DWG References Use Cases

In AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other CAD software, you can attach a variety of files to drawing (DWG) files as external references (XREFs). When DWG files with XREFs are uploaded for use in Design Collaboration, there are different ways in which the referenced files can be shared and consumed as part of the package process.

In general, if you choose to include references in a package, details of all the associated XREFs can be viewed by other teams. However, only the referenced files that are contained in your team folder or the Shared folder are copied as part of a package. You can't share referenced files that are located in other teams' folders.

This topic describes the currently supported use cases.

Use Case 1

Scenario

You work in Team 1. Files A and B are both in your team folder. File A references file B. You share a package containing file A.

Results

Sharing: Files A and B are copied to the Shared > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copies.

Consuming: When Team 3 consumes the package, files A and B are copied to the Team 3 > Consumed > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copies.

Use Case 2

Scenario

You work in Team 1. File A is in your team folder, and file B is in the Shared > Team 2 folder. File A references file B. You share a package containing file A.

Results

Sharing: File A is copied to the Shared > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copy of file A and the original file B.

Consuming: When Team 3 consumes the package, file A is copied to the Team 3 > Consumed > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copy and the original file B.

Use Case 3

Scenario

You work in Team 1. File A is in your team folder, and file B is in an external location. File A references file B. You share a package containing file A.

Results

Sharing: File A is copied to the Shared > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copy of file A and the original file B.

Consuming: When Team 3 consumes the package, file A is copied to the Team 3 > Consumed > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copy of file A and the original file B.

Use Case 4

Scenario

You work in Team 1. File A is in your team folder. File B is in your Team 1 > Consumed > Team 2 folder, meaning it was previously shared by team 2, and consumed by your team. File A references file B. You share a package containing file A.

Results

Sharing: File A is copied to the Shared > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copy of file A and the copy of file B that already exists in the Shared > Team 2 folder.

Consuming: When Team 3 consumes the package, file A is copied to the Team 3 > Consumed > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copy of file A, and the copy of file B in the Shared > Team 2 folder.

Note: XREFs always link to the latest available version of a file. In this scenario, the copy of file B in the Shared > Team 2 folder may be a more recent version than the one in the Team 1 > Consumed > Team 2 folder.

Use Case 5

Scenario

You work in Team 1. File A1 is in your team folder. File A1 references several files in different locations:

Files A2 and A3, which are also in your team folder.
File B which is in the Team 1 > Consumed > Team 2 folder.
File C, which is in the Shared > Team 3 folder.
File D, which is in an external location.

In addition, file A2 references file D. You share a package containing file A1.

Results

Sharing: Files A1, A2, and A3 are copied to the Shared > Team 1 folder. XREFs are created between the copy of A1 and:

the copies of A2 and A3.
The copy of file B that already exists in the Shared > Team 2 folder.
File C in the Shared > Team 3 folder.
File D in its external location.

An XREF is also created between the copy of file A2 and file D.

Consuming: When Team 4 consumes the package, files A1, A2, and A3 are copied to the Team 4 > Consumed > Team 1 folder. XREFs are created between the copy of file A1 and:

the copies of A2 and A3
The copy of file B that already exists in the Shared > Team 2 folder.
File C in the Shared > Team 3 folder.
File D in its external location.

An XREF is also created between the copy of file A2 and file D.

Use Case 6

Scenario

You work in Team 1. File A is in your team folder. File B is in the Shared > Team 1 folder. File A references file B. You share a package containing file A.

Results

Sharing: File A is copied to the Shared > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copy of file A and the original file B.

Consuming: When Team 3 consumes the package, both files A and B are copied to the Team 3 > Consumed > Team 1 folder, and an XREF is created between the copies. This is because file B was previously shared by Team 1.