It is very easy, only sound complicated.

Xrefs are treated like blocks, but they are more useful because usually are used in few drawings. Once you change xref, it appears on all drawings.

I do projects where we do 50-700 dwgs per project and imagine change few lines on topography survey. Try explain you how I do it:

1. I go to the dwg which will be my xref and I do purge, all cleaning job, sorting out layers. I do check that there are no 2D poly lines (this is not LT poly line) and no 3D poly lines, if there are I usually convert them to LT polyline, as 2D and 3D poly lines take much more memory and kill dwgs.

2. I do check units, best if you set it to millimeters. Check linetypescale! should be same as company standard.

3. I check that my xref is in the right place in the space. Very important, if your xref is not align with you other dwgs then it will appear in different place.

3. Dwg to which I will attach my xref NEEDS to have set usc to world!

I do not know why, but autocad cannot manage attaching xrefs in any oter USC. If you create local ucs on both dwg and xref it just does not work. My advice do attach only when ucs world has been set.

4. I check units on my main drawing(dwg) that is set to millimeters.

5. I do attach xref and I do play with layers:)

Fill free to ask for more. Sorry for my English, but is not my first language.

I do live in UK as well so you can contact me with any question.

[email deleted]

All the best and good luck.

chris

I've edited drawings with X-refs in them before but never created or inserted them.

I'm on X-ref virgin (almost!)

 

what do you need to know? have you evere did anything with xrefs at all?