Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
5.
After you've accurately placed the corner units, use the Wblock command to write these
corner units to a file called Floor2.dwg. Again, use the 0,0 coordinate as the insertion
base point for the Wblock, and make sure the Delete Objects check box is selected.
6.
Choose File
Save As from the menu bar to turn the remaining set of unit plans into a
file called Common.dwg.
You've just created three files: Floor1, Floor2, and Common. Each file contains unique infor-
mation about the building. Next, you'll use the Xref command to recombine these files for the
different floor plans in your building.
Assembling xrefs to Build a Drawing
You'll now create composite files for each floor using Xrefs of only the files needed for the indi-
vidual floors. You'll use the Attach Reference option of the Xref command to insert all the files
you exported from the Plan file.
Follow these steps to create a file representing the first floor:
1.
Close the Common.dwg file, create a new file, and call it Xref-1.
2.
Set up this file as an architectural drawing, 8½˝
×
11˝ with a scale of
1
⁄
16
˝ = 1´. The upper-
right corner limits for such a drawing are 2112,1632. Metric users should set up a drawing
at 1:200 scale on an A4 sheet size. Your drawing area should be 4200 cm
×
5940 cm. Press
Z
↵
A
↵ to execute the Zoom All command so your drawing area is adjusted to
the window.
3.
Set the Ltscale value to 192. Metric users should set it to 200.
4.
Type F
-7
to open the Reference Manager. Click the Attach Reference tool from the
Reference Manager palette or type
XA
↵ to open the Select Reference File dialog box.
5.
Locate and select the Common.dwg file.
6.
In the Attach External Reference dialog box, make sure the Specify On-Screen check box
in the Insertion Point group isn't selected. Then make sure the X, Y, and Z values in the
Insertion Point group are all 0 (Figure 14.5). Because the insertion points of all the files
are the same (0,0), they will fit together perfectly when they're inserted into the new files.
7.
Click OK. The Common.dwg file appears in the drawing.
The drawing may appear faded. This is because AutoCAD has a feature that allows you to
fade an Xref so that it is easily distinguished from other objects in your current drawing. You
can change the reference-fade setting by doing the following:
1.
Right-click on the drawing and select Preferences or press F
-,
(comma). Click the Look
And Feel tab. In the Transparency Controls section, locate the XRefs slider.
2.
Click and drag the XRefs slider all the way to the left.
