Explore External References

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Keyboard: EXPREFS

Alias: ER

Displays the Explorer with the External References element selected. You can cut, copy, and paste references to external files from one drawing to another. You can use the right-click method to select the external file and bring up a shortcut menu with the cut, copy, and paste commands. Or you can select the external file and use the Windows shortcut keys (Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V) to accomplish the same results.

In the Explorer, you can work with any file that is referenced from an open drawing. In addition to commonly used xrefs, or externally referenced drawing files, you can also manage other attached external files like raster images, .dwf files, .dgn files, .xls/.xlsx files, .pdf files, and point cloud files directly from the Explorer. If your program version supports working with BIM files, you can also manage .ifc, .rvt, and .rfa files.

When you reference an external file from a drawing, the contents of referenced file appear in the current drawing, but the contents themselves are not added to the drawing.

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Attach

Data Link Manager

Explorer

Image Manager

Xref Manager

How do I...

Work with external references