Reference Drawing Tools

Reference Drawing Tools ( Modeling )

Tool summary :

Opens a window for managing reference drawings in the model. From the window, you can add, move, show or delete reference drawings.
Reference drawings from the Drawing Editor can be details , job standard details , reference drawings or 2D erection views . A .dxf, .dxb, .dwg, .dgn or .pdf file from an outside source can also be linked to. The drawings can help you do member layout and checking.
A " Show " check box is available on the Reference Drawing Tools window (shown below) for each reference drawing that has been placed in the model and can be used to turn on ( ) or turn off ( ) the display of that reference drawing.

The Reference Drawing Tools window.

To open the Reference Drawing Tools window:
- Method 1 : Click the Reference Drawing Tools icon. The icon can be taken from the group named ' Model -- Reference Drawing ' and placed on a toolbar (classic) or the ribbon (lightning).
- Method 2 : If " Modeling layout style " is ' Classic ', you can use the menu system to choose Model > Reference Drawing > Reference Drawing Tools .
- Method 3, 4 or 5 : Reference Drawing Tools can also be configured to be invoked using a keyboard shortcut , the context menu , or a mode . For the lightning interface, this configuration is done using Customize Interface .
The insertion point for a reference drawing can be changed in the Drawing Editor using Verify Reference Point , or it can be changed here, on this window, using the " Set Reference Point " button.

Also see :

VIDEO

Using " Add " " Set Reference Point " " Move " and " Show " on the Reference Drawing Tools window. The reference drawing, with the point locator REFD , is used to do a Cut Layout . (Recorded in , v7.3.)

Reference Drawings in Modeling (topic)
REFD ( Locate option for reference drawings)

The " Name " column :

The items listed in this column on the Reference Drawing Tools window are drawings that have been added as reference drawings using Add Reference Drawing .
Drawings that have been removed -- by pressing " Erase " or " Erase All " -- are not listed.
Drawing types that may be listed are details , job standard details , reference drawings or 2D erection views . No other drawing types can be added to the model.

The " Show " column :

VIDEO

Check boxes in the " Show " column can turn on or off the display of reference drawings in Modeling . (Recorded in , v7.3.)

shows the reference drawing, so that it is visible in the model.
hides the reference drawing, so that it is not visible in the model.
The " Hide All " and " Show All " buttons can be used to change the hidden/shown state for all items that are listed. To change the state for individual items, simply click the box for those items to shown ( ) or hidden ( ).
Even when a drawing is set to " Show," it may still remain hidden if it was placed outside of the " Depth Checking " limits. Also, it may not be shown if you are in a view that it is not visible in.

The " Last Updated " column :

For a reference drawing that was created using Link Reference Drawing , the entry made to this column is the ' date and time ' that the drawing was created.
For other reference drawings and all other listed drawings, ' Unset ' is entered.

Add Reference Drawing :

You can add a detail , job standard detail , reference drawing or 2D erection view as a reference drawing in Modeling . If necessary, add construction lines that intersect at an appropriate INCL location for placing the reference drawing's insertion point. A reference drawing should be added in a view of the same orientation as the reference drawing. For example, if the reference drawing is a plan view, it should be added in a plan view. For some situations, you may find it easier to adjust the drawing's orientation in the Drawing Editor prior to adding it. Be aware that, if the reference drawing was previously added, it will be automatically placed at its previous location -- see step 3, possibility 2.

Tips: If " Add Reference Drawing " shows you that the drawing is rotated wrong, right-click ( Return ) to cancel the operation, then Open ( Ctrl + o ) a different Modeling view or adjust the drawing in the Drawing Editor before trying to add it again. If the drawing orientation is fine, but you have problems positioning it exactly where you want it, go head and place the drawing anyway, then use " Set Reference Point " and " Move " to reposition it later.

VIDEO

" Add " is used to add a beam detail and a group member detail as reference drawings. " Show " turns off the display of the reference drawings. Also see the video at the top of this page. (Recorded in , v7.3.)

1 . Invoke Add Reference Drawing using any one of the following methods:

Method 1 : Press the " Add " button on the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ).

Methods 2, 3 & 4 : Choose Model > Reference Drawing > Add (classic), or click the Reference Drawing Add icon, or use a keyboard shortcut . For the lightning interface, configuration of the ribbon and keyboard shortcuts is done using Customize Interface .

2 . The Select One Reference Drawing window opens.

2nd_Floor

HVAC_Plan

Site_Drawing

Optional for details : The " Hide ... " button lets you adjust which members are shown on the selection list when " Details " is the selected drawing type. The " Show All " button shows details that are not current.

2a : Select the drawing type ( ' Details ' or ' Job standard details ' or ' Reference drawings ' or ' Erection views ') that you want to be listed in the window.

