User manual

External References (Xrefs)
External References Overview
An external reference (Xref) is a method that AutoCAD uses to link drawing
files together. It is often convenient to use Xrefs because once drawing files
are linked, all updates to the Xref files are automatically reflected in the original
drawing file.
As an example of a similar process, it is often convenient to insert an existing
Excel spreadsheet into a Word document. Then, each time the spreadsheet is
updated, the changes also automatically appear in the Word document.
Ensure that Xref files are found and loaded (resolved) within your site
■ Keep the selected drawing file path(s) relative.
You can convert drawing file path(s) from an absolute path (also know as
hard path) to a relative path (also know as soft path) in AutoCAD before
adding the files to your site. When you convert absolute file paths to
relative paths, as long as the directory structure is maintained, the file can
be found more easily.
To find out if the drawing file path you want to add to your site folder is
absolute or relative.
■ Create a staging folder on your local computer to hold and work with all
the drawing files whose path(s) have been converted.
That way, the original Xref file(s) remained untouched in the original
location on your local computer. When you add the Xrefs to your site, all
you need to do is navigate to the staging folder and copy it to the target
location. As a result, the directory structure is maintained, and the Xrefs
can be easily found in your site.
Path Type Differences
Path types do look the same, but it is easy to tell the difference. Following are
examples:
■ An absolute file path is specific (usually including a drive letter) and
identifies the exact location of a file. An example of an absolute file path
is:
C:\Program Files\ACAD\SAMPLE\1st floor lighting.dwg
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