Can I use ʼeTransmitʼ to package a drawing with all its images in BricsCAD?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes — in BricsCAD, you can use etransmit to package a drawing with its referenced images, xrefs, and support files into a ZIP or transmittal folder. This is the most common professional method for sending a complete project set without broken references. Limitation: unreferenced files are not included automatically.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: If an image was attached using an absolute path that no longer resolves, ETRANSMIT may skip it or report it as missing. Also, files loaded from cloud-synced or temporary folders can fail to package reliably if they are not fully available locally.

How to Package a Drawing with Images

  • Command: ETRANSMIT

  • Shortcut: No default shortcut

  • Quick Steps:

    1. Open the drawing, then run ETRANSMIT from the command line or from the application menu/output tools if available.
    2. In the Transmittal dialog, review the file tree and confirm your raster images, xrefs, CTB/STB files, and fonts are listed.
    3. Click Transmittal Setups, choose or modify a setup, then enable options like Include fonts and Bind external references if needed, and create a ZIP or folder package.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: Bind external references / Include fonts / package type (ZIP or folder)

  • Expert Setting: If you enable Bind external references, xrefs are embedded into the transmitted drawing, which helps prevent missing references on the recipient side. If you leave them unbound, path handling becomes more important, especially for image files and nested references.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The drawing contains raster images or PDF underlays that were detached, moved, or renamed after being referenced, so they cannot be found during transmittal.

  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): Images or references stored on read-only, offline, or restricted network locations may appear in the drawing but fail to copy into the package.

  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): ETRANSMIT only packages referenced dependencies it can resolve; it does not collect extra project files that are merely stored in the same folder.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Run xref first and repair any missing image or external reference paths, then rerun ETRANSMIT with a ZIP setup.
  • Manager’s Verdict: Use ETRANSMIT whenever you issue drawings externally or archive deliverables. Avoid manual copy-paste packaging unless the file set is extremely simple and fully checked.

FAQ

Does ETRANSMIT include PNG and JPG attachments?

Yes, if they are attached as referenced image files and their paths resolve correctly.

Can ETRANSMIT create a ZIP package?

Yes, you can choose a ZIP transmittal setup instead of a folder.

Will ETRANSMIT include unloaded xrefs?

Usually yes, if they are part of the reference structure and the source files are accessible.

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