Multiple Layers moved to a single layer

[lancedennis]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm working on a drawing and I need to take multiple layers that I have drawn (which make up one unit) and basically merge them together so that I can replicate and move them about and place them where they need to go in the larger unit that they live in.

 

I tried playing with grouping in the Layers Manager, but that doesn't seem to be doing anything for me. Not sure if I'm just doing something wrong, or if there is another way to go about this.

 

I'm attaching my CAD drawing so you can see what I'm up to. In this drawing, there are basically two groups of layers. Those that make up the Control Tower itself, and another group for what's called a Tajimi Rack. I need to have all the layers for the Tajimi Rack made as one so that I can move that object around without having to move the layers one at a time. (There is a lot more that needs to drawn into the Tajimi Rack, but once I know how to merge them all together, I'll be in a good position to carry forward.)

 

I also need to know how to then take that new Tajimi Rack layer and duplicate it (I'm looking to place about a dozen of the Tajimi Racks in the control tower.

 

FWIW, I'm a self taught CADer. By that I mean I have to use CAD in my job but it's always done in a 2D setting where I'm simply looking through roofs with other drawings laid under for rigging purposes. This drawing things in 3D concept is something I'm just making up as I go along. 5PTS Control Tower.dwg

[Organic]

I had a look at your drawing and I'm not sure what it is exactly althoguh the linework itself is rather simple.

 

Have you thought about making a block of the 'Tajimi rack'. That way you can copy and paste the block (duplicate it), yet also edit the block if you need to.

 

Alternatively, you could just use layiso to isolate the layers you want to group into a new layer and put all those objects from those isolated layers onto your new layer.

 

AutoCad doesn't have nested layers like MicroStation does.

 

Welcome to the forums also

[SuperCAD]

Do you want to have all of the objects on one layer? If so, you can use LAYTRANS to convert multiple layers to a single layer.

 

Do you want to have all of the solids act as one connected solid? There are two ways to do this. 1, you can use UNION to merge all of the solids together to create one large solid body, or 2, you can GROUP the objects together and then use Ctrl+Shift+A to turn the groups on or off. With UNION, you lose the ability to move or edit the individual pieces since you're joining them all together in one. With GROUP, you can turn them on or off in case you need to edit/move the parts at some point.

[lancedennis]

Hey guys,

 

I'm guessing that I want the Tajimi rack to act as a solid. It is mean to be a module that will slide in and out of the Control Tower. I'm just trying to sort out the best way to take the Tajimi Rack and have it basically act as the one solid piece that it will be in real life so I can duplicate it and "slide" it into the control tower. As far as editing the Tajimi Rack, I will finish drawing the few electrical connectors that will be going on and once I've done that, there shouldn't be any need to edit any part of it. I'll save this thing as different files as I progress just in case at some point I do end up needing to edit a certain part of the racks themselves.

[SuperCAD]

Research the GROUP command. That will give you the most flexibility with your solids.

[nestly]

I looked at your drawing, and I'd definitely make the objects into a block, or if it's going to become a lot more complex, make the rack a separate drawing (xref)