Topic: One user can open a drawing, the other can't...

[Matt__W]

Both computers are nearly identical.  The only thing that jumps to mind is maybe something is geeked out with the "bad computer's" AutoCAD profile and/or Windows profile.

On my computer, the drawing in question opens up like it should.  On the other computer it seems to hang while opening one of the temp files - you know, down at the bottom where it says 'Opening C:\Temp\file.ac$'.

The temp folder has been cleaned, the drawings have been purged/audited.  Not sure where else to look besides the profiles.

Any ideas, suggestions?

[Rob...]

It sounds like the "other" computer is looking for a file that is on your local hard drive. Put the "temp" file on your network and repath it so the "other" computer can find it.

[Keith™]

ok, quick question .. why is it opening a temp file? What version of AutoCAD?

[Rob...]

I've seen this when I insert an XREF from the drop down list instead of browsing to the file on the network.

[Matt__W]

MEP 2008
There are 5 xrefs in this one particular file.

Here's what I was referring to when I said temp file.

[Spike Wilbury]

double check the xloadpath of both systems...

etransmit from the one that works the drawing, then place it in a single folder all the dependencies, and try to open it from there - using the pc that it is not delivering.... just to check if can be opened...

Maybe?

[ronjonp]

If the "E" drive is a network drive, maybe there is a permissions issue?

You also might want change the tempxrefpath to a local drive as well as tempfilepath.

[Glenn R]

What Matt is showing is the 'demand loading of Xrefs'. when the variable is set to 'Enable with copy', AutoCAD copies the xrefs from their locations to your specified temporary files directory and references them from there.

Matt, have you audited the xref files themselves? This is a potential cause of this type of unexplained behaviour.

[Matt__W]

Temp paths are local (E:\ drive is local).

I've purged/audited the xrefs.  No dice.

[Glenn R]

Are you getting any particular error or are you just getting a frozen Cadsicle?

Luis' suggestion seems like a good one - PacknGo/etransmit and see if it can be opened from where you unpack it.

[Glenn R]

Another thing you can try is doing a partial open bit by bit and see where it fails...

[mjfarrell]

what if you log on as another user on that machine and load that file into cad?

[Matt__W]

Another thing you can try is doing a partial open bit by bit and see where it fails...

Partial Open doesn't do Jack Shizzle in MEP - it just opens the drawing.  I don't get the P.O. dialog box.

[Matt__W]

what if you log on as another user on that machine and load that file into cad?

I haven't tried that yet, but that's one reason why I wrote it might be a Windows profile issue.  If I can log on and it works, then it might be something with their Windows profile (or maybe the AutoCAD).  I'm gonna try it after lunch.

[Matt__W]

Are you getting any particular error or are you just getting a frozen Cadsicle?

Luis' suggestion seems like a good one - PacknGo/etransmit and see if it can be opened from where you unpack it.

No, not a Cadsicle.  More like CAD Molasses in January.  I'll give the eTransmit a shot (thinking to self... I'll have to disconnect the network drive so it looks for the xrefs locally and not to their saved path location).

[Glenn R]

I believe you can set relative paths when you pack it up...or at least I seem to remember you can.
Do that then unpack locally and give it a whirl. That way they won't look to the network if they're hard pathed.

[Matt__W]

UPDATE:

I logged onto the computer as myself and experienced the same issue trying to open the drawing.

I also did the eTransmit to the file on the bad computer and was able to open it without any problems.  I didn't see any option to set relative paths so I disconnected the network drive.  One thing I did notice was that the border was ATTACHED (not overlaid) to every drawing that was referenced in.  I've never noticed this being a problem before, but...

Could the fact that the border was essentially attached 4 times be the problem?

Here's kinda what the xref tree looks like...


Plumbing Drawing
  |___Border (attached to Plumbing)
Electrical Drawing
  |___Border (attached to Electrical)
Fire Protection Drawing
  |___Border (attached to Fire Protection)
Border (attached to host drawing)

Thoughts?

[mjfarrell]

have the user that can NOT do it log into the machine that can
can he now open the file?

If yes, export the ARG file.

Now go back to the 'bad' machine and import and set current the ARG file just saved in the step above.


Can he open the file now?

[Glenn R]

Matt,

Can you attach a screen shot of the TREE view from the XREF manger/dialog?

WRT the border being attached, it depends on where's it's attached. Remember that inserting an xref, ONLY brings in the ModelSpace of the drawing being attached. So, if the border is attached in a PaperSpace (a Layout) it won't matter, however, if it's in ModelSpace, it would cause older versions of AutoCAD to fail with a circular reference error - but I believe that's been fixed for a number of releases now.

Also, is there any difference between the xref demandload settings between your machine and the bad one?

Another thought, is there any 'custom mojo' being loaded that is different between yours and the bad apple?

[Matt__W]

Well now I'M having problems getting into the drawing.  Not sure what's going on here.  Methinks it may be toast!  Just gonna wait it out and see if it comes to. *sigh*


The border is in Paper Space - that I know for sure.  And I didn't think that was an issue with circular refs anymore (but you never know with MEP ).
I'm looking into the demand load settings.



Okay... took me about 5 minutes before it kicked in.  Here are two screenshots - one of the Xref Manager and one of the Image Manager.

[Glenn R]

Hmmm...an image of the same name...

I would double check that you're border (x-border) is in paperspace ONLY, as that Xref Manager screenshot says otherwise...at least to me it does...

