JTB FixRefs

No more headache with "File Not Found" errors showing all over your Xref palette. With JTB FixRefs, you can handle fixing them all on a spreadsheet. If you find AutoCAD's Reference Manager limited in functionality or need it for BricsCAD, try JTB FixRefs. 

First, you select drawings, or all drawings in a folder and/or subfolders. A spreadsheet will bring up and list all your reference files in all your drawings, including Xrefs, Datalinks (Excel links), Raster Images, PDFs, DWFs, and DGNs.

There are Saved Paths column and Fixed Paths column

If files not found, in most cases, JTB FixRefs can automatically find them for you and show them in Fixed Paths column.

Finally, click the "Run" button. Then, JTB FixRefs will go through listed drawings and external references and apply the new specified paths.

Edit/Commands dialog box.

Additional Features:

• Version of updated DWG files is retained. 
• Filter your drawings and references. 
• Convert file paths from absolute paths to relative paths and vice versa.
• Rename the reference objects.
• Detach, Unload, Reload. 
• Bind xrefs. 
• Option to retain date modified after saving.
• Button to open drawing's folder in Window Explorer. 

Trial license is available for 15 days since first installation. Trial license is also limited to process up to 10 drawings only.

Trial License will expire in 15 days after first usage. Support is available during the trial as well as after purchase.

JTB FixRefs can be downloaded here, or in Autodesk App Store or by contacting us.

If purchase has been done via Autodesk App Store the download is available on the Autodesk App Store My Downloads page. Sign in with the same account used when purchasing.

Subscribe to our JTB FixRefs newsletter or any of our other Newsletters.

Operating system: same as the CAD software is running on.

Compatible with AutoCAD versions (2013 and up to AutoCAD 2025). Works with all flavors/verticals based on AutoCAD like AutoCAD Architecture (ACA), AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Electrical , AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD MEP (AMEP, ABS), AutoCAD P&ID, AutoCAD Plant 3D, Autodesk Advance Steel.

BricsCAD Pro or Platinum 15 and newer is supported. BricsCAD Lite is not supported. 

Contact us if support for other CAD software is needed.

New license: 125 USD for one license of JTB FixRefs or less depending on the quantity of licenses.

Purchase directly from us. Click on Buy Now below.

Purchase JTB FixRefs from the Autodesk App Store site.

Upgrade license: 60 USD for one license of JTB FixRefs or less depending on the quantity of licenses. 

If you have really many users that you want to give access to this software we can discuss a discounted price based on your particular situation. Educational discounts available.

The license is perpetual. Support and upgrades is included for a minimum of 2 years after purchase. If you have more than one computer and you are the only user of the application one license is enough.

Once installed, the app is running in Trial Mode, with Trial License. Trial License will expire 15 days after first usage. See activation instructions here: JTB World Apps Licensing. 

If purchase has been done via Autodesk App Store the download is available on the Autodesk App Store My Downloads page. Sign in with the same account used when purchasing.

See activation instructions here: JTB World Apps Licensing. 

Start the app from the Add-ins tab on the Ribbon in AutoCAD, JTB FixRefs menu in BricsCAD or with the command FixRefs. 

Select files or folders. 

Use checkbox "Including Xref Drawings If Found" to also add any found xrefs to the list of drawings. 

Checkbox Retain Date gives the option to retain date modified after saving. 

This is how JTB FixRefs find the missing reference file:

For example when your old file path is "T:\A\B\C\D\E\Your Ref Filename", and you move your host drawing to a new folder "M:\New Location\Project 1", and you change the subfolder structure a little. Then, JTB FixRefs will check these file paths to see if it is available:

"M:\New Location\Project 1\A\B\C\D\E\Your Ref Filename"

"M:\New Location\Project 1\B\C\D\E\Your Ref Filename"

"M:\New Location\Project 1\C\D\E\Your Ref Filename"

"M:\New Location\Project 1\D\E\Your Ref Filename"

"M:\New Location\Project 1\E\Your Ref Filename"

"M:\New Location\Project 1\Your Ref Filename"

In case all those file paths do not exist, you have to enter the new file paths to the Fixed Paths column. Since it is a spreadsheet, it is pretty easy to do using copy, paste tools

You can select all the spreadsheet, copy and paste it to Excel. Then, in Excel, you can edit the paths using Excel's more powerful tools like Find and Replace, functions, etc. Finally, paste the data back properly to JTB FixRefs.

There are two tabs in the JTB FixRefs windows: the "Drawings" tab and the "External References" tab.

On each tab, you can see additional info of drawings and references objects: error when open drawing, error when saving drawing, drawing version, file not found, object is unreferenced, error when run fixing.

Known issue:

If your drawing is already open, renamed object won't appear on the External References palettes until drawing is saved and reopen.

2024-12-02 - version 4.0.0 download

• Added support for AutoCAD 2025.
• Added support for BricsCAD V25.
• Fixed unhandled bug.

2023-04-14 - version 3.6.0 download

• Added AutoCAD 2024 support. 

2022-10-18 - version 3.5.0

• Added BricsCAD support.

2022-05-17 - version 3.4.1

• Fixed bug in License file version 4.7.2

2022-05-11 - version 3.4.0

• Fixed bug raster image gets unloaded after changing its path location.
• Minor enhancement in progression bar's messages

2022-04-25 - version 3.3.0

• Added AutoCAD 2023 support.

2021-10-21 - version 3.2.2

• Fixed bug in renaming xrefs

2021-10-19 - version 3.2.1

• Fixed bug in renaming xrefs

2021-09-12 - version 3.2.0

• Added Bind Xrefs command.

2021-07-15 - version 3.1.0

• Minor improvement in the file dialog window.
• Remove messages about uninstallation in very-silent installation mode.

2021-06-19 - version 3.0.1

• Added Test to Bind Xrefs (did not work good enough)

2021-06-08 - version 3.0.0

• Added Detach, Unload, Reload commands
• Added command to change Xref from Attached to Overlay and vice versa
• Highlight edited paths
• Add Edit commands to find and replace texts, and copy file names from column to column.

2021-04-13 - version 2.0.1

• Added AutoCAD 2022 support

2020-09-12 - version 2.0.0

• Retain drawing's thumbnail and xref override properties after saving
• Added option to retain date modified after saving
• Added button to open drawing's folder in Window Explorer

2020-07-26 - version 1.5.0

• Add support for DXE files

• Upgrade to License 4.3

2020-05-08 - version 1.4.0

• Added AutoCAD 2021 support. 

2019-11-08 - version 1.3.0

• Fixed error when scan drawings in a root folder or if some of the sub folders are not accessible. 
• Improved select drawings action with new options.

2019-06-30 - version 1.2.4

• Fixed compatibility issue with the new version of the grid.

2019-06-03 - version 1.2.3

• Minor UI bug fixed.

2019-05-20 - version 1.2.2

• Minor UI issue fixed.

2019-04-22 - version 1.2.1

• Minor change in rename command.

2019-04-15 - version 1.2.0

• Initial release.

The license agreement is found here.

Some JTB FixRefs Customers

ARUP

Johnson, Mirmiran and Thompson

AECOM

Clark

SSFM International, Inc.

JTAM Engineering, LLC

Goldfish and Bay

Poe & Associates, Inc.

C.E.M. SOLUTIONS, INC

Adservco Group

 More customers are found here.