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• DWG file placed in PlotMaker with file hotlink

DWG file placed in PlotMaker with file hotlink

When a Layout Book opened in ArchiCAD 10 contains a DXF/DWG File, they will come through fine. However, if you have modified the visibility of Layers for the placed DWG in the PlotMaker Layout, they will not come through in ArchiCAD 10 with that Layer combination, because ArchiCAD 10 does not support such a feature (setting a custom Layer combination for the placed Drawing).

If you wish to keep both the custom layer combination and the file hotlink, there is a workaround you can use:

Let us take a Layout Book in PlotMaker 9, which has a DWG file placed on a Layout. The layer combination for the placed file has been modified (e.g. no Text Blocks are visible in it).

1. In ArchiCAD 10, open the Layout Book containing the DXF/DWG files with the custom layer combination. The layer combination will be set to its original. As you can see, Text Blocks are now visible in the file.
   

   
   

   For the placement of the DXF/DWG file you need a solution with which you can set the desired layer combination for the Drawing (if you simply place the DXF/DWG file as a Drawing, you will not be able to set its layer combination). Therefore,
   

2. Create an Independent Detail.
   

   
   

3. Place the external DXF/DWG file into this Independent Detail as an XREF File.
   

   
   

4. Save the desired Layer Combination and desired Model View Options you wish this DXF/DWG data to be shown with.
   

   
   

5. Save the Independent Detail with the XREF-fed DXF/DWG file in it as a View. Use for the View the Layer Combination and Model View Options you specified.
   

   
   

6. In the Drawing Manager, click on the DXF/DWG file placed in the Layout Book, and use the Link Drawing To… button to link it to the View just saved.
   

   
   

   
   

The Drawing Manager will show that the Drawing is now re-linked and is updated.

If you wish to modify the layer combination with which the DWG file is displayed, you only need to modify and re-save the saved Layer Combination defined for this Drawing.

Later, when the source external DXF/DWG file has changed, you can update using a two-step process:

1. In the XREF Manager Dialog, Update the attached XREF.
   

2. In the Drawing Manager Dialog, update the internal link of the saved View.
   

CategoryLayouting, CategoryInputOutput