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Using cad with xrefs

We use AutoCad in the office and it is always an issue when working on a project where the file uses links and more than one person has to work on it. If person A opens a file (ex: Planting Plan.dwg) with links, they are linked through that person's computer user name since we each hold Dropbox files on our drive. For example: cad file has a link to civil base file (/Users/A/Dropbox/Current projects/Hotel/CIVIL_BASE.dwg). If person B wants to open the same file (Planting Plan.dwg) after person A closes the file then the link will be broken to the civil base because the they are user B and now user B has to re-link the file so that it is: /Users/B/Dropbox/Current projects/Hotel/CIVIL_BASE.dwg. Is there a work around this issue? Does anyone using Dropbox as a server have a work around?

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Rich

The only solution will be to have everyone move their Dropbox folder to a common location, such as C:\Dropbox, and ensure that they haven't moved or renamed the shared folders where these files exist (a user can move or rename a share and it only applies for them). If everyone does that, the links would be the same for everyone; C:\Dropbox\Current Projects\etc\etc.

Edit: It's also worth mentioning that this isn't a Dropbox issue. Instead, it's due to the fact AutoDesk uses the full path to a linked file, instead of a relative path. In fact, most applications that allow linked or embedded files will use the full path.

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Rich

quetzal

Thank you Rich. This sounds like it should take care of it! I'll try that.

Freeedom

Hi,

A few years back I manually installed Dropbox to my pc and then provided instuctions to several other drafters I was working with that were able to file path photo libraries, xrefs etc with ease. This was something I came up with to avoid the hassle of re-pathing external references etc. Does anyone have instructions on how to to all of this as I appeat to have lost the instructions I sent...

I'm sure all is pretty straight forward although these instructions were made nearly 3 years ago and Dropbox may have changed installation methods since then. Thanks

SR20

did anyone or you figure out the instructions? I'm having the same issue and looking to resolve this with my small team.

quetzal

Yes SR20, the reply above is what took care of it for us.

Heres the full deets:

You have to move the location of your Dropbox folder into your Applications (if you are on a mac). Everyone else has to do the same so that the path is identical. Or else you each have an individual path (i.e. User/SR20/project/base.dwg VS User/SR45/project/base.dwg). When you update the location to a common folder then the path will match for all of you (i.e. Applications/project/base.dwg).

Go to to your web preferences for Dropbox on the upper right task bar, go to pull down menu of the user icon, select preferences. Go to the Sync tab and down at the bottome select the location to be a common location which for us it was the Applications folder (again we are on macs, not sure how the PC would differ). Once all the users do this, the paths for xrefs, etc should now all be the same.

Good luck!

lizzie32

About using xrefs in a team where both platforms are being used: Does anyone know how to work between macs and pcs with this? For example, do you put Dropbox in Applications for Mac and in C: for PC's, and then the rest of the path is the same?