Dwg attached as Ref - can't Activate/Edit In Place

I'm asking this both on Acad forum and here - it crosses the boundaries.

In Acad, I have a 2D floor plan dwg Xref'd into 2 other files;
firstly Xrefd into a 2D Master dwg;
secondly attached as a Reference into a 3D dgn file.

To start with, in the Acad Master dwg, I could Edit In Place, and the change would propagate through both to the floor plan dwg and from there to the where it is attached in the dgn file.

But now something's changed and when I try to open Edit In Place in the Acad Master dwg, although XEDIT = 1, I get:

"Xref cannot be checked out for editing
[File name}
A file lock already exists on the drawing"

In the dgn when I try to Activate it says;

"File already in use by another user".

I guess it's because the floor plan dwg is Ref'd into 2 drawings, so isn't allowed to be Activate/In Place Edited in either of them? The problem continues even when I close Microstation, and even when I Detach the Ref'd dwg from the dgn file.

It's just funny that it all worked fine to start with.

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  • The fact the file is attached in two files should not matter. What happens when you activate the reference in MicroStation? Are you sure you don't have the file open already or maybe open in both AutoCAD and MicroStation?



    Answer Verified By: fostertom 

  • As simple as that - I had the floor plan dwg open in Acad - now Edit In Place in Acad and Activate in MS both propagate changes in both directions. Seamless, I am impressed. Now a v efficient workflow - thanks. Not often I can really tick 'question answered'.

  • To recap:

    In Acad, I have a 2D floor plan dwg Xref'd into 2 other files;

    firstly Xrefd into a 2D Master dwg;

    secondly attached as a Reference into a 3D dgn file.

    When I Activate the floor plan as Ref in the dgn, then Deactivate, I can no longer open the same floor plan as Xref for Edit in Place in the Master dwg - it says File Locked. Until I close MS completely; then the Xref can be opened for Edit in Place in the dwg, but only after I've said Yes to update the Xref.

    Just Activating and Deactivating the plan as Ref in the dgn seems to lock the plan as Xref in the dwg, and also makes the Xref need updating. And I can't do that update until I've closed MS completely.

    What's happening?

  • Which file was open first the DWG or DGN file?

    May I ask, why not activate the reference file in MicroStation make the changes and then have changes applied so they can appear in the DWG file?

    Why do you have both 2D Master DWG and 3D DGN file open at same time?



    Answer Verified By: fostertom 

  • fostertom,

    There are 2 steps to release a file once you activate it.

    1. Deactivate <Model Name>

    2. Release Lock on <File Name>

    you can typically right-click anywhere and see DEACTIVATE on the popup menu (somewhere)

    you can then right-click on any element from that reference file which should allow you to Release Lock on..

    when you deactivate a reference you still have the ability to UNDO, but once you Release Lock on that file, you will not be able to undo.

    Once you Release Lock on the reference, it should enable you to Edit in-place in AutoCAD, since the lock is released.

    there should also be columns in the Reference Dialog associated with Activated and Locked...

    p.s. the reason exiting MicroStation works, is that all locks are released once the file is closed.

    Brent

  • Thanks, that's v clear.
    Another question - in Acad when an Xref is opened for in-place editing, you can add into it an already-drawn element by selecting it then clicking 'Add to Working Set' (you can also 'Remove from Working Set' an element). Is there anything like that in MS when a Ref is Activated?
  • Unknown said:
    Why do you have both 2D Master DWG and 3D DGN file open at same time?

    Because I make multiple diagrams in 2D Acad, where I am fast and can understand what it means in 3D space, when plans/sections are rotated/aligned with each other as Xrefs in a Master dwg. Refing-in such diagrams helps me line up 3D elements in 3D MS (ABD). I loop between 2D Acad and 3D ABD - e.g. in 3D an intersection line is generated where planes meet and it's easiest to add that into the 2D diagram by Activating it in MS; other things easier by In Place Editing it in the 2D Master dwg in Acad.

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  • Unknown said:
    Why do you have both 2D Master DWG and 3D DGN file open at same time?

    Because I make multiple diagrams in 2D Acad, where I am fast and can understand what it means in 3D space, when plans/sections are rotated/aligned with each other as Xrefs in a Master dwg. Refing-in such diagrams helps me line up 3D elements in 3D MS (ABD). I loop between 2D Acad and 3D ABD - e.g. in 3D an intersection line is generated where planes meet and it's easiest to add that into the 2D diagram by Activating it in MS; other things easier by In Place Editing it in the 2D Master dwg in Acad.

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