AutoCAD 2006 Automatically reassigned active layer

[neffje]

I'm using AutoCAD 2006, and when I use the "D" keyboard shortcut, which is setup for the "DIMENSION" command, the active layer is automatically reassigned to "2D_DIM". Is it possible for the active layer to remain unchanged while using this keyboard shorcut? Additionally, could I specify the layer which I would like to become active when I use a particular keyboard shortcut?

 

Any help would be appreciated. I work in a company where we're directed to do things in a way that doesn't coincide with the way that the majority of the industry does it. That means if I want to improve myself, I need to find outside help.

 

What do we do, you might ask? Our procedures dictate that we will put everything in model space, including the page border, dimensions lines, notes, leaders...absolutely everything. If we have a part of an item that needs to be blown up to show a more detailed view, we're directed to draw the object first, and then draw separately the detailed view blown up, instead of drawing the object once and using a viewport to show the detailed view. I've been told by our "resident expert" that drawing the object once and using a viewport for the detailed view is slower. When I said that I disagree, he said, "I don't care if you disagree".

 

Help?

[Strix]

how about you offer him a race? :wink:

 

mind you, you'd have to be confident you can draught faster than him

 

what really slows work down is opening a drawing which behaves in a different way to that expected, so if that's how they do things, that's how they do things unfortunately

 

either get used to their methods, get your feet under the table with the right person and make the right noises to affect change, mail out your own CV, or mail out the CV of the guy who's scared of change

 

don't forget, it's threatening to have somebody else come along and tell you you're doing your job all wrong

[Cad64]

If we have a part of an item that needs to be blown up to show a more detailed view, we're directed to draw the object first, and then draw separately the detailed view blown up, instead of drawing the object once and using a viewport to show the detailed view. I've been told by our "resident expert" that drawing the object once and using a viewport for the detailed view is slower. When I said that I disagree, he said, "I don't care if you disagree".

 

LOL, I think your resident expert needs to have his head examined. Ask him to explain to you exactly how drawing something twice is faster than drawing it once. I would love to hear his explanation for this.

 

Don't tell him you disagree, though. That's a sure way to get on his bad side. Just ask him to explain why? My guess is that he won't be able to give you any valid reasons, which will get him all flustered and he will just tell you "Because that's the way we do it!"

 

So, as Strix said, either learn to live with this companys unusual methods or start looking for another employer, because if this guy is in charge, good luck initiating any kind of change.

[neffje]

how about you offer him a race? :wink:

 

mind you, you'd have to be confident you can draught faster than him

 

what really slows work down is opening a drawing which behaves in a different way to that expected, so if that's how they do things, that's how they do things unfortunately

 

either get used to their methods, get your feet under the table with the right person and make the right noises to affect change, mail out your own CV, or mail out the CV of the guy who's scared of change

 

don't forget, it's threatening to have somebody else come along and tell you you're doing your job all wrong

 

I tried finding other people to talk to about this. When I share my opinion, they all go running to this guy to find out if what I'm saying is legitimate. He, of course, shoots down everything I say.

 

I'm to the point where I'm trying to just go with the flow for now, but it's hard. It's like driving to work. I want to take the freeway, because it's a nice, smooth drive that doesn't take me very long. But no, instead I think I'll take the surface streets where I hit all of the stop lights and traffic.

[neffje]

LOL, I think your resident expert needs to have his head examined. Ask him to explain to you exactly how drawing something twice is faster than drawing it once. I would love to hear his explanation for this.

 

Don't tell him you disagree, though. That's a sure way to get on his bad side. Just ask him to explain why? My guess is that he won't be able to give you any valid reasons, which will get him all flustered and he will just tell you "Because that's the way we do it!"

 

So, as Strix said, either learn to live with this companys unusual methods or start looking for another employer, because if this guy is in charge, good luck initiating any kind of change.

 

You've got it right. Only someone with problems in their head could come to the conclusion that it's faster not to use a viewport. Why would Autodesk spend all of the time to create viewports if using them would take more time?

 

One time I asked this guy for help, and he came down to my computer to show me what to do. He noticed that I've personalized AutoCAD drastically. For example, I use keyboard shortcuts almost all of the time, so I closed as many tool palettes as I could to maximize work space. He told me not to do that because all of our computers should be the same.

