XREF Methods for Drawing Border

[CEHill]

To anticipate and expedite future changes to the company's drawing borders, I have recently set up and now use XREF'd drawing borders in AutoCAD. The company logo is a TIFF image file and the attributes (title block entries) are inserted as a block.

• Is it best to 'attach' or 'overlay' these drawings border DWG files?
• What are the pitfalls/advantages of each method (Currently, I use 'overlay'.)
• Are there any articles you can suggest on this topic?

[tedg]

To anticipate and expedite future changes to the company's drawing borders, I have recently set up and now use XREF'd drawing borders in AutoCAD. The company logo is a TIFF image file and the attributes (title block entries) are inserted as a block.

• Is it best to 'attach' or 'overlay' these drawings border DWG files?
• What are the pitfalls/advantages of each method (Currently, I use 'overlay'.)
• Are there any articles you can suggest on this topic?

This has been discussed allot here in AUGI.
Take a look here for instance.

We use "overlay" when xreffing the titleblock in each sheet file, and the drawing level attributes in each sheet file (layout) as well. If you have a key plan, this gets "attached" as an xref to the title block dwg file and "unloaded" in sheets that don't use it.

[Spenner]

To anticipate and expedite future changes to the company's drawing borders, I have recently set up and now use XREF'd drawing borders in AutoCAD. The company logo is a TIFF image file and the attributes (title block entries) are inserted as a block.

• Is it best to 'attach' or 'overlay' these drawings border DWG files?
• What are the pitfalls/advantages of each method (Currently, I use 'overlay'.)
• Are there any articles you can suggest on this topic?

I would always say that you should 'overlay' your drawing border or any Xref unless you want it to appear in other drawings.
Personally I would never attach an Xref’s, as the Xref will be referenced through to any other drawing you Xref that drawing.

Also I wouldn’t Xref from your master drawing boarder folder on your CAD Standards drive (if that’s were you store them). The reason why I would do this is not every drawing boarder will be the same on every project as the client may wish for their logo to be added to the boarder.

We always copy your drawings boarders into your job/project folder (see attached screen print ‘folder structure’). Then Xref the boarder in making sure its ‘overlaid’ NOT attached, then put on the drawing sheet layer. We then insert the drawing title as a block and explode it so we can edit the attribute information.

[jaberwok]

We always copy your (?) drawings boarders into your job/project folder (see attached screen print ‘folder structure’). Then Xref the boarder in making sure its ‘overlaid’ NOT attached, then put on the drawing sheet layer. We then insert the drawing title as a block and explode it so we can edit the attribute information.

Why explode?
The attributes lose the attribute of being attributes. (That does does really make sense, honest)

[Spenner]

Why explode?
The attributes lose the attribute of being attributes. (That does does really make sense, honest)

When you insert the title block it needs exploding. It must be the way the block has been setup. Its not the way I would of done it but it was done before I joined the company.

[TerribleTim]

When you insert the title block it needs exploding. It must be the way the block has been setup. Its not the way I would of done it but it was done before I joined the company.

It's nothing to do with the way the title block was created, it's the fact that you are inserting it as a block. The attributes are a block themselves. So basically, you have the attributes as a nested block in this title block "block" that you inserted. That's why you have to explode it. The block containing the attributes still remains, until you explode it one more time.

My college professor used this method. Not saying it's right or wrong. There's a million ways to skin a cat, or draw a line in AutoCAD.

I prefer to have the title block as it's own drawing and x-ref it in.

[bcgatti]

To second what "TeriblTim" said, we have our title block text information saved as its own file and it is Inserted into the drawing sheet. Our actual title block is brought in via Xref - Overlay.

[Spenner]

TerbltTim,

Can you get the block to work so when you insert this you dont need to explode it?

It's nothing to do with the way the title block was created, it's the fact that you are inserting it as a block. The attributes are a block themselves. So basically, you have the attributes as a nested block in this title block "block" that you inserted. That's why you have to explode it. The block containing the attributes still remains, until you explode it one more time.

I prefer to have the title block as it's own drawing and x-ref it in.

How do you edit your title block then?

Sorry if I sound stupid here but how does the attributes works on an Xref?
Wont this make the drawing board the same in every drawing? i.e. the drawing title, scale, date, drawn by, drawing number, revision etc...

[bcgatti]

TerbltTim,

Can you get the block to work so when you insert this you dont need to explode it?

How do you edit your title block then?

Sorry if I sound stupid here but how does the attributes works on an Xref?
Wont this make the drawing board the same in every drawing? i.e. the drawing title, scale, date, drawn by, drawing number, revision etc...

You will need to split it up into two different blocks. One that contains your attributed text (the changeable portion) and will be "Inserted" and the other that will contain your border file (the static portion) which will be "xref'd".

You cannot edit attributes through an Xref - the attributed block must be inserted if you expect to be able to edit it.

[Misteracad]

You will need to split it up into two different blocks. One that contains your attributed text (the changeable portion) and will be "Inserted" and the other that will contain your border file (the static portion) which will be "xref'd".

You cannot edit attributes through an Xref - the attributed block must be inserted if you expect to be able to edit it.

We do the same thing at our firm...this is the way to go IMHO.