layer manager

Greetings

I've been learning just the basic usage of 2000 LT for some time, now, and the
company has just upgraded to 2006 LT. (2006 or any other version was just too
expensive).

My predecessor often selected layers and copied them to other files, just to
show different scenarios. This means when a room or floor is modified, I have to
modify one file, then cut and paste the mods to the other files to keep them correct

When one building has seven floors, another five, there's about six sites from
the hospital, and thirteen blood collection centres dotted around the state, I
end up spending an inordinate amount of time in AutoCAD, when I have other
responsibilities

I would like to see a custom feature added.
A layer SELECTION manager.
I DON'T mean the filter manager - all that does is filter out layers - it does
NOT turn layers on or off. You still have to do that separately

What I'm looking for is a single click selection of layers that are grouped for
the different scenarios at all these sites. Result: only one file per site, not
six to eight.

Most of these site files contain layers that show service utilities, walls, room
numbers, room descriptions, fire doors, PA speakers, smoke/fire detectors,
physical containment (PC) labs, benches and large electronic equipment (along
with all the rest!!)

Example - a basic building (or floor) outline (walls, windows, doors and room
numbers, and all the other 67 layers turned off)

Another - a fire layout (walls, windows, doors, detectors, speakers and nothing
else)

A third - total area usage (walls, windows, doors, benches, equipment, room
descriptions)

So far, trolling the internet, I've come across an enormous amount of add-ons,
but none seems to describe what I want. Some are neat, like turning off layers
by clicking on an object within a layer, but that still means I have to pick the
objects to hide layers, and then open up the layer screen and turn on the layers
I want. As I said - a one click selection to do all this

Please don't tell me that the full versions have this facility - I think I would
go dig me a hole, jump in it, and pull it over my head. (I wasn't consulted
about the upgrade - it just happened, and I don't have the money to get a full
version, just to find out if they do)

Argusy

 

Sounds like you want a button click to do it. I had to
use LT until I got the full version and used this method.

1. Create a user defined menu button
2. In the macro command box put in the following
using your layer names of course:

-LAYER;S;0;F;L1;F;L2;T;L3;T;L4
This would first set the current layer to 0
Then it would freeze layers L1 & L2
Then it would thaw layers L3 & L4

Then to go the other way cut and paste that line to another new button

-LAYER;S;0;T;L1;T;L2;F;L3;F;L4

The -LAYER keeps the dialog box from popping up
The S;0 sets the current layer to 0 (zero)
The T;L1 & T;L2 thaws layers L1 & L2
The F;L3 & F;L4 freezes layers L3 & L4

In case you don't know the ; acts as a return

If you have trouble just post a list of your layers. Just
be sure to say something like:

Freeze floor-layer1, floor-layer2, floor-layer3, floor-layer4
Thaw wall-layer1, wall-layer2, wall-layer3, wall-layer4
or whatever YOUR layer names are. I can then set up a
button macro for each button you need so you can then
just do a cut and paste .

Richard

 

Thanks, Richard.
I'll forward this to my work email, and have a play around tomorrow.
I think I understand it.
Let you know later.
Graham AKA argusy