layers rel 2001

I'm trying to get my head round layers. I have a drawing with no layers in
it. My new installation of ProE came without default layers set up in the
config.pro. I want to put all the dimensions on a layer. I have created a
default layer in config.pro called layer_dim. Now I want to make all the
dimensions in the drawing appear on that layer without adding them one by
one. I tried selecting layer properties, and ticking every laer type listed
that relates to dimensions, but nothing appears on that layer still. What am
I doing wrong?

 

: I'm trying to get my head round layers. I have a drawing with no layers in
: it. My new installation of ProE came without default layers set up in the
: config.pro. I want to put all the dimensions on a layer. I have created a
: default layer in config.pro called layer_dim. Now I want to make all the
: dimensions in the drawing appear on that layer without adding them one by
: one. I tried selecting layer properties, and ticking every laer type listed
: that relates to dimensions, but nothing appears on that layer still. What am
: I doing wrong?
:
It would be nice, I guess, if you could put DEF_LAYER layer_type layer_name in
config.pro and all the appropriate features would be automatically added to the
part/assembly/drawing we were working on at the time. In fact, it would be nice if
you'd open anything you'd ever created and it would have this new default layer
with all the appropriate features added to it. But, alas, it doesn't work that
way. As with many options in config.pro, the layer definition is forward acting,
not backward. This is because it is simply a list, independent of regeneration,
created at the time the feature is created. If a layer exists on which to list the
feature, it is added there. But, you can add layers, delete layers, add features
to layers: it does not affect nor is this effected by regeneration. Consequently,
there is no way to get stuff added to layers nor layers added to parts,
automatically, after the fact. What you've done will be good for future
parts/assemblies/drawings, but has no effect on what already exists.

However, rather than adding DEF_LAYER to config.pro, I'd advocate using start
parts/assemblies/drawing, aka, templates, to accomplish standardized, consistent,
corporate managed data bases. The ones that Pro/e comes with have default layers
which automatically add datum features, surfaces, etc. to them. These templates
can be modified to add other layers for automatic inclusion of such items as
dimensions. PTC seems to be favoring this method, as opposed to DEF_LAYER in
config.pro, for several reasons:
* Reducing the whole function of managing layers to a line in config.pro
didn't allow much way to manage the process. It was pretty flat and lifeless;
* The obvious advantage of templates for assuring uniform and consistent
practice; with config.pros all over the place, anyone can add, change or delete
layers at will. Users get very creative with layers and they suddenly abound;
* Fiddling with layer properties in a part can change the way features are
subsequently handled, but only in that part. It has no effect on future parts;
* Layers start to accumulate, and by the time they get to the drawing, there
are at least three levels of them, from the parts, sub- and main-assemblies and
from the drawing itself. DEF_LAYER named them all the same, so there was never any
way to tell them apart, making layer management at higher levels
(assembly/drawing) a sledge hammer affair: all on or all off, because there was no
way to differentiate one level from another. Templates, on the other hand, have
layers identified by what type of object they inhabit;
* Default layer types have developed a level of variety and sophistication
which DEF_LAYER was never meant to capture; start parts have no problem
encompassing both;
* The template approach develops enough consistency to pass ModelCHECK,
assuring a certain level of corporate standardization.

David Janes

 

Thanks for the detailed explanation David. Start part seems the way to go.
I'll get our administrator to modify ours to include layers.