Strange x-ref behavior

I received a civil dwg drawing which included a swimming pool. When the file
is x-ref'd into my drawing, the pool shape changes. Opening the civil file,
the pool is a free-form design but in my drawing the pool appears as a
formal shaped "Roman". I have only one (1) civil drawing for the project so
I haven't accidently attached the wrong file. I'm confused. Has this type of
behavior happened to anyone else?

 

Yes and no. Check the layers on the original to see if there are
several shapes included on different layers. It might be a simple
matter of the wrong layers --and therefore the wrong shape- being
shown.

 

What's "formal"?
Do you see a shape different from the "free-form" one?
What type of entity is that we are talking about?

 

To answer 2 questions at once.

1. All layers are "On" in civil files.
2. The 2 most well know "classic" pools shapes are the rectangle and Roman.
Roman is simply a rectangle with radius centered on each end creating 4
outside corners & 4 inside corners.