How To Exit Out Of Reference Editing In AutoCAD?

Understanding Reference Editing in AutoCAD

Reference editing in AutoCAD allows users to make changes to external references (Xrefs or blocks) while they are locked in place, ensuring that the original source remains unchanged. When you’re done editing, it’s important to exit the reference editing mode properly to ensure your changes are saved.

Steps to Exit Reference Editing in AutoCAD

Step 1: Locate the Refedit Toolbar

1. Activate the Refedit Tool: To begin, you should have the Refedit toolbar visible. If you don’t see it, you can activate it by using the command line. Type REFEDIT and press Enter. This will bring up the appropriate toolbar for reference editing.

Step 2: Save Your Edits

1. Save Changes: On the Refedit toolbar, locate the button that features a disk icon labelled “Save back changes to reference.” Click this button to ensure any modifications you made are saved back to the original reference.

Step 3: Exit Reference Editing

1. Close the Reference Edit Mode: After saving your changes, you can exit reference editing by clicking on the same disk icon once more or selecting the option to close. You may also choose to type REFCLOSE into the command line to exit this mode.

Alternative Methods to Exit Reference Editing

• Using Command Prompt: If you prefer the command line, simply typing REFCLOSE and pressing Enter will automatically save your changes and exit the reference editing mode.
• Using Right-Click Context Menu: Right-clicking within the drawing area while in reference editing mode often provides options to save and exit directly from the menu.

FAQs

1. Can I cancel reference editing without saving changes?
Yes, when prompted to save changes on exit, you have the option to discard changes. You can click the "Discard" button or type ‘N’ when prompted in the command line.

2. What happens if I forget to save before exiting?
If you leave reference editing without saving, any changes made will be lost. Always ensure you save your edits through the toolbar or command line before exiting.

3. Are there any shortcuts for saving and exiting reference editing?
Using the keyboard shortcuts like Alt + S to save (if configured) and typing REFCLOSE can speed up the process of exiting reference editing without navigating through toolbars.