AutoCAD 2000 introduced several new features that enhance how you work with drawings and external references (xrefs). The Partial Open and Partial Load enhancements give you the ability to load only the portions of a drawing you need to edit. Another new feature allows you to edit external references from the current drawing. Understanding how to use these new features can increase your productivity.
This chapter shows you how to use these new features, and also provides an in-depth review of AutoCAD’s external references. This chapter discusses the following subjects:
AutoCAD’s Partial Open and Partial Load features
When you should use xrefs rather than blocks
Attaching versus overlaying xrefs
Permanently binding xrefs to the current drawing
Clipping xref boundaries
Demand loading, and layer and spatial indexes
Managing xrefs
AutoCAD’s In-Place Reference Editing feature