Hi,I have an existing utility drawings, we need to do new version with some changed.Please help on that as I am beginner:1. How I can present the new drawing properly and in professional way: May I use the old drawing as overlay (like revit and show it with bright color) and the changes with clear or how?? 2. I heard that O may use a topobase (I don/t know what is that and how I can use it)3.I have an overall composite plan for (electricity, sewar, sanitary, pipes ), all in different layes and colors, how I can show for example the changes in water line , I turnoff other layers? or how I can manage that as an expert CAD user?Thank you.

You could bring the old drawing into the new drawing as an xref.Typically you want to distinguish between what is "existing" and what is "proposed".  Back when these types of drawings were done on the board existing utilities would be shown using a thin lineweight (ex. - 0.3mm) and proposed utilities would be drawn using a heavier lineweight (ex. 0.7mm or 0.9mm).  We would even go as far as to use different fonts for "existing" versus "proposed".Yes, you could set up different layers for all the utilities then switch to a layout and utilize multiple viewports displaying only a single utility in each one by using the VP Freeze column found in the Layer Properties Manager.

[QUOTE=John Connor]You could bring the old drawing into the new drawing as an xref.Typically you want to distinguish between what is "existing" and what is "proposed".  Back when these types of drawings were done on the board existing utilities would be shown using a thin lineweight (ex. - 0.3mm) and proposed utilities would be drawn using a heavier lineweight (ex. 0.7mm or 0.9mm).  We would even go as far as to use different fonts for "existing" versus "proposed".Yes, you could set up different layers for all the utilities then switch to a layout and utilize multiple viewports displaying only a single utility in each one by using the VP Freeze column found in the Layer Properties Manager.[/QUOTE]
Thank you John,please correct me:I did open a new drawing window, xref the existing utility plan, turned off some layer and kept the first discipline to modify it using fading as required.the first problem that I need to use the exact layer properties fir water line as the existing but will be bold and the existing same properties but bright, shall I create a new layer uses the same properties? if yes that mean a lot of work as there as many layers in the project or there is a way to copy the layers or advise?Secondly: I tried to look at a tiny windows, from layout window I preview the plot of specifics area with changes, I found that it is not  distinguished and all layers lines are the same (clear and bold)did I miss something? is there an easier way to work on that?

Would you please answer me :)

Your explanation is somewhat confusing.  Without access to the existing drawing I cannot answer your question.

Here  in this pic I just draw random lines as it is the changed, under it the existing drawing as an xref.http://www.mediafire.com/view/23mp5snw2onb4aq/1.pngI took a snap shot only to say here what I need the drawing looks like, distinguished between the existing and changeswhile here when I tried to plot that previous view it appeared that all one drawing and there is no difference between the existing and new.http://www.mediafire.com/view/40bg5ae7urybzm5/2.pngHow I can fix that 
somaya1232016-05-02 14:08:35

Pictures are useless.  Actual drawing files are best.

I can not send it here,or in public  could you send me your email please?

arc_somaia       skype

I don't give out my email nor do I use Skype.

so how can I show you the drawing

Upload it to a file sharing website like Dropbox and post a link to it here.

Here we gohttp://www.mediafire.com/download/9vv44vzbefgt0v0/Drawing4%282%29.dwgi opened a new drawing, xref the electrical drawing.As you see, I just draw random lines, 3 white.first problem.when I need to plot the change from layout view it gives me the xref and reference as not distinguished. What I need to show the drawing distinguished.other problem for me, How I can extend the red line for a certain length show the old one with bright red but the new bold red,I tried to use the same color in layers but it was frozen and if I edit the xref in place that mean the changed will show as existing, how I can handle that and I hope mt explanation is clear.

Basically you uploaded a drawing with six random lines in it and nothing more.  It's pretty much useless.Just as a test on my end I opened a new AutoCAD drawing and attached, as an xref, our master site plan that shows water lines, gas mains, sanitary sewers, storm drains, underground electrical conduits, underground telephone and fiber optic lines.  Next I froze all the utility layers EXCEPT the one showing the water mains.  I changed the color of all visible layers to a light gray.  I created a new layer called Proposed Water Line then drew a new water line down the center of our site using a polyline and gave it a nice bold width to distinguish it from the existing water lines.  After I did this I went to Layout1, created a viewport and zoomed in on a small section of the site plan showing both proposed and existing water lines and their proximity to the surrounding buildings and tank farms.  It was all pretty straight forward.  The only thing I have yet to figure out is how to decrease the polyline width of the existing water mains.  However, even if I could not change it I doubt that anyone would have trouble distinguishing between existing and proposed if I were to print the light gray colored 50% screened and the proposed in solid black (or another color).

John Connor2016-05-02 19:02:11

Many thanks JOHN

I may have come across a custom lisp routine that will change an xref's color, linetype and lineweight.  It's being tested as we speak.