2b : Double-click the name of the drawing you want (or select it, then press " OK ").

3 . If you have previously placed the drawing you selected in step 2 but have since erased it, see possibility 2. If you selected a drawing that you have never before placed, see possibility 1.

bindings, possibility 1

Possibility 1 : Locate - Pan - Return mouse bindings become active along with various Locate options. The reference drawing is shown on screen. Place your mouse pointer ( ) so that the point location target snaps to the on-screen location where you want the reference drawing to be placed, then left-click ( Locate ). Tip: If, instead of left-click ( Locate ) you press the Esc key or right-click ( Return ), you will cancel the Add operation, and no drawing will be placed.

Possibility 2 : The drawing that you previously placed but have since erased automatically is placed at the same location where you placed it previously. If you want to move that drawing, use " Move ."

Possibility 3 : If, in step 2, you selected a drawing that you already have placed, Add Reference Drawing will notify you that the " Reference drawing is already active in the model ." A reference drawing can only be placed once, at a single location in the model. If you want to place the drawing more than once, you need to use Save As in the Drawing Editor to make a copy of that drawing.

4 . The newly added reference drawing will be shown in the model. On the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ), you will find that the name of the drawing you added is listed and that " Show " is checked ( ).

Link Reference Drawing :

You can link to .dxf, .dxb, .dwg, .dgn or .pdf files in Modeling . The externally-linked drawing is added to your 3D model in the same manner as it is when you " Add " a reference drawing.

YouTube video: Linking to a PDF in the model.

1 . If necessary, add construction lines that intersect at an appropriate INCL location for placing the linked drawing's insertion point. A reference drawing should be linked in a view of the same orientation as the reference drawing. For example, if the reference drawing is a plan view, it should be linked in a plan view at the proper elevation. Invoke Link Reference Drawing using any one of the following methods:

Method 1 : Press the " Link " button on the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ).

Methods 2, 3 & 4 : Choose Model > Reference Drawing > Link (classic), or click the Reference Drawing Link icon, or use a keyboard shortcut .

2 . A file selection window opens so that you can select the file that you want to import.

2a : Confirm the selection for " Files of type " -- select ' Drawing files (all drawing types) ', ' Autodesk (*.dwg, *.dxf, *.dxb, *.DXF *.DXF, *.DXB) ', ' Bentley (*.dgn, *.DGN) ', or ' PDF (*.pdf, *.PDF) '. The file you choose must have an extension that indicates its type, or else it will not be imported.

2b : Click folders ( ) until you have opened the directory in which the file you want is placed. Select the file ( ) that you want. Press the " Open " button.

3 . The selected .dxf, .dxb, .dwg, dgn or .pdf file is converted into a reference drawing .

3a : A progress bar appears on screen. You may get " Did not import ... " warnings for items that cannot be imported, but other entities in the drawings will be converted. If the drawing cannot be converted -- for example, because the version of the file is not recognized -- you will be notified of such.

4 . The reference drawing that was created in step 3 is added to the model. On the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ), you will find that the name of the drawing that you added is listed and that " Show " is checked ( ).

To view the reference drawing: In the Drawing Editor , Open the job reference drawing into which the .dxf, .dxb, .dwg, .dgn and/or .pdf files has been converted. The name of the reference drawing will be the name of the .dxf, .dxb, .dwg, .dgn and/or .pdf file, minus the extension. The drawing name will be truncated to 53 characters if the original file that the drawing was converted from had a name that was longer than 53 characters.

You cannot save changes that you make to such reference drawings in Drawing Editor . You can, however, scale the drawing in Modeling when, on the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ), you select the drawing and press the " Scale Drawing Single Axis " or " Scale Drawing Double Axis " button. This changes the reference drawing.

A tip for viewing linked PDF drawings: If your image appears without text or lines in Drawing Editor , choose Objects > Layers > Layer Edit All . The Edit Layers window will open. Turn off the "PDF Image Layer." This action may reveal text and linework when you press " OK ". That is because some PDF files may contain a white background image. Such a file, when imported into a reference drawing, will appear in Drawing Editor to have no text or lines, since they are assigned upon import to a pen that, like the background image, displays white and is obscured by it.

HOW/2: PDF IMPORT (a downloadable .pdf file)

The " Move " button :

VIDEO

The " Move " button updates a reference drawing in the model with changes made in the Drawing Editor . To update a reference drawing without moving that drawing, use the " Refresh " button. (Recorded in , v7.3.)

The " Move " button lets you reposition a reference drawing in the model. A direct alternative to this button is Reference Drawing Move . Although the reference drawing will be refreshed when you move it, you may want to press the " Refresh " button before you move it

1 . On the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ), select the reference drawing that you want to move.

2 . Press the " Move " button.

