Unwanted Layers

[Paul Sweet]

I'm transitioning to AutoCAD from another CAD program, and still trying to adjust to its (numerous) idiosyncrasies.

I'm slowly discovering, the hard way, that blocks should be created in Layer 0 so they can be moved to any layer. However, before learning this I copied blocks from other drawings, and discovered afterwards that these blocks dragged several unwanted and unnecessary additional layers along with them. I have tried exploding these blocks and moving everything to layer 0 in hopes of getting rid of the references to other layers. I have also tried selecting everything on those unused layers and deleting it, but I still can't purge those added layers. I keep getting the dialog box saying I can't delete layers 0 & defpoints, current layer, x-ref dependent layers and layers containing objects.

Is there any way to get rid of references to unused layers so I can delete these unwanted and unnecessary layers?

(I'm using ACAD 2002 with ADT 3.3)

[f700es]

Type Purge at the command prompt. You can remove unused layers this way. It also gives you the option of blocks, linetypes and other items. Becareful it is powerful...

[/quote]http://pcmunkey.net/h1/purge.jpg

[quote="Paul Sweet"]I'm transitioning to AutoCAD from another CAD program, and still trying to adjust to its (numerous) idiosyncrasies.

I'm slowly discovering, the hard way, that blocks should be created in Layer 0 so they can be moved to any layer. However, before learning this I copied blocks from other drawings, and discovered afterwards that these blocks dragged several unwanted and unnecessary additional layers along with them. I have tried exploding these blocks and moving everything to layer 0 in hopes of getting rid of the references to other layers. I have also tried selecting everything on those unused layers and deleting it, but I still can't purge those added layers. I keep getting the dialog box saying I can't delete layers 0 & defpoints, current layer, x-ref dependent layers and layers containing objects.

Is there any way to get rid of references to unused layers so I can delete these unwanted and unnecessary layers?

(I'm using ACAD 2002 with ADT 3.3)

[randysanders]

hi There Paul

worst case scenario use This ONLY if everything else (purging etc ) FAILS
(try doing this with Norton's Editor 1.13C 1987 version with 64 k Limit)

save THE ORIGNAL DWG AS (another NAME)

rename the Layers that you are trying to get rid of to be:

DELETEMELAYERBOZO1
DELETEMELAYERBOZO2

etc.

you MUST HAVE a truly unique LAYER NAME for This to WORK
That way you dont end up loosing Layer Info that you want to keep

****

do the DXFOUT of the file

go into MS WORD (yes your eyeballs are reading This right)
do a FIND/REPLACE GLOBALLY for each unwanted LAYER

DELETEMELAYERBOZO1

to be replaced with 0

now that you have DONE 1x REPLACE just change the LAST number to be the next number (thats why using some unique NAME with a sequential number works)

so Then Next, do This again

do a FIND/REPLACE GLOBALLY for

DELETEMELAYERBOZO2

etc etc

save The dwg in TXT format and then start a NEW dwg
and do a DXFIN and look at Layer 0 to see if There are any

extraneous Entities There That need to be moved somewhere else

Try This (i have used This hundreds of Time literally)
and let me know how It works (it better, it should, it does)

Thanks

Randy

[hyposmurf]

Where on earth did you find that method from?Using MS Word!Might give it a try one day,but it all seems a strange. :)

[randysanders]

hi There

Hyposmurf

at one Time (its been a more than just a while)
i could write autolisp using all of the ASCII number codes etc

of The Top of my pointed little head

have you ever done a DXFOUT and looked at the Autocad ASCII text files?
its pretty wild but if you do some small sample with just a few Layers etc

its not TOO bad

just TEXT which can be manipulated

i used to have to use the Nortons Editor (way too basic for anything big)
This would have been 1989 and 1990, we were writing batchfile plotting

b4 that was available in autocad

and i wrote my own Express Tools b4 that become available
That was Then This is now (i have been too busy to remember)

but This particular Item just yanked my memory Chain

Thanks

Randy

[megamike]

When a block is inserted into an AutoCad file the block "definition" becomes a nested part of that drawing file.
Even though you exploded the block and changed the objects which made up that block to layer 0, the original block definition is still part of your file, and it still contains those unwanted layers. I am assuming you want to keep the block definitions and revise them so that all of the objects within the block are on layer 0.
If you type "b" <enter> this will open the "block definition" dialog box. click "select objects", select those exploded objects that you changed to layer 0.
In the "block definition" dialog box go the "name" pulldown and select the original block name and click "ok". You will then be prompted that "the block is already defined, do you want to redefine it?" Click "yes" The nested block definition will now contain only the layer 0, and you should be able to purge the unused layers.
The redfined block will now take on the properties of the layer that is current when it is inserted.
Hope this helps.

[fuccaro]

Hello Paul!
WBLOCK out the drawing and reinsert it in a new one. This will purge the unused layers.
OR
Do you have the EXPRESS tools? draw a line or something on each of unwanted layer and use the EXPRESS > LAYERS > LAYER DELETE. Pick the lines and answer Y when you are asked if you are sure.

[Paul Sweet]

Thanks for the tips, everybody. Fuccaro's method of WBLOCKing the drawing into another one was quick and easy, and worked fine!