Topic: What would you want in a set of Xref tools?

[T.Willey]

And please explain, in short, how you would expect them to work.  Thinking of maybe putting something together, and just want to see what others would like to see happen.

Thanks.

Edit: Attached version 0.1 of Xref Suite tools ( source and compiled dll file ).  Once the dll is loaded, it will list what commands can be used, and a brief description of what they are for.  Comments welcomed.  I'm still working on some of the other ideas that are not in this release.

@Tracey - I'm still looking at how one would do a window selection of nested items.

@Crank - Still not sure how one would want to have the procedure for setting up relative paths work.  I don't use them, so I had to look in the help, and it seems like they can be setup plenty of ways.  Would someone just select the drawing(s) to edit the xref paths, and then have the paths based off that drawings path?  Let me know what your thinking.

[dgorsman]

STRIP.  UNUSED.  ANNOSCALES.  FROM.  XREFS.

That shouldn't need any explanation.

[jonesy]

One thing I really like from Microstation is the ability to copy a window/crossing selection from an xref into the live drawing. We used to use this to copy the drawing sheet attributes from a frame into the current model.  I'm sure we have also used them when updating a building outline, and it has saved me tracing over the lines that stay as "original" (does that make sense, or do you need further explaination?)

[alanjt]

off the top of my head... (all of these exist, but a package deal would be cool).

• equivalent to express tool XOpen
• equivalent to express tool NCopy
• ability to copy entire nested layer
• ability to change layer properties of selected nested object
• ability to change all layer properties of all selected XRefs (eg. change all selected XRefs to appear grey)

[mjfarrell]

One thing I really like from Microstation is the ability to copy a window/crossing selection from an xref into the live drawing. We used to use this to copy the drawing sheet attributes from a frame into the current model.  I'm sure we have also used them when updating a building outline, and it has saved me tracing over the lines that stay as "original" (does that make sense, or do you need further explaination?)

Have you Tried the Copy Nested function (Express>>Blocks>>Copy Nested)?

[T.Willey]

STRIP.  UNUSED.  ANNOSCALES.  FROM.  XREFS.

That shouldn't need any explanation.

Can you post a small test drawing?  I have not been able to create a problem drawing, as I don't use anno scales.

One thing I really like from Microstation is the ability to copy a window/crossing selection from an xref into the live drawing. We used to use this to copy the drawing sheet attributes from a frame into the current model.  I'm sure we have also used them when updating a building outline, and it has saved me tracing over the lines that stay as "original" (does that make sense, or do you need further explaination?)

I can see about this, as I have some stuff already coded that will copy items, selected singly, right now.

off the top of my head... (all of these exist, but a package deal would be cool).

• equivalent to express tool XOpen
• equivalent to express tool NCopy
• ability to copy entire nested layer
• ability to change layer properties of selected nested object
• ability to change all layer properties of all selected XRefs (eg. change all selected XRefs to appear grey)

These shouldn't be too hard to do, as I have the hard ones done already.



Keeps them coming.   

[alanjt]

Not sure how it would be possible, but I've always wish XOpen would open the selected XRefed drawing zoomed relatively same point as when viewing it as an XRef.

[alanjt]

Reset/set all/selected layer properties.

[T.Willey]

Not sure how it would be possible, but I've always wish XOpen would open the selected XRefed drawing zoomed relatively same point as when viewing it as an XRef.

I'm going to be coding it in C# .Net, so that shouldn't be a problem to do.

[alanjt]

Not sure how it would be possible, but I've always wish XOpen would open the selected XRefed drawing zoomed relatively same point as when viewing it as an XRef.

I'm going to be coding it in C# .Net, so that shouldn't be a problem to do.

Nice! I figured you weren't going to fuss with LISP.

[T.Willey]

Reset/set all/selected layer properties.

Shouldn't be too hard, as I have the color and linetype code already working.  Maybe I'll throw something together that will let the user select what properties it should bring back.

[alanjt]

Reset/set all/selected layer properties.

Shouldn't be too hard, as I have the color and linetype code already working.  Maybe I'll throw something together that will let the user select what properties it should bring back.

Cool. I know I've been in a situation where I just detached/reattached a drawing just to get all properties back to normal.

[Jeff H]

If you want it T.Willey I got some code that runs through the xref and sets all objects in blocks on layer 0 and color to bylayer or byblock and handles some other annoying things with my expirence of dealing with a drawing from other companies that will be used as xref .

If you want it.

[Crank]

• Make the path relative
• Remove layer overrides only for selected layers

[T.Willey]

If you want it T.Willey I got some code that runs through the xref and sets all objects in blocks on layer 0 and color to bylayer or byblock and handles some other annoying things with my expirence of dealing with a drawing from other companies that will be used as xref .

If you want it.

Thanks for the offer Jeff.  I might take you up on it at a later point in time.  Right now I'm not sure I want to add something like that.  I rather work with the xref in the current drawing, and not change the xref file.  But if there are more requests for something like this.... who knows.

• Make the path relative
• Remove layer overrides only for selected layers

These should be doable.  Would the selection of relative path depth be dynamic?  Ie. In one file have a path like "..\xrefs\xref.dwg" and another "..\project\xrefs\xref.dwg".