3 : Locate- Pan -Return mouse bindings become active along with various Locate options. Select the Locate option that you want (if it's not selected already).

bindings

Alternative 1 : Place your mouse pointer ( ) so that the point location target snaps to the on-screen location where you want the reference drawing to be placed, then left-click ( Locate ). The reference drawing is now placed as shown, with its reference point at the location you picked.

Alternative 2 : Right-click ( Return ) to cause the reference drawing to go back to its original location.

The " Set Reference Point " button :

This button is a direct alternative to doing a Verify Reference Point in the Drawing Editor . The button can be used to change the insertion point that is used when you " Add Reference Drawing " or " Move " or " Scale... " a drawing. The actual Drawing Editor drawing will change as a result of this operation. The drawing's current position in the model will be unaffected.

1 . The status line prompts, "Verify the reference point?" A reference point symbol identifies the reference point's location on the drawing. Yes - No mouse bindings become active.

bindings

reference point symbol

Alternative 1 : Left-click ( Yes ) if the reference point is where you want it, and you want to end this operation. Do not continue.

Alternative 2 : Right-click ( No ) to relocate the reference point. Go to step 2.

2 . Locate- Pan -Return mouse bindings become active along with various Locate options.

bindings

Alternative 1 : Select the Locate icon that you want (if it's not selected already), then place the mouse pointer ( ) so the point location target snaps to the on-screen location where you want the reference point moved to, then left-click ( Locate ). Follow the instructions in step 1.

Alternative 2 : Right-click ( Return ) to cancel this operation and keep everything as it was before step 1.

Note: Doing a Verify Reference Point in the Drawing Editor after performing a " Set Reference Point " operation in Modeling will show you that the actual drawing in the Drawing Editor has changed. To verify in Modeling that the reference point has changed, do a " Move " operation.

The " Scale Drawing Single Axis " button :

This button invokes the Scale Drawing Single Axis tool. Use this to scale drawings that you " Add " in the Reference Drawing Tools window.

The " Scale Drawing Double Axis " button :

This button invokes the Scale Drawing Double Axis tool. Use this to scale drawings that you " Add " in the Reference Drawing Tools window.

The " Erase " button :

VIDEO

Model > Reference Drawing > Erase removes a reference drawing from the model. The same result can be achieved using the " Erase " button. Re-adding the reference drawing demonstrates that the original placed location of that drawing continues to be remembered even after the drawing has been erased. (Recorded in , v7.3.)

Pressing the " Erase " button makes the reference drawing that is selected disappear, so that when you press " Show All " it will not be shown. Also, the drawing will no longer be listed on the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ). A direct alternative to this button is Reference Drawing Erase .

1 . On the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ), select the reference drawing that you want to erase.

2 . Press the " Erase " button.

3 : The selected reference drawing is erased from the model, and its entry is removed from the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ).

Tip: To restore a reference drawing that you erased, just Add it again, and it will automatically be restored back to the precise location it was erased from.

The " Erase All " button :

Pressing the " Erase All " button makes all reference drawings that have been placed in the model disappear. As a result, no reference drawings will be shown when you press " Show All ." Also, no drawings will be listed on the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ). A direct alternative to this button is Erase All Reference Drawing s.

1 . Press the " Erase All " button.

2 . A yes-no warning dialog opens.

	Erase all reference drawings?.

Alternative 1 : Press the " Yes " button to erase the drawings. Go to step 3.

Alternative 2 : Press the " No " button to end this operation without erasing the reference drawings. Do not continue.

3 . All reference drawings are erased from the model, and their entries are removed from the Reference Drawing Tools window ( this window ).

Tip: To restore a reference drawing that you erased, just Add it again, and it will automatically be restored back to the precise location it was erased from.

The " Hide All " button :

Pressing the " Hide all " button makes all reference drawings that have been placed in the model be hidden. All of the drawings that are listed on this window will be set to " Show ."

The " Show All " button :

Pressing the " Show all " button makes all reference drawings that have been placed in the model be shown. All of the drawings that are listed on this window will be set to " Show ."

Note: Even when a drawing is set to " Show ," it may still remain hidden if it was placed outside of the " Depth checking " limits. Also, it may not be shown if you are in a view that it is not visible in.

The " Refresh " button :

If you or somebody else on your network does a Save of a change made in the Drawing Editor to any drawing that has already been placed as a reference drawing, you can press the " Refresh " button in order to see that change applied in Modeling . A direct alternative to this button is Refresh Reference Drawings .

All reference drawings in Modeling are updated when you press the " Refresh " button. They are updated to reflect the last-saved changes made to them in the Drawing Editor . Even reference drawings that are not visible in your current view -- including those set to " Show " -- will be refreshed.

The " Close " button :

Pressing the " Close " button closes this window, nothing more. Any operation you performed on this window will have been performed on-the-fly at that time, before you pressed " Close ."