Layer isolation trouble

I have encountered a quirk lately in which every time I isolate a layer and then unisolate many layers remain "off". This problem has occured in several different drawings. I suspect it is just a setting that I am not aware of.

I am using AutoCAD 2009.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A shot in the dark here--did you try the Regen command after unisolating?

Welcome to the forum.

Do you see anything in common about those layers?

Are they xref layers perhaps?

I tried the "regen" and "regenall" commands but the layers remain off.

The layers appear to be chosen randomly, although it is the same layers everytime. The layers are both my own and xref layers. I cannot see any commonality between them.

I have to go into the layer properties manager to turn all the layers back on.

Tell us the name of the command you are using to isolate layers and the name for unisolating layers.

I am using the ribbon panel button "isolate" and "unisolate".

I guess the commands would be "layiso" and "layuniso".

Check your LAYER ISOLATE SETTINGS, as shown in the image.

You can access them with the wrench icon in the upper right hand corner of the LAYER PROPERTIES MANAGER.

I am guessing that will get you back on the tracks.

If it doesn't, you may find that the REFRESH button, which is to the left of the wrench icon

may reset them for you.

Unfortunately that didn't fix my problem. Although it is good to know how to change those settings, thanks for that.

The layer visibility is set up the way I want it when I isolate the layers. I have them set to "off" when I isolate. When I unisolate the layers many remian "off" and I have to go into the layer properties manager click on a layer, press ctrl "A" and click the light bulb to turn them all back on.

I have 1298 layers in this particular drawing between my own and xrefs. I haven't counted the number of layers that remain off, could it be a setting similar to "maxsort" in that AutoCAD for some reason can't handle the large number of layers?

AutoCAD 2009 had many bugs, do you have all the Updates?

UPDATES AND SERVICE PACKS 2009

Unfortunately that didn't fix my problem. Although it is good to know how to change those settings, thanks for that.

 

The layer visibility is set up the way I want it when I isolate the layers. I have them set to "off" when I isolate. When I unisolate the layers many remian "off" and I have to go into the layer properties manager click on a layer, press ctrl "A" and click the light bulb to turn them all back on.

 

I have 1298 layers in this particular drawing between my own and xrefs. I haven't counted the number of layers that remain off, could it be a setting similar to "maxsort" in that AutoCAD for some reason can't handle the large number of layers?

It sounds to me like you may well have hit the bullseye with that hypothesis.

Well done.

The default value is 1000, check the attached image for more.

Sorry I should have mentioned that I have already changed the "maxsort" variable to accomodate the number of layers I have.

How about maybe a "layer state manager" issue?

I'm not sure how the layer state manager works, but is it possible that the layers are reverting back to a previously saved state?

Where are you encountering this issue, in MODELSPACE or PAPERPACE?

You might try turning off the NEW LAYER NOTIFICATION in the LAYER SETTINGS, as shown in my earlier post. and see if that does it.

Turning off NEW LAYER NOTIFICATION didn't fix the problem.

When I isolate a layer in PAPERSPACE - no problem

In MODELSPACE using the tab - no problem

In MODELSPACE through the viewport is when layers remain off.

I checked to see if it was consistant between sheets in the drawing set (12 in total right now) and the answer is yes and no. Yes layers remain off but it is a different number of layers on every sheet. One sheet had 196 layers that remained off while another had 208.

Is that a layer state manager overriding my layer visibility?

In light of this behavior, try changing the DIALOG SETTINGS in your LAYER SETTINGS (you can see them in the image in post #7), so that both of them are UNCHECKED. That should clear the filtering from your layer dropdown menu in paperspace.

Still having this issue, I have tried all your tips and suggestions. This issue I have noticed is occurring in multiple unrelated drawings as well. Strange, as I don't remember this always happening it just started somewhat recently. I am at a loss. Good thing it isn't terribly difficult to correct, I just need to check to make sure my layers are all on after I unisolate. Not difficult, just annoying.

Well, I am still having this issue and have been unable to come up with a solution. Still looking...................

If you didn't change any layer settings then you can try "LAYERP".

This is strange behavior indeed. I use layiso a lot but have not seen this behavior. I might have, but probably would have thought I did something wrong. Now that I think about it, I don't usually unisolate the layers. My normal routine is to turn all layers on, instead. There is a button for it. I'm not sure where it is in 2009. It used to be an express tool found in the layer tools. It is now located in the drop down from the layer panel on the ribbon.

I'm wondering if this problem has to do with being able to turn off layers for just the viewport that you are working in and unisolating layers is running into an issue recognizing so many layers.

Did you install the updates for AutoCAD 2009?

Ah ha! I have found the relationship as to why layers remain off after I "unisolate". Only the layers that are "frozen" in the viewport remain "off". I can't believe I missed that earlier.

So it appears that "unisolate" doesn't exactly reverse the "isolate" command. Are there any settings for the "unisolate" command?

However, using the "layon" command after "isolate" will turn all the layers back "on" regardless of them being "frozen" in the viewport (they still remain frozen, which is what I want).

And yes, I have all the updates installed for my AutoCAD.