eTransmit and File Delivery
A file that opens on your machine but not anyone else's is not a deliverable.
Why this matters
AutoCAD drawings reference external files: XREFs, raster images, font files, pen settings. On your machine, AutoCAD knows where to find all of these. On any other machine, those paths may not exist. A file sent without its dependencies is a broken file. eTransmit packages everything a drawing needs to open correctly into a single archive, regardless of where it's opened. This is the professional standard for digital file delivery, and it is how you will submit every assignment in this course. eTransmit is also how you archive files when they are complete, for progress milestones, and for transfer of process work to other offices.
Before you transmit
Run these two commands on your drawing before packaging it for delivery. Not sometimes. Every time.
| Command | What it does | Why |
|---|---|---|
PURGE (PU) | Removes all unused named objects: layers with no objects, block definitions with no instances, unused linetypes, text styles, dimension styles. Run only for files leaving your office. Do not purge your own archived or submitted files. | Keeps the file size manageable. Prevents foreign styles from earlier blocks or imports from contaminating future files that reference this one. Professional files are clean files. |
AUDIT (AU) | Checks the drawing file structure for errors and offers to repair them | Catches and fixes corruption before it becomes a problem. A drawing that won't open on another machine often failed an audit that was never run. |
Running eTransmit
Type ETRANSMIT. A dialog opens showing the drawing and all its dependencies. Set the type to Folder. Under Options, check Remove Paths from XREFs and Images — this is critical. It strips absolute file paths and makes all references relative within the package, so they resolve correctly when the folder is opened on any machine. Choose your Archive folder as the destination and run.
Verifying the package
Do not assume eTransmit worked correctly. Open the resulting ZIP file. Find the .dwg inside. Open it and confirm that all XREFs resolve — no red X icons in the external references manager, no missing file warnings. If something is broken in the package, it is better to find it now than after submission. This verification step is not optional on a professional deliverable.
Submission protocol
| File | How to create it | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| LastName_01.pdf | PLOT to PDF using DWG to PDF plotter with Dave_Purdue.ctb | The client deliverable — the drawing as it will be seen and printed. Verify all viewports, layers, and lineweights before plotting. |
| LastName_01.zip | eTransmit with Remove Paths checked, saved to Archive folder | The working file archive — contains the DWG and all dependencies. Verify it opens correctly before submitting. |
Both files are submitted before the start of Day 08. A submission that is only a PDF is incomplete. A submission that is only an eTransmit is incomplete. Both are required because they serve different purposes — one is the deliverable, the other is the archive.
Try this
Run eTransmit on your current drawing. Open the resulting ZIP. Find a machine or a mapped drive that doesn't have your working folder accessible — a classmate's machine works. Open the .dwg from inside the ZIP on that machine and check whether all XREFs load without errors. If they do, your eTransmit is correct. If they don't, go back and check whether "Remove Paths from XREFs and Images" was checked before you packaged it. This test is the only reliable way to confirm a clean transmittal.
What breaks
Not removing paths — this is the most common eTransmit error. Absolute file paths (e.g., C:/Users/YourName/Desktop/Project/) are machine-specific. When the package is opened on any other machine, AutoCAD can't find the files because that path doesn't exist. Remove paths so all references are relative within the package folder.
Not including the CTB file — the pen settings file must travel with the drawing package or the recipient cannot match your lineweights. eTransmit should detect and include it; verify it's in the file list before packaging.
Submitting the PDF without checking it — a PDF that looks fine on screen may have a viewport that's accidentally in model space, a layer that's off, or an IMAGEFRAME visible. Preview every page of the PDF before submitting. What you're submitting is what will be graded.