Architectural Desktop 4 - Development Guide
PART 2
LAYER MANAGEMENT
1Layer Management Access | 1-2 LAYER MANAGEMENT | ||||||
Layer
Management Toolbar |
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Layer
Management Pull-down Menu To access the Layer Manager, you can also type LayerManager on the command line. Type AecDwgLayerSetup to get Select Layer Standard... The other commands can also be typed but the length of the commands becomes a bit tedious to type. To find out what the typed versions of these commands are, read the status bar while hovering your cursor over a command. |
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2Layer Manager and Layer Keys | 2-2 LAYER MANAGEMENT | ||||||
Drawing Setup - Layering tab
I picked this button out of sequence to make the material easier to follow. Architectural Desktop utilizes its own Layer Manager to manage AEC objects and how those objects behave with respect to the layers they are "keyed" to. There are two primary parts to the Layer Manager: the Layer Standard and the Layer Keys. The Layer Standard and the Layer Keys are assigned to your drawing on the Drawing Setup dialogue box illustrated to the right. The Layer Standards/Key File to Auto-Import: text box specifies which drawing file contains the Keys that affect how your objects get organized with respect to layers. Since the Layer Key Styles are stored as data in a drawing file and not some other data format, you need to specify the drawing file first. The default set of Layer Standards reside in ADT's Layer folder under Contents. From the Layer Key Style: drop-down list you can choose from among several industry layering standards including Building Standard (BS1192), American Institute of Architects (AIA), German DIN 276 and more depending on how you installed ADT. You can also choose to have ADT ignore these standards and keys by choosing <Current Layer>, which will put every object on the current layer. A better solution if you don't want to use any of these standards, is to choose Standard, which will key the ADT objects to layers by their object name; e.g., Door, Wall, Wind, etc. Much of this Guide and Exercises will be based on the default AIA Long Format Layer Standard and Layer Key Style. |
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Layer Manager
The Layer Manager, though capable of numerous tasks, provides access to two primary tools used within ADT to control AEC object Layer behavior: Layer Standards and Layer Keys
If you pick on this button, you will get the Layer Standards dialogue box shown below. From this dialogue box you can create your own office standard, edit an existing standard, import and export other standards. |
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Layer Standard Properties
By default, Architectural Desktop will use the AIA Long Format; even when you start a drawing from scratch. This can be changed to any of the choices discussed above by choosing another Layer Key Style and then checking the Save as Default check box on the Layer tab of the Drawing Setup dialogue box. The Layer Standard Properties dialogue box for the AIA Long Format is illustrated to the right. The Component Fields tab, also illustrated to the right, shows the basic concept behind what a Layer Standard does: provides the structure or rules for how naming of layers must abide. For a more detailed journey through the process of creating your own layer standard, see -> Layer Manager |
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Layer Key Styles
You can create Layer Keys that don't follow the Layer Standard but that would be for rather unusual cases and not the normal condition. The default set of Layer Keys cannot be deleted; i.e., the existing set of AEC objects must have keyed layers to function. You can, however, modify these layers according to your own Layer Standard, color choices, linetypes, etc. And, you can create new Layer Keys for your own AEC objects, such as blocks, multiview blocks and even custom command sequences. You can also create and use separate sets of Layer Keys within a single drawing; e.g., you could use a Shell or Exterior Wall Layer Key set for the shell of your building and switch to another Layer Key set for Interior objects. You chose your Layer Standard and Layer Keys on the Desktop pull-down menu >>Drawing Setup >>Layering tab (see above). |
Since the Style Manager is a Window, you can use Window based techniques to work with graphic objects; try right-clicking on your mouse for access to options. To copy a Layer Key Style, try holding down the Ctrl key while dragging and dropping a Layer Key Style icon in the right pane ( look for the familiar plus sign in the lower left of the icon ). |
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Accessing Layer Key Style Properties
Rather than editing one of the default Layer Key Styles ( like the AIA (256 color) ), I suggest using the Copy... option on the Style Manager window, illustrated above right, to edit and save a copy of this default style. This will allow you to play around and make mistakes without loosing one that actually works. Once you have named and modified your own Layer Key Style, you can make it current on the Layering tab of the Drawing Setup dialogue box - discussed above. For more on working with the Layer Key Style Properties see this article in ARCHIdigm's Lounge - Architectural Desktop Layer Manager and Keys |
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Layer Key Overrides
Another example of when to use a Layer Key Override is when you are designing multiple floors on the same drawing (not something I recommend, but ). Let's say you have drawn all of your first floor and now you want all of the same layers for the objects you are going to begin drawing on the 2nd floor. If you use the Layer Key Overrides and specify that you want all layers to begin with the number 2, all of the objects will land on their "keyed" layers prefaced by the number 2; i.e., 2-WALL or if you have another Layer Standard, it might be 2-A-WALL or A-WALL-2. |
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Layer Key Override On/Off Switch
This command simply turns On
or Off any active Layer Key Overrides that you may have set. This toggle is only available on the Layer Manager toolbar via the
Layer Key Overrides button; look for the Enable All Overrides check box in the lower right
corner on the Layer Key Overrides dialogue box. |
What to do when you are just drawing regular non-ADT
objects: |
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Layer Manager - Snapshots
Snapshots taken at one point in a drawing will only contain layers at that time and may not restore properly at a later time when numerous changes in layers may have occurred. The Edit... button opens the Snapshot Edit dialogue box which looks much like the Layer Manager dialogue box, but offers very limited selection capabilities; i.e. you cannot use Ctrl or Shift to select layers. |
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Layer Manager - New Layers
If you are looking for information on the other buttons on the Layer Manager, I will try to cover them in the future. I am leaving them for now because I believe they are pretty easy to understand and use.
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Layer Manager - Filter
Dynamic - allows the named filter to incorporate any new layers created after the filter was saved. Static - will not filter any layers created after the filter was saved. |
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Layer Manager - Groups
To put a set of layers within a Group, select them from the All list and drag-n-drop them from the right pane over to the left pan - as illustrated. This does not move the layers but just copies a reference of them and how you want them set. Lets say, for example that you find yourself constantly turning on and off a specific set of layers and want a faster way to do it; this is one solution. You can create a Layer Group, drag-n-drop the layers you may want on and off and now use the Group to quickly select the whole set. To work with a Group, pick on the Group icon/name and right-click on your mouse to use such options as the Visibility controls - see below right. |
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Layer Manager - Set Current and Right-Click pop-up menus
Illustrated to the right, are the two right-click pop-up menus you will see when right-clicking in the left pane and the right pane. Not all options will be available when you right-click because some options only affect Groups for example. |
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3Remapping Objects to Layers | 3-2 LAYER MANAGEMENT | ||||||
Remap Object Layers This tool helps fix blunders or Layer Key changes, like different company standards. Unfortunately it doesn't work on everything but for those objects that it does work on, it's a major time saver. To test this command, take a bunch of your ADT objects, like Walls, Doors, Windows, Roofs, etc. and assign them all to one or more odd Layers; like layer 0, for example. Select Remap Object Layers, pick all of the off-layer ADT objects, and type "O" ( for byObject ) on the command line. You now see all or most of your off-layer objects jump to the appropriate layers as assigned by the current Layer Standard and Layer Keys. Command: _AecRemapLayers Typing in a Layer Key name - will work on all objects but also places (keys) all selected objects on a single layer. ? - provides you with a list of Layer Keys currently available so you can type one in. byObject - maps selected objects to current keys. |
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