how can I turn off one layer in many dwgs?

here is a screen shot of the exref layer I need frozen in my dwg's

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh why can"t I added a print screen.... i give up!!

here's the xref name and layer: UTILITY BASE/C-ELEC-LIN

Open all the docs you need to freeze the layer in and use this:

[b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]defun[/color][/b] frzlay [b][color=RED]([/color][/b]lay [b][color=BLUE]/[/color][/b] doc lyr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-for[/color][/b] doc [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-Documents[/color][/b]
                 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-get-acad-object[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]and[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] lyr [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-item[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-layers[/color][/b] doc[b][color=RED])[/color][/b] lay[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
        [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-put-freeze[/color][/b] lyr [b][color=Blue]:vlax-true[/color][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]princ[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh why can"t I added a print screen.... i give up!!

 

here's the xref name and layer: UTILITY BASE/C-ELEC-LIN

Just hit the print screen button, paste into MS Paint, and save as JPEG, then attach.

hey Lee Mac,

How are you doing? thanks for the suggestions. i will give them both a try.

Lee Mac, do i open them all at one time or one at a time?

it didn't work!

Open them all at once.

I have just tested it though, and its seems to have a problem if the layer to be frozen is not in the drawing - which is weird because I thought I had accounted for that

Are you calling the function correctly?

It is a sub-function and should be called as follows:

[b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]defun[/color][/b] frzlay [b][color=RED]([/color][/b]lay [b][color=BLUE]/[/color][/b] doc lyr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-for[/color][/b] doc [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-Documents[/color][/b]
                 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-get-acad-object[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]and[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] lyr [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-item[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-layers[/color][/b] doc[b][color=RED])[/color][/b] lay[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
        [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-put-freeze[/color][/b] lyr [b][color=Blue]:vlax-true[/color][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]princ[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])

[/color][/b][color=RED][color=Black](frzlay[/color][/color][b][color=RED][color=Black] "[/color][/color][/b]UTILITY BASE/C-ELEC-LIN")

what do i type once I have opened all the drawing that i want the layer frz in? Is it a lisp?

You can make your own LISP to call the sub-function and call it what you like:

[b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]defun[/color][/b] frzlay [b][color=RED]([/color][/b]lay [b][color=BLUE]/[/color][/b] doc lyr[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-for[/color][/b] doc [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-Documents[/color][/b]
                 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-get-acad-object[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]and[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] lyr [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-item[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-layers[/color][/b] doc[b][color=RED])[/color][/b] lay[b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
        [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-put-freeze[/color][/b] lyr [b][color=Blue]:vlax-true[/color][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]princ[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b][b][color=RED])

[/color][/b][color=RED][color=Black](defun c:whatever ()[/color]
[/color][color=RED][color=Black]  (frzlay[/color][/color][b][color=RED][color=Black] "[/color][/color][/b]UTILITY BASE/C-ELEC-LIN")
 (princ))

oh and what do I save the "frzlay" as??

(defun c:frzlay (lay / doc lyr)

(vlax-for doc (vla-get-Documents

(vlax-get-acad-object))

(and (setq lyr (vla-item (vla-get-layers doc) lay))

(vla-put-freeze lyr :vlax-true)))

(princ))

(defun c:whatever ()

(frzlay "UTILITY BASE/C-ELEC-LIN")

(princ))

is this correct? I'm a little lost.

The frzlay is a sub-function (no "c:"), and needs to be called with one argument (the layer string), from a main-function (which can be named whatever you like - but not the same as the sub-function).

When you save LISPs, the filename can be whatever you like - it doesn't have to be the syntax name.

I have been in conversation with RonJonp and he has provided a better way to cope with layers that aren't present:

(defun frzlay  (lay / doc lyr)
 (vlax-for doc  (vla-get-documents
                  (vlax-get-acad-object))
   (and (not (vl-catch-all-error-p
               (setq lyr (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-item
                           (list (vla-get-layers doc) lay)))))
        (vla-put-freeze lyr :vlax-true)))
 (princ))

(defun c:test ()
 (frzlay "UTILITY BASE/C-ELEC-LIN")
 (princ))

Save as filename.lsp, open all drawings and invoke with "test"

i opened 3 just for a test and I typed frzlay, because that's what I named it c:frzlay not c:test and the layer was still thawed.

The layer name supplied is not valid : UTILITY BASE/C-ELEC-LIN

i opened 3 just for a test and I typed frzlay, because that's what I named it c:frzlay not c:test and the layer was still thawed.

Also, don't name it the same name as the sub-function

The layer name supplied is not valid : UTILITY BASE/C-ELEC-LIN

Didn't notice that one Ron - nice one