Layer filters

Application - ADT2005
Computer - 2.52 GHz P4 w/1.5 GB ram

I haven't worked with standard AutoCAD 2005 but ADT 2005
calculates/populates/lists or whatever the correct term is, layer filters on
the front end now (upon opening the file). When using Layer Manager, the
left side of the dialog box shows all layer filters.

I received a simple enough civil drawing that is only 253 KB in size. Layer
manage took an extremely long time to open (I have already installed "layer
manager opens slowly" patch from Autodesk). I was surprised (shocked is
probably a better description) to find 436 layer filters. The first question
should probably be - where in the world did all those layer filters come
from? Well, it seemed like the appropriate action would be to eliminate the
filters. Bad idea! After about 15 minutes of waiting for them to go away, I
thought better of the idea and stopped the process. Next, I ignored the
layer filters and clicked on "select all" with the intent of thawing all the
frozen layers. Terrible idea - this process brought my computer to a
complete stand still. 20 minutes later, ctl-alt-del was my only choice.

Has anyone else experienced this? I can't help but to wonder what Autodesk
was trying to accomplish by creating this behavior in layer manager. I have
figured out a work-around which was to create an empty layer filter group
file and load it into the drawing. Why do we have come up with creative
ideas to get our program to work in a sensible manner? WTHK!

P.S. No, I didn't flunk English composition class ... which can't be proven
by the preceding rambling.

 

This sort of thing can happen if the operator is insane, or if they
habitually SaveAs. The filters pile up over time, but I've never seen that
many.


I have collected a Lisp called DeleteLayerFilters.LSP and (I think) a
partner
file named DeleteAllLayerFilters.VLX but I don't know if they work, who made
them, etc. Google them, maybe you'll turn up something.

 

Thanks for the Lisp offer. The work-around I used does the trick.

Other than your suggestion that multiple "Save As" operations may contribute
to the number of filters, do you know if blocks (created by others and
"borrowed" and used by many others) contribute to the layer filter
population?

Closing note: I once received an architectural drawing with a file size much
larger than it should have been, was very slow and difficult to work with.
The villian turned out to be a very simple plan view block of an eye wash
station which was over 1 mg all by itself.

 

You have never seen 436? I see drawings every day with 8000+ layer
filters. Prior to 2005, they are carried like a virus during cut/paste
and insert operations - so in a large office environment (with operators
who don't even KNOW what layer filters are) it's not that hard to start
with a few polluted drawings and infect an entire drive full of drawings.
:-(

 

I like your description of layer filters as a virus. Not as destructive but
a real pain in the gluteus maximus.

 

So I'm lucky? Cool.

 

No they don't.

 

In releases prior to 2005, yes they do. And that is how many drawings end up
with thousands of layer filters.
Do a google search for "layerfiltersdelete.lsp" by R. Robert Bell, this
little lisp will remove all of the layer filters in a drawing.

Jeff

 

Not in R14 or 2002. How did you come to that conclusion?

Make a file named 1, and in it save a layer filter named 1.
Make a drawing named 2, and insert 1 into it. The layerfilter
named one does not come to exit in drawing 2.

(That lisp doesn't run on pre-r15 versions, BTW.)

 

A) Named layer filters did not exist in R14
B) Named layer filters are most certainly carried along with inserted
blocks (including copy/paste). Up to and including R2004 if I'm not
mistaken.

Again, yes it does (using ACADVER = "15.06")
Are you sure you saved dwg one after making the layer filter and before
inserting it into dwg 2?

By nature, since there are no named layer filters to delete.

 

OK. Now I'm really embarrassed. While the rest of you were discussing "named
layer filters" I was having my own psychotic monologue about Layer Manager's
"Saved Layer States". (They behave the way I described, but only if you wear
a skullcap made of tin foil.)

I'm sorry to hear about the "named layer filters" problem you guys have to
manage, and will assume that they behave the way YOU described. What a mess.
Are they calling that a "productivity enhancement" too?

I have an 8:30 meeting with Duke Ellington, the CIA and the Virgin Mary, so
I've gotta go...