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Build Detail Sheets with Xrefs
Tip# 3422 By Shawn Evjen On 17-May-2010
4.5
 Rated By 2 users
Categories : DWG
Software type : AutoCAD 2011
Rename File To : No Files to download.
Save time by quickly accessing details you want to reuse.

Shawn Evjen sends us a tip on how he creates detail sheets for a project by using xrefs and other techniques.

"Often, as we are working on projects that are similar in nature, we are able to reuse details. If you have a standard detail library you work from (using xrefs), this tip might save you some time.

1.  In your new project drawing, xref in the sheet with the details you want.
2.  Open that xref and copy-clip the details you want.
3.  Paste them in the new drawing.
4.  Finally, detach the xref drawing you attached in the first step.

Your details are now attached — you didn't have to locate them one-by-one — and scaling is also taken care of."

Notes from Cadalyst Tip Patrol: One reason to use CAD is its ability to reuse previously created data; reusing details is one example. There are many ways to reuse existing drawings. Shawn's method gets you the information quickly and makes it easy to fit it in your drawing set. It also gives you quick access to the file.

Creating a detail library is also a good idea. As you create new details, put a copy of it in your library. That way you won't have to keep track of which project that killer detail was used in. Create a tool palette to store these details in so you can share them with everyone in the office. Then all your users will have to do is to drag and drop the details right into their drawing set.
 
 

Average Rating:
4.5


User comments
Comment by Anonymous
Posted on 2010-05-17 15:13:54
We do a similar thing by keeping our details up to date in larger, master drawings. We access those details with the Sheet Set Manager. Each detail is displayed in a layout with an 8 1/2 x 11 border that is linked to the sheet set manager. We publish these 'details books' to pdf. An engineer or designer can flip through his detail book, print the pages he wants the CAD person to copy, then the CAD person opens the sheet set, opens those sheets, and copy/pastes the details from the master drawing to the project drawing. We've found this actually easier to use and keep up to date than tool palettes.
Comment by Finkel,Ray
Posted on 2010-05-18 13:48:03
There are pros and cons to this method. If you only need a couple of details from teh said sheet, then you are might be doing this multiple times for multiple details from different sheets, depending on the project. If you have a master library, as the previous reponder indicated, you can just xref in those details. The only problem with that is if you update any of those details, it may change a detail you have xref'd to a project, that is already on the streets, thus unknowingly to the AHJ, Client or Contractor that a detail has changed. It should be done by each master detail loaded into the project dierctory, then xref'd OR xref'd then permanently attached to the sheet by binding it. This will prevent errors, which is one of the biggest killers to the Design Proffesionals. It can cause damage to reputation as well as the wallet.