 

The topic of viewports had been brought up by someone else before I worked here, and do you know what the general response was? Something to the tune of, "Not everybody is ready to use viewports, because we still have some users that aren't very advanced."

 

First of all, viewports are AutoCAD 101. Second, this is a business where we're trying to make money, so people need to know what they're doing or make room for someone who does.

 

At any rate, it's a tough situation because everything else about this company is great. I see myself putting up with it because of how great the company is.

 

Anyone have any ideas for my original quesiton? I just can't figure out why the active layer switches when I use the "D" keyboard shortcut.

[Cad64]

It switches because this guy has written custom lisp routines to override the normal shortcuts. So his routine automatically switches you to the layer that he has decided needs to be current whenever you hit the "D" key.

 

And as far as everybody's computer being the same. That's just so when he comes down to explain things to you, your computer will be the same as his and he won't have to fumble around looking for toolbar buttons. See, he only knows how to do things one way and one way only. When he comes across something that's slightly different, he freezes up and doesn't know what to do.

[neffje]

It switches because this guy has written custom lisp routines to override the normal shortcuts. So his routine automatically switches you to the layer that he has decided needs to be current whenever you hit the "D" key.

 

And as far as everybody's computer being the same. That's just so when he comes down to explain things to you, your computer will be the same as his and he won't have to fumble around looking for toolbar buttons. See, he only knows how to do things one way and one way only. When he comes across something that's slightly different, he freezes up and doesn't know what to do.

 

Thanks for the help! I tracked down the quite large LSP file that was changing the active layer and set it up the way that I want. That's been bugging me for awhile, so it'll be nice not to have to deal with that anymore.

[Cad64]

Thanks for the help! I tracked down the quite large LSP file that was changing the active layer and set it up the way that I want. That's been bugging me for awhile, so it'll be nice not to have to deal with that anymore.

 

I hope you don't get in trouble for changing it though?

[neffje]

I hope you don't get in trouble for changing it though?

 

I don't think it's a big deal. I'm just using my brain, so you'd hope they wouldn't fault me for that.

 

How familiar are you with LISP? Now that I see where I can make a change, I would also like the same routine that changes the active layer to also change the scale of the drawing. Here's the code:

 

 
(defun c:d1 ( / dwgsc)
(if (not (tblsearch "STYLE" "A_1-8")) (loaddimandtextstyles))
(setq dwgsc (GetDimScale))
(cond
 ((= dwgsc 1)
   (command "LAYER" "S" "_JEN DIM FULL" ""
    "DIM1" "RESTORE" (strcat "FULL" #txt)
    "DIM1" "STYLE" (strcat "B_" "FULL"))
    (graphscr)
    (command "DIMLINEAR")
 ) ;cond1
 ((= dwgsc 2)
   (command "mspace"
    "LAYER" "S" "_JEN DIM FULL" ""
    "DIM1" "RESTORE" (strcat #txt "normal")
    "DIM1" "STYLE" (strcat "B_" #txt))
    (graphscr)
    (command "DIMLINEAR")
 ) ;cond2
 ((= dwgsc 3)
 (command "LAYER" "S" "_JEN DIM FULL" ""
  "DIM1" "RESTORE" (strcat #txt "normal")
  "DIM1" "STYLE" (strcat "B_" #txt))
    (graphscr)
    (command "DIMLINEAR")
 ) ;cond3
) ;cond
) ;defun

 

As you can see, the layer that I've chosen to become the active layer is designated for "FULL" and I would like the scale to also change to full. Any ideas?

[Strix]

if you want to rub along well in this job, and still get your own working methods, you're going to have to strategise a little

 

if you have a bother with a drawing you're doing, don't ask him over to your machine and get him flustered, ask him to open it on his so you can look at it together - so he doesn't have to feel uncomfortable round you

 

if you have a better way of doing something, approach him with 'look, I'm doing this:...*magically do something far quicker than he can*...' then ask if there is something you've done which could upset how the drawing then functions for other users. Now of course he'll say you can't do it that way, but if you made sure that he could see what you did, you'll get him curious, and if you know how to do it, he'll need to know too... eventually :wink:

 

you could even start asking him what he makes of some of the answers on threads here so he knows where to come to find those answers he needs

 

... though this thread may not be something you wish him to see!