Management of multiple DWG files PXREF
This XREF manager is accessed through the Autocad command 'PMS_XREFcommand or by the Basic Palette:
What is a PmsXref:
In an Autocad assignment, there is a single Active DWG file. The PmsXref manager allows you to load, unload, activate, inactivate, freeze and release multiple DWG files within a single session.
For Autocad, there is only one DWG file. Thanks to the PmsXref manager and the Autocad layers notions, it is possible to load several DWG files, to modify them and to save them after modification.
Technically, all entities of a 'PmsXref' "SECTION_ZA" have a layer of the form "SECTION_ZA$LIMITE_PARCELLE".
Safeguards and tools have been developed to facilitate this layer management by PmsXref and to avoid several people working on the same DWG interactively.
Another interesting aspect of this method is that you can have thematic headers.
We start the work with a DWG Header without entities, just to define the aspect and the size of the INSERTS=Symbols.
Then we insert the PmsXref. The symbols of these PXREF are drawn according to the definition of the header.
There are in a way 2 levels of DWG:
- The DWG of the session, which is composed of a header and PXREF. This DWG is often saved locally in a working directory. This
DWG is temporary, it allows you to modify and process the drawing locally. When you save this file, you make what is called a "general backup".
These backups are local and do not modify the AXIS graphics database. They are used as a security measure in case of a PC or Autocad crash.
- PXREFs. They are part of the file and are the only ones that matter to AXIS. They are shared by everyone and are located on the network. As long as you haven't backed up the PXREFs you are working on, no one else has the changes you just made. For AXIS, it is only these PXREF files that count.
This division of the site into PXREFs can be done according to geography (ZA section, ZB section, Cliche122) or by theme (Topo survey, Land supplement...).
To avoid certain problems within Autocad, in particular at the level of the names of layers, avoid using certain special or accented characters as well as spaces to name your files. Prefer the '_' to the space ' '.
Backups while you work.
As mentioned above, there are 2 notions of backups:
- The general backup: Command: SAUVEGRD , Autocad backup command of the current DWG. This backup can be automatic (see Autodesk Documentation) or manual (CTRL+S) or Menus>>.
In this file, all the information relative to the PXREF is stored. It is therefore possible to copy it to another computer to continue the work of a colleague.
If you have problems with a function, save this file under another name and send it to a developer to explain what is wrong
- The PXREF backup. It is usually done on the network and updates the AXIS database.
At this level, there is only one ".bak" created for each saved PXREF.
Features of the PXREF manager
Order: PMS_XREF
This dialog box allowing the management of PXREFs is similar in its operation to the management of Autocad layers.
There is in particular the notion of 'CURRENT PXREF' comparable to the 'Current Layer' of Autocad. This current PXREF is chosen by 'double clicking' on the corresponding cell of the 'PXREF' column.
This 'Current PXREF' appears in GREEN in the table. Any new entry will be in this 'CURRENT PXREF'.
Options of this PXREF Manager:
-
(SZ_B01) To create new PXREFs. Enter the list of new PXREFs you want to create, separated by commas.
In our case, we have entered '1ER,RCH,GROUNDPLAN', so we want to create 3 DWG Files: '1ER.DWG', 'RCH.DWG' and 'GROUNDPLAN.DWG'.
If the construction file is "I:/37/3710/371027/371027.CHT", then the corresponding DWGs will be: "I:/37/3710/371027/3710271ER.DWG", "I:/37/3710/371027/371027RCH", etc..
-
(SZ_B02) To load existing PXREFs; in other words, insert DWGs from the folder.
Note: It is also possible to drag DWGs into this list to achieve the same result.
An explorer allows you to select files, load or save lists. The notion of list is interesting in the case of important files.
You can create lists of files like for example the list "CADASTRE" which would contain all the DWG related to the digitization of cadastral sections.
These lists are stored in the file 'CHT'
-
To save the selected PXREFs. If another station has modified this PXREF while you are modifying it, you are notified with a message:
Before being overwritten, a copy of the current file is made on the server in the directory"F:\PMS3D\PXREF_Ecrase\025E02__UNKNOWN__NOMPOSTE__.DWG".
-
) To unload the selected PXREFs from the current assignment. Remember to save the PXREFs before you unload them.
-
To select all PXREFs or reverse the selection.
- ) To enter in the basic DWG (without PXREF).
- ) Destroys the 'TEMP' PXREF if it exists and recreates a new one Empty.
This is a quick and easy way to create a temporary PXREF to hold temporary entities
- ) To associate different colors to the automatically selected PXREFs. When a PXREF is in forced color, all its LAYERs take this color. With the exception of PMS3DPOLY, entities with a forced color do not change. For PMS3DPOLY, the COLOR option of the CARTO box, in particular the position of letter 'Z' determines the color of these Entities
- To select (place) the CURRENT PXREF by graphically selecting an entity of that PXREF
- To select all PXREFs affected by a selection set. The entities are selected graphically
- To decompose an Autocad XREF or a .DGN inserted in PXREF (type PMS3D).
- To open in Windows Explorer, the folder of this PROJECT
- To create an Autocad type XREF by a simple DROP of DWG File on this button. This DWG is inserted at point 0,0 , whatever the Current UCS is
- To create an Autocad type DGN_XREF block by a simple DROP of DGN or ATLAS file on this button. This DWN is inserted at point 0,0 , whatever the Current UCS is
- List of DWG or DXF files loaded or to be loaded in this session.
A double click on one of them allows you to modify their title or their folder .
By a right click, you display the following menu which allows you to make operations on the current selection
- To select this PXREF as the CURRENT PXREF.
- To Save, Empty or both Save and Empty the Selected PXREFs.
- To reload the selected PXREF(s). Changes, if any, are lost. This is a method of returning to a previous situation.
- & To reassign entities (to be selected graphically) in this PXREF The entities in question change layer, so they are moved from one PXREF to another.
The files will take into account this modification only at the time of the next safeguard of these PXREF.
- To duplicate entities (to be selected graphically) in this PXREF.
- To associate a GROUP of entities with a PXREF. Depending on the option, invisible entities are not put in the Group.
The last option eliminates the Group linked to this PXREF.
- To edit the title or path for the selected PXREFs.
- By double clicking, you choose the current PXREF. It appears in GREEN.
- According to the same principle as for the Autocad layers, you activate, deactivate, freeze, release all the layers of a PXREF.
- Same operation but to put in interactive mode or in read mode. A PXREF in read mode is not saved.
- To assign the same color to an entire PXREF. The color DUCALQUE or DUBLOC restores the original colors.
- ) Information about the date the PXREF was last saved, its size and its Title
- To validate or CANCEL the PXREF loading or modification operation.
- To validate the loading or modification of PXREF without closing the dialog box.
- To remove (Purge) unnecessary layers when emptying a PXREF.
- To name blocks differently if they are in different PXREFs. The block 'POTEAU' becomes 'NomPXref|POTEAU'.
- To eliminate proxy entities related to an application that we do not have (Unknown and unmanaged entities).
- ) To enable/disable entity selection by Group or No. In the case of a Grouped PXREF, if this option is checked, clicking on an entity selects all entities in the Group.
- If Active, the XREFs contained in a PXREF are transformed into a new PXREF.
Handle with care as XREFs are a bit like PXREFS within PXREFS and entities can be linked.
- If we want to clean the XDATA from external entities, we filter the applications we want to keep. Each of them is separated by ','. Our application is called 'PMS'.
