ABS Exchange

Topic: Auditing a drawing can fix a range of enigmatic problems.

AUDIT

Is your drawing:

• Crashing frequently or has it crashed recently?
• Failing to display entities properly?
• Failing to plot properly?
• Not allowing objects to be selected?
• Not allowing new layouts be created?
  
• Displaying error messages other than ARX-related on startup?
• Displaying 'ghost' entities?

If the answer is 'yes' to any of the above, be sure to run a drawing audit:

Command: AUDIT
Fix any errors detected? [Yes/No] : Y

Type 'AUDIT' at the command line, answer 'Y' to the prompt, and if there are any
errors in the drawing a report such as the following example will be generated:

Auditing Header
DXF Name Current Value Validation Default
Invalid anonymous block "*E103" found in Block symbol table.
Changed to normal block "AUDIT_I_070813104108-0".
Non XREF-dependent record "M2.1.6ROMANS" contains vertical bar.
Changed to "AUDIT_I_070813104108-1".
Non XREF-dependent record "M2.1.6.add-1ROMANS" contains vertical bar.
Changed to "AUDIT_I_070813104108-2".
260 Blocks audited
Pass 1 5531 objects audited
Pass 2 5531 objects audited
Pass 3 3700 objects audited
Auditing Entities Pass 3
DXF Name Current Value Validation Default
AcDbEllipse(5438) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(5439) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543A) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543B) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543C) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543D) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543E) XData Handle Unknown Null
AcDbEllipse(543F) XData Handle Unknown Null
Pass 3 31500 objects audited
Total errors found 11 fixed 11

Drawings can contain errors that don't obviously impact normal editing and plotting, until say a new layer or layout is created. If for any reason your drawing seems to be misbehaving, running an audit is easy to do and good standard drawing maintenance practice.

Somewhat more difficult to diagnose is when an xref contains errors, but the xref loads and displays properly. In the obvious case when an xref contains errors and will not load, it needs to be opened and audited, or recovered if it cannot be opened.

However if you continue to experience erratic drawing behavior after running the audit on the working drawing after receiving a 'Total errors found 0 fixed 0' report, then consider running the audit on all loaded xrefs attached to the drawing.

• Open the xref manager by typing 'XF' (or 'XREF') at the command-line,
• Click on the first loaded drawing in the list, then
• Click the 'Open' button
• Once the drawing is opened, run AUDIT and fix errors, then
• Save and close
• Repeat for each loaded xref in the xref manager file listing.

Once all xrefs have been audited and fixed, call-up the xref manager one more time, select all loaded xrefs (holding down the 'Ctrl' key to select multiple) and then click the 'Reload' button. Errors found in attached xref's are an indication, but not a guarantee, that unexpected drawing behavior issues have been solved.

Labels: CAD Tips