drawing disapears when exploding

I received a very complex drawing from a building contractor (29 mb -
over 600 layers). I need to extract some layers and copy it to another
(blank) dwg.
So far I managed to reduce the size to about 6mb by exploding, deleting
unwanted parts and purging. The number of layers is reduced to 83.
At this stage I am hitting a wall: whenever I select a line with the
mouse the whole dwg is highlighted. When I explode further, part of the
drawing is deleted exactly the part I need. I tried group: can only
find numerous unnamed groups - too many to explode one by one. Also
when i doe that the unnamed groups do not go away after exploding them.
They keep on coming back.
I tried to copy the dwg to a new dwg but nothing is inserted in the new
dwg.
Anybody has an idea of what is going on here?

 

You probably checked for this but it can't hurt to double check- are any
layers off or frozen?

 

Yes I checked and no layers are off or frozen. I also tried XPLODE (XP)
and this also deletes the part of the drawing I need.

 

When we receive drawings from Architects who use add-on programs to
create their drawings the same problem you are describing happens. You
can't extract anything to a new drawing and if you explode it, it either
disappears or turns into 3 lines, one right on top of the other all on
layer 0. We usually request that they explode the drawing in their
program before sending it to us. Then I can usually erase, change layer
color and/or turn off enough layers to clean up the drawing and make it
friendly for my mech. work.

The boss knows when we work with this certain arch. that he needs to add
on several more hours of my time for this drawing manipulation. It's a
pain in the rump. (Can I say rump?)

J

 

What happens when you issue the LIST command and select the line that seems
attached to everything else?
Have you tried using WBLOCK to get the stuff into a new file and then
explode?
What version are you using?

 

Command: list

Select objects: 1 found

Select objects:

BLOCK REFERENCE Layer: "COND-CWS"
This is the result of LIST

Space: Model space
Handle = 8b05
Block Name: "CEPLNDRYUpper12282005"
at point, X=1823'-6 1/2" Y=422'-10 1/2" Z= 0'-0"
X scale factor: 1.00
Y scale factor: 1.00
rotation angle: 0
Z scale factor: 1.00
Scale uniformly: No
Allow exploding: Yes

Using WBLOCK gives the same result: deletes the information I am after.

 

Forgor to say: I am using AutoCAD 2006 Mechanical

 

Well....it's a block, not a line. When you explode it disappears, and no
layers are off or frozen?

 

No layers are off or frozen. I have no single lines left on the drawing
anymore. The whole drawing highlights when I mouse over any part of the
drawing. It does not matter on which part I click to explode but when I
explode it PART of the drawing disappears - The part that diappears are
all related to one single trade (air duct contractor). The rest is
still there. And it is the part that disappears that I need....

 

Also, Ichecked again on the groups:
There are no named groups.
There are THOUSANDS of unnamed groups (I stopped scrolling at about
2500)....

 

try making a block of this item & inserting into a new drawing & explode
it... see what happens. i bet the problem will be fixed & you can change the
layers & then re-insert it back into the original file.

 

Been there done that... with exactly the same result.

 

xrefs?

 

none left... everything on the dwg has been deleted except for this one
single block(?) or whatever this is...

 

The LIST would have indicated that, and it wouldn't explain the
disappearance.

 

In spite of all your tries & efforts, wouldn't it be more efficient to get
ahold of the contractor & ask for what you need & have it sent? Just
curious..........

Dan

 

Is it possible the item was a raster in a block?
I more or less just reproduced your situation with a raster in a block, then
detaching the raster.
It continued to show until I tried to explode the block.

 

I have not tried to save it to a lower version but I tried to save to a
dxf. The resulting dxf is huge at 53 mb. However when I try to open it
again it gives an error in line x and than tels me it discarded the
drawing. I also tried to recover but that does not work also.
Sure it might be possible to ask the contractor, but that did not work
either... Those guys on that project are not very cooperative.
I came acros something interesting in the AutoCAD Mechanical 2006
discussion group on the Acad website. Somebody advised me to get
information on the Object Enabler. It looks like this might be
something but I have not had time to check it out yet.
Anybody else has experience with this?

 

Try burst its in the bonus/express tools. after bursting the drawing
save the drawing as a acad 12 dwg if you have the option, it gets rid
of most of the aec objects.