Expert: Bill DeShawn - 4/18/2011

Question
i have been working in autocad2d in 2008 version. i want to know about xref manager and how to use it and the avantages of xref manager.
i wating for u r reply
thank u sir,
take care.

Answer
Mohammed:
The XREF manager enables the AutoCAD user to import (attach) other AutoCAD drawings (and now images).  Images and XREFs can be attached with the IMAGEATTACH and XATTACH commands.  The XREF Manager can do that and can rename the inserted referenced object in the drawing while still preserving the name in the folder from which it is referenced.  The file can be referenced (or its name, that is) with or without referencing its path.  The advantage of not referencing its path is that if you have project files in one folder and move them to another folder, the references aren't referring to the former folder, but the Support File Search Path which automatically includes the folder of the referencing drawing.  You can detatch referenced objects if they are only referenced once in the drawing.  You can replace one XREF with another drawing.  To do that, you can rename the reference and then rename the file found by AutoCAD in the "Saved Path".

As a matter of preference, many users prefer the CLASSICXREF command to the modified XREF command.  Of course that also means that they might want to use the CLASSICIMAGE command instead of the IMAGE command.  I think the dialogs' functionality was programmed better than in the palettes.  I can make the palettes work for me, but the dialogs are quicker because you don't have to look in two different places for reference names in the classic version except to change their paths.  And also, the required eye movement is less with the classic dialog.  In the old version, you can rename the reference by highlighting it and hitting your F2 function key (a classic Windows function that works in Windows Explorer for renaming files) and then typing in a new name.  Highlight the new name and paste it into the "Xref found at" area.  In the newer palettes, you have to highlight the reference name, and then shift your eyes down to the "Details" area and do your renaming down there.  They both work equally well.  If you have never gotten used to the classic dialog, it's probably best to go with the newer palette instead, so your mind doesn't have to adjust later if they ever eliminate the classic versions of the commands.

Keep in touch
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn