Proxygraphics vs. Object Enabler
A few weeks ago I was in on Civil 3D group chat in which someone asked, “Is it better to save a drawing with the proxygraphics turned on or to have someone install an object enabler to better see the Civil 3D objects?
To properly answer this question, though we need to know who the person is receiving the drawing file. Are they a user of Autodesk products or not? If they are using Autodesk products, then I highly recommend installing the Civil 3D Object Enabler so they can better see the Civil 3D objects. If they are using a non-Autodesk product to open .dwg files then I would recommend turning on the proxygraphics for them to see the drawing properly.
So what’s the difference? Proxygraphics simply saves an image of the of the screen when you close out of the drawing so that other non-Autodesk software can open and view the image. It also increased your file size. Take a look at this simple drawing comparison I have of the same drawing. . .one with the proxygrphics off and the other with the proxygraphics on. You can see that the file with the proxygraphics on is slightly larger than the one in which it is not turned on:
If you are sending the Civil 3D file to someone who is using an AutoCAD software that is not Civil 3D then they will need to install the Civil 3D object enabler in order to see the civil 3D objects. This then allows you to keep your original file size.
To download and install object enablers follow the steps in this link: How to download object enablers for AutoCAD
