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Status Needs review
Categories Collaboration
Created by Guest
Created on Jan 27, 2021

Reference out large cells of e.g. architecture

We increasingly get files where e.g. the architectural floor plan is "bound" as a cell. Especially in DWGs this appears thepopular method to deliver files with xrefs included as pseudo cells. (Same you do when you SaveAs a DGN and choose the option to include "references as cell")
The levels in the pseudocells come mostly with a prefix on the level name that show the original file name.
It is increasingly hard to work in those files. Moreover if there are nested cells within.
You can go and "fence out" these cells to separate files and then attach them as reference again.
It would be great to have a function to do this in one go. Could preferably also cleanup (compress) the externalized pseudo cells.

  • Guest
    Jan 24, 2026

    " "fence out" these cells to separate files and then attach them as reference again.... It would be great to have a function to do this in one go"

    Should be implemented as part of: MS-I-1734 "Convert nested Cells to Ref attachments" ,

    User Ref attaches a DWG (or converted DWG as DGN). Right-click Attachment in the Ref Dialog and selects "Convert nested Cells to Ref attachments "

    And MS-I-1745 "Convert Ref attachments to nested Cells"

    User sends back DWG or DGN with the XRef, Ref structure that the info was delivered in.