2004

698 | Chapter 23 Reference Other Drawing Files (Xrefs)
Set Paths for Temporary Xref File Copies
When you turn on demand loading with copy, the XLOADPATH system vari-
able can be used to indicate the path where copies of externally referenced
files are to be placed. The path you specify remains in effect for all drawing
sessions until you indicate a different path. If no value for
XLOADPATH is
specified, the temporary file copies are placed in the standard AutoCAD
folder for temporary files.
If you find that referencing drawings over a network is slow, it is recom-
mended that you set
XLOADPATH to reference a local folder, and set
XLOADCTL to 2 so that the externally referenced files are demand loaded
from your local machine. Conversely, to minimize the number of temporary
files created by multiple users referencing the same drawing, those users can
set
XLOADPATH to point to a common folder. In this manner, multiple
sessions of AutoCAD can share the same temporary copies of reference
drawings.
You can set
XLOADPATH in the Options dialog box and indicate the path
where copies of externally referenced files are to be placed.
To set the file path for xref copies
1 From the Tools menu, choose Options.
2 In the Options dialog box, choose the Files tab.
3 On the Files tab, select the Temporary External Reference File Location
folder.
The expanded tree view displays the path where copies of xref files are
placed. If no path is specified, AutoCAD places the temporary copies in
the location specified by Temporary Drawing File Location.
4 Edit the path by selecting it and entering a new path.
5 Choose OK (or Apply) to set the path.