Can you zip up and attach a file here so I can test...?

[Glenn R]

As an aside, I would go into:

100-PWR
100-PLB

and in the xref manager, change the attachment type to OVERLAY as the dialog suggests to me that they're ATTACHED, which means they come through as a NESTED xref into your current DWG.

This would also stop the apparent x-border image being resolved multiple times...

Post the eTransmit file and we'll see what we can see...

Also, I would suggest not trying the export/import thingy of the Acad profile just yet...tthis would be a last resort for me...

[Matt__W]

As an aside, I would go into:

100-PWR
100-PLB

and in the xref manager, change the attachment type to OVERLAY as the dialog suggests to me that they're ATTACHED, which means they come through as a NESTED xref into your current DWG.

Funny... Really funny!  Apparently the mental midget that set up this project has the x-border drawing ATTACHED to EVERY SINGLE FLIPPIN' DRAWING.  The only way (that I know of) to change it from attach to overlay would be to detach all of the xrefs that have the x-border attached, then change the x-border (within the host drawing) to overlay, then re-attach the xrefs.  But doing so will result in the loss of layer (on/off/freeze/thaw) settings that may have been changed.  Unless there's some magical way of automating this process.  *sigh*

[mjfarrell]

should be able to save a layer state and restore it later...
should the path/name change you can export those LAS files and then do a find/replace to swap out the file names
then import and restore the layer states.

[Matt__W]

should be able to save a layer state and restore it later...
should the path/name change you can export those LAS files and then do a find/replace to swap out the file names
then import and restore the layer states.

Yeah, I know but...  Ya got a fast way of doing that to 121 files within 5 folders?

[Glenn R]

Thinking...

[Glenn R]

BTW, the mental pigmy must have attached it into MODELSPACE as well...

[Matt__W]

BTW, the mental pigmy must have attached it into MODELSPACE as well...

Not that I can tell.  I tried QSELECT and came up with nothing in MS, but I got a result in PS.  Hmmmm.....

[Glenn R]

The only way (that I know of) to change it from attach to overlay would be to detach all of the xrefs that have the x-border attached, then change the x-border (within the host drawing) to overlay, then re-attach the xrefs.

I don't think so. Try doing as I suggested and go into 100-WhateverTheyWere, fire the xref manager, then double click the attachment column for the x-border xref to change it to overlay, save it, then go into problem drawing and see if xref dialog has changed...

Still waiting for eTransmit zip if you can...

[Glenn R]

BTW, the mental pigmy must have attached it into MODELSPACE as well...

Not that I can tell.  I tried QSELECT and came up with nothing in MS, but I got a result in PS.  Hmmmm.....

Like I said before - attaching an XREF ONLY brings in the MODELSPACE of said file/xref...therefore, it must be attached/Inserted in Modelspace as well (if QSELECT didn;t bring it, then it may be mested in another block - yikes), unless my tiredness is getting the better of me at the moment...can hardly think straight...

[Matt__W]

I don't think so. Try doing as I suggested and go into 100-WhateverTheyWere, fire the xref manager, then double click the attachment column for the x-border xref to change it to overlay, save it, then go into problem drawing and see if xref dialog has changed...

That won't work because every drawing has the x-border attached as well as xrefs that have x-border attached.  So the only way to change it from attach to overlay (because it currently won't let me) is to detach all of the drawings that have the x-border attached, then change the remaining x-border (the ONLY x-border that should be there) from attached to overlay, then redo the layer settings.  I hate my job.   

I'm not sure I wrote x-border enough, so here goes.......x-border x-border x-border x-border x-border 

Still waiting for eTransmit zip if you can...

I'll fire one your way tomorrow morn.  Got to go pick up the rug-rat from daycare.

[Glenn R]

It doesn't matter what the attachment type is in the current drawing, you want to go into the xrefs that are attached and changed their x-border attachment type to OVERLAY to stop it coming in from more than one level deep ie nested.

[Matt__W]

Like I said before - attaching an XREF ONLY brings in the MODELSPACE of said file/xref...therefore, it must be attached/Inserted in Modelspace as well (if QSELECT didn;t bring it, then it may be mested in another block - yikes), unless my tiredness is getting the better of me at the moment...can hardly think straight...

Just to confirm, I did a quick test and the attached xref came along for the ride, even though the only thing in the drawing was a line paper space, so I doubt (hope) it's nested within another block.  God help me him if it is!

[Glenn R]

Big stick time if it is, but I'm just guessing from what you've told me.

I would ideally like more than one file to test if I'm going to write something to get rid of this issue, however, having said that, it might not be the cause of your opening problem...but should still be fixed.

One thing I drummed into people when I taught AutoCAD was the difference between Attach and Overlay and that I almost always prefer Overlay, except in very specific circumstances and only then, if the users knew the consequences.

[Glenn R]

Hmmm...after doing some investigation, there doesn't appear to be a method/property/function for changing the xref's Type (Attach/Overlay)...

[Rob...]

In your XREF manager, you can change the XREF type. In the details section at the bottom of the box select type and you get the options for Overlay and Attach. The old rules apply. In order to do it for nested XREF's, you need to go to the parent dwg.

[Glenn R]

Sorry - I should have been clearer. There's no programmatic easy way to do this. Also, in the older xref dialog (not the newer palette type one), you can just double-click to attachment type for an xref and it will toggle the current setting.

[Rob...]

Sorry, I missunderstood. I should of realized that.