How to make a drawing into one layer/base

[fitzad]

Hi,

 

I'm relatively new to Autocad so still learning the ropes.

 

I've been given a set of drawings from a client to design a system on. What I want to do is turn the drawing they have given me into one layer so that I can turn it on and off to just see my system. Is this possible? If so how?

 

The drawing has about 300 layers currently and a lot of blocks as well.

 

I'm using Autocad 2012, thanks.

[ReMark]

Perhaps the Layer Merge command found under Format > Layer Tools.

[MSasu]

You may regret later that you moved everything into a single layer - take a look to saving layer states instead.

[eldon]

What I do in a case like this is start a new drawing, and then create a new layer like Client1. Set that layer current and x-ref the client's drawing into your drawing. Then draw as you would as usual on your other layers, but at any time you can Freeze that one layer, and the client's drawing vanishes.

[danellis]

Set it up as an xref system:

 

Crate a new drawing and use your xref manager to attach the drawing you've received into it. Freezing or thawing the layer the xref is on will freeze or thaw everything in that drawing. Plus when the source drawing gets changed this is massively the easiest way to update everything.

 

dJE

[Ski_Me]

Would the x-ref reflect any layers turned on or off from the master drawing? I would think there's a whole lotta stuff he wouldn't need like other systems, line drawings, pipe layouts that sort of thing. When I do fire alarm layouts I turn off all the layers I don't need isolate the floor plans then purge all the blocks and other layers I don't need. Of course I do a save as before I do this. It's a lot of work but the reason I do this is because I do not return a dwg file back to the contractor or customer I give them a pdf so my design is not changed (at least not without some effort) and the fire marshal is happy when he comes for the final walk through and is not hit with a surprise.

[eldon]

Would the x-ref reflect any layers turned on or off from the master drawing?

 

Yes it would.

[fitzad]

Hmm the x-ref set up would work well as the drawings that I am using are still subject to change and this would make my life alot easier to update.

 

@Ski_Me This is kinda what I was looking at doing but thought there might have been a quicker way to do it rather than going layer by layer.

 

Normally our supplier would do these drawings but it been a real hassle dealing with lately so that why i have taken over, when ever i received a drawing from them they just had one layer named 'Base' and then all layers associated with our system. I'm guessing I would have to use Ski_Me approach to achieve this?