What’s New in AutoCAD 2021? Xref Compare – AutoCAD Blog

We’re back with the next installment of our series about the new features and enhancements now available in AutoCAD 2021 and AutoCAD LT 2021! Let’s take a look at the new Xref Compare.

Xref Compare

Now you can use the popular DWG Compare feature for external references (Xrefs) attached to your drawing with Xref Compare.

If a referenced drawing has changed, a notification will automatically display in AutoCAD. Click on the notification to compare changes within the context of your current drawing.

Like DWG Compare, Xref Compare shows you the differences between versions with revision clouds. You can toggle on and off the comparison or scroll through each difference. When you make changes to the current Xref, the differences are highlighted in real time. You can also select the objects from the compared Xref and import them into the current Xref in real time.

Commands and System Variables

New Commands

• XCOMPARE – Compares an attached xref with the latest state of the referenced drawing file.
• XCOMPARECLOSE – Closes the Xref Compare toolbar and ends the comparison.
• XCOMPARERCNEXT – Zooms to the next change set of the xref comparison result.
• XCOMPARERCPREV – Zooms to the previous change set of the xref comparison result.

New System Variables

• COMPARESHOWCONTEXT – Controls the visibility of objects that are not used in the xref comparison.
• XCOMPAREBAKPATH – Specifies the path where the backup xref file is stored.
• XCOMPAREBAKSIZE – Sets the size of the folder where the backup xref file is stored.
• XCOMPARECOLORMODE – Switches the visual effect of objects in the host drawing during an xref comparison.
• XCOMPAREENABLE – Enables the comparison between an xref and the referenced drawing file.

Take a Tour of Xref Compare

Get Going

Next up is a closer look at Block Palettes in AutoCAD 2021. In the meantime, you can check out the What’s New guide to find the latest videos and tutorials about all the new enhancements and features for AutoCAD 2021. And remember you can always download a free trial.