topic Re: Layer Index Numbers not Consecutive in Project data & BIM

Layer Index Numbers not Consecutive

Laura Yanoviak — Fri, 26 May 2023 13:29:14 GMT

I have not had this problem with other attributes -- is this unique to Layers or some type of bug?

Say I have the following Layer IDs within a current project: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, ...

When I create a new layer, it does not take the ID of 3, but is appended to the end of the list (out of 50 or so layers, I am up to ID #265!!!) If I delete all layers and start anew, the numbering begins at 266!!!

I'm simply trying to create a template file, and it would be really nice to have consecutive Layer IDs!

Re: Layer Index Numbers not Consecutive

__archiben — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 05:46:15 GMT

Laura wrote:
I'm simply trying to create a template file, and it would be really nice to have consecutive Layer IDs!

you're in 'attribute manager'? if you don't press 'apply' the layers will still actually be in archiCAD's memory - hence not letting you write-over the index numbers.

if you completely purge the file of layers, click 'apply' and begin again, you should find it working the way you want. you can also 'append' layers from another find: if you have them in the alphanumeric (or any other) order you want them in the secondary file (right-hand-side) and then click 'append', they will each be added to the layer index numbers in order regardless of their layer index in the source file. works with selections too . .

being quite anal in that i like to see things nicely ordered and lined up, i can quite understand what you are doing, but i just want to check: you do know that you can pretty much ignore those index numbers don't you?

HTH
~/archiben

Re: Layer Index Numbers not Consecutive

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 07:01:34 GMT

~/archiben wrote:
being quite anal in that i like to see things nicely ordered and lined up, i can quite understand what you are doing, but i just want to check: you do know that you can pretty much ignore those index numbers don't you?

Being quite anal myself I have also lined up all the index numbers in some of my templates.

Being as experienced as you are I am sure that you also know that "pretty much" ignoring the index numbers can get you into trouble with fills in library parts and endless headaches with layer combinations (which require the indexes & names to match).

I have taken to adding my own fills (overwriting - never appending) with index numbers staring at 300 so as to keep them clear of the common riffraff. I use a special aat file I call "Hundreds of Dummies" to help with this.

Re: Layer Index Numbers not Consecutive

__archiben — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 07:32:05 GMT

Matthew wrote:
... I am sure that you also know that "pretty much" ignoring the index numbers can get you into trouble with fills in library parts and endless headaches with layer combinations (which require the indexes & names to match).

i even hesitated before i made the decision whether or not to write the caveat but being as hasty as i am i decided against it. thanks for clarifying that matthew!

i have to admit that my neat ordering has kept me for the most part out of that kind of trouble . . . whether by luck or by judgement . .

~/archiben

Re: Layer Index Numbers not Consecutive

Laura Yanoviak — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 15:56:21 GMT

I thought I was being a little anal too, but if there's a time to be anal it's when creating a template!

Don't know if this will be of any use, but: rebooted my computer, created a "New and Reset" file (in which there are 48 layer IDs), added a couple of layers and the numbering began with 249. Came in this morning, did the same, and everything is fine (although yesterday's files still seem to be "corrupt".)

If I delete and create layers within a single session of Attribute Manager, IDs remain consecutive; however, if there are already IDs missing, creating new layers appends the IDs to the end of the list, and the missing IDs cannot be "recovered".

Soooo... I'm recreating my Layers and Layer Combinations and saving an .aat to import in case this happens again...

Re: Layer Index Numbers not Consecutive

Laura Yanoviak — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 16:09:58 GMT

This is a well-worded wish and reflects my sentiments exactly:

archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=6260

BTW, didn't find much with a "hundreds of dummies" search...