Hi, All,
I am constantly trying to avoid duplication of elements in my designs, and when I design a guitar, I have all the parts in one file (file A), and use it as my working drawing of the instrument. I want the parts to be linked files (file X), which when updated also update “file A”.
I also need to export dxf, and sometimes a surface for the CAM program to use. I also want to be able to share parts with other instrument designs. For example, share the same neck with other body sizes, share the headstock veneer with other instruments, etc.,etc.
I want to have all the files that reference that object (file X) get the updated version. When I used AutoCAD, it had XREF that did this, but I am using Rhino, of course.
In experimenting with all this, I have inserted a file as a linked block. It sort of does what I want.
Here’s what I really want to do:
I would like to bring in a linked file (X) with its layer as the current layer, whose geometry I can manipulate (extrude, etc.), and if the linked geometry has changed, the referencing file (A) will show the updated geometry when I re open it. Of course I would have to re create objects I generated from the old linked file.
AND
Is there a way to have a linked file inserted as a group, instead of a block, OR have the inserted block have its layer as the current layer, instead of the layer I was on when I did the insert command? Did I miss a check box in the process? Inserting a linked file as a group doesn’t appear to show changes when I re open the referencing file A, but inserted as a block does show changes to file X (but not editable without exploding it?
Any ideas would be welcome.