same issue. All I really need to get my computer to do is see my C: (or a path within it) as X:, or P: etc. It may be more of an operating system question than a cad question. The whole file path structure that I need to resolve is on the cd provided (I always have the consultant copy their directory as-is and not etransmit. That way I can use this method and its painless. The only problem that comes about is when I'm not on the network and I can't map a local drive. Sorry it this is a little long of a response. Thanks.

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Please note I've *moved* this thread from the CAD Mgmt. General (http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=119) Forum to this one as I feel this particular Forum is a more appropriate place for such a topic.

Thanks, Mike

Forum Moderator

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Have a browse of the following threads (especially take note of any links within) -

Project Files Search Path (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=5301)

Repath Xreferences (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=6768)

Xref links lost/moved (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=9297)

PROJECTNAME Variable dilemma (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=9470)

Project Support Search Path (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=8933)

Have a good one, Mike

[jaberwok]

If you have copied a folder structure from the network, you could go to Tools\Map network drive in any Explorer window and "create" a drive letter there.
So - "server\root\abc\drawings" could become "z:\drawings". Does that help, bearing in mind that you can also do the same sort of thing whilst connected to the network?
This sounds like the equivalent of what you would have done twenty years ago.

[mjohnson.60622]

Johnbogie, That's exactly what I want to do, but on a drive that's not networked. At the office, I do just what you suggested. It takes about a half a minute and I'm in business. But outside of the network, I can't figure out how to do the same thing on the local drive on my laptop. The thing is, that the next morning when I'm back at the office I'll copy the project that I worked on back to the file server and work through the network path. So I'm not looking to make a permanent change in the paths.

It is just so incredibly easy to map a nework path that it seems there has to be an equivalent for the local drive.

[Rick.B]

I think you would need a partitioned hard drive or maybe using a USB jump drive would be another option. You can store the referenced data on that drive and change the drive letter.

If you want an option that will not cost you anything try using relative paths on the xrefs. Again you can do this by using Reference Manager on a large group of drawings simultaneously.

Look in the AutoCAD help files for XREF RELATIVE PATH. check out the use of . and .. in the drive path.

Oh, if you don't want to use Reference Manager you can reset these paths by opening each drawing file and changing them one by one.

[richard.binning]

I think you would need a partitioned hard drive or maybe using a USB jump drive would be another option. You can store the referenced data on that drive and change the drive letter.

If you want an option that will not cost you anything try using relative paths on the xrefs. Again you can do this by using Reference Manager on a large group of drawings simultaneously.

Look in the AutoCAD help files for XREF RELATIVE PATH. check out the use of . and .. in the drive path.

Oh, if you don't want to use Reference Manager you can reset these paths by opening each drawing file and changing them one by one.
If you remember back to the good old dos days, you just have to use a subst command. Try this one on for size:

If you have a folder on your c drive where you've copied the files for example: c:\projects\FritoLay\San jacinto

Now all the files in this folder are expecting xrefs coming from the x drive:

x:\FritoLay\San Jacinto

What do you do?

Switch to a dos command prompt and type in the following:

subst x: c:\projects

or save the above code into a batch file and double click it anytime you want to perform a temporary redirect. (See attachment)

Hope that helps,

[mjohnson.60622]

Richard, The SUBST is perfect. It works like a champ. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. (I'm amazed the command was still in the OS.) Thank you.

[richard.binning]

Richard, The SUBST is perfect. It works like a champ. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. (I'm amazed the command was still in the OS.) Thank you.
Happy to help.

There are more elegant ways to do this-- to make it more transparent-- using vbscript and wmi, but sometimes the simple solution is the best.

RLB

[jaberwok]

Thanks Richard.
It was only after I went to bed last night that I realised I hadn't mentioned the Subst part of the operation.

[Rick.B]

If you remember back to the good old dos days, you just have to use a subst command.

Wow, DOS. I guess I have just gotten overly used to Windows. Bill G. would be bummed you used that but it is a great suggestion Richard.