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Adding objects to layers - FNG here


bgood2go

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I am just learning AC and have the tutorial video by Brian Benton for 2012. He does a great job of explaining what layers are and how to manage them once they have been created but he does not touch on how to add objects to a layer after you create it??? I watched the layers section 4 times and nothing about this.

 

I can create a new layer fine and also a new object but unless I am just blind and stupid (which is possible) I do not see any options in the layer manager letting you add an object to a layer? Got--- create new layer, freeze layer, isolate layer, etc, etc, etc but nothing to do the simple and most basic task of adding your newly created object to a layer-----either a newly created one you just made or an existing one? Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

Brian

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Just select the objects and then use the layer pull down and select a new layer. The items should be on the new layer. That easy ;)

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Thanks but - yeah, would think it would be that easy but I have tried every permutation of that and layer options there are. I must have some setting enabled that is doing undesirable things to my layers.??? I select the objects and go to their properties and it shows that I have them on the correct layer....but when I am in model space and select the objects the command line indicates they are on the current active layer, which is not where I want them??? I have all layers turned on exit out of all commands and the objects are not the color of the layer I assigned them to. I am quite vexed at this point. Thoughts?

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Are you drawing "by layer" by this I mean are all setting in the Properties pallet set to "by layer"?

 

by-layer.jpg

 

With this setting all items take the properties that you set in the layer manager when you created the layer. When that particular layer is active.

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Well I can almost read it ;) Is that per chance a block? If so it was created on that green layer and not drawn by-layer and it will not take on the properties of the inserted layer, looks like a red colored layer. Double click on that item and see what happens.

Send me the file if you want to. I'll take a look.

 

f700esyahoocom

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You have an associative array there so it acts like a block. The object may be on one layer but if you create the array on another then it will say it is on that layer while using the object from another layer. Explode the array (at least temporarily) to see the result.

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sorry about the first pic...just installed Snagit so I can get better shots......try this..... this is a rectangular array so object or block? Again newby so still figuring out who is what etc...7-24-2012 3-36-41 PM.jpg

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rkent -- thnx-----yes - was checking it out...not a block per se but acts like one I guess....lot of reading between the lines with this program =) .....very powerful though.

 

Thank you both for the help. I am sure you will see me whining about some other things over the next weeks...

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ooh--one last thing - just so I develop some good pratices getting started - should I always create then set the layer I want to use as active and then start drawing as opposed to just drawing and then trying to assign to a layer? I guess I was just assuming it would just be easiest to do draw what I needed and then come back and assign what I wanted to each layer.

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ooh--one last thing - just so I develop some good pratices getting started - should I always create then set the layer I want to use as active and then start drawing as opposed to just drawing and then trying to assign to a layer? I guess I was just assuming it would just be easiest to do draw what I needed and then come back and assign what I wanted to each layer.

 

I would set the layer, EX: NOTES, then add text, then set DIM, add dims, so on.

 

Later (not that much later) you will want to create tool buttons to start mtext command and that command will automatically set the NOTES layer on, or create it if it doesn't exist, the same for DIMS, etc. Fairly simple thing to do on the tool palette, pretty much drag and drop.

 

Tip: If you type fairly well you can start the layer command with -layer, then type M, then a layer name DIMS, hit enter twice. The layer is created and set current. If the layer exists then it will be set current.

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Cool. I am actually building a template (.dwt) to use and pre populating it with layers for things such a Dimensions, Annotations, Text, View Port, Title Blocks etc and then can just use my template with each new drawing. Sound like a good plan or not? The part I was wondering about is should I make sure I turn on (make active) the layer I want to draw on before I draw anything--whether it be object, block etc? Any other exceptions beside a Block I should watch for? I am assuming at this point of the conversation there is not a way (or at least easy) to go back and add your drawing items (objects/blocks) to each layer afterwards right?

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Having layers in your template is a good idea.

 

I would make the layer active and then draw, create, etc. This makes sure you don't have to remember to move them afterwards.

 

It is very easy to move objects to other layers. The easiest being to have the layer toolbar up on your screen, then you pick one or many objects, go to the layer toolbar, drop down the list and pick the layer you want, they are on that layer now.

 

When creating blocks have layer 0 set current, any objects that are going into the block should be on layer 0. This way when you insert the block on a layer it will accept the properties of that layer. Once you have this down then you may find applications for not following this procedure, but for beginners I think it is best. I always follow this method although others have reasons for doing it other ways.

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ahhh...coming clear to grasshoppa now =D . That makes sense now. I'll just stick with what you suggested for now and can futz around with blocks as I go. Thanks much again. I am grateful for your time and effort.

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I am a huge fan of Lee Mac's .....

 

http://www.lee-mac.com/layerdirector.html

 

It automatically switches to appropriate layers for different commands.

If the layer doesn't yet exist in your drawing? Then it adds it and knows the color you prefer for it.

If you start a dimension command, the reactor switches to the DIMENSION layer to create the dimension,

and returns to the previous layer when you end the command, same for other types of entries, leaders, text, viewports.......FANTASTIC!

 

Thanks Lee! :beer:

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Yeah I agree I use it all the time. I didn't want to bring it up since it sounds like the op is very new to AutoCAD.

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