Can anyone explain to me like Im 5, the difference between an xref attachment and an overlay?

[Oscar]

my co-workers say always go with overlay and they tried explaining to me but I couldn't understand.

[dlanorh]

  Now sit down son and stop fidgetting. What was that? No the birds and the bees come when your a little older. 

 

An attached XREF is attached to the drawing file and if that drawing is xreffed into another drawing file, it will follow i.e. It is part of the drawing. Result increased drawing sizes and possible circular references (see scenario below)

An overlay XREF is like a transparency and does not follow if the drawing is xreffed into another drawing.

 

Scenario :  DWG "1" is XREF'd into DWG "2" as an attachment. When you XREF DWG "2" into DWG "3" as an attachment it will bring the XREF of DWG "1" with it. This can create circular references if you were to then XREF DWG "3" as an attachment back into DWG "1" not knowing it contains a copy of itself.

Therefore your co-workers are correct by always using overlay to prevent possible problems.

Edited November 11, 2018 by dlanorh

[Oscar]

6 hours ago, dlanorh said:

  Now sit down son and stop fidgetting. What was that? No the birds and the bees come when your a little older. 

 

An attached XREF is attached to the drawing file and if that drawing is xreffed into another drawing file, it will follow i.e. It is part of the drawing. Result increased drawing sizes and possible circular references (see scenario below)

An overlay XREF is like a transparency and does not follow if the drawing is xreffed into another drawing.

 

Scenario :  DWG "1" is XREF'd into DWG "2" as an attachment. When you XREF DWG "2" into DWG "3" as an attachment it will bring the XREF of DWG "1" with it. This can create circular references if you were to then XREF DWG "3" as an attachment back into DWG "1" not knowing it contains a copy of itself.

Therefore your co-workers are correct by always using overlay to prevent possible problems.

 

Thank you! This helped alot