topic Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10) in Project data & BIM

Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2023 11:01:42 GMT

It does not look like layouts in AC 10 include the possibility for associated layer combinations. The issue is related to what layers your tittle blocks are on and any other elements that are "drawn" or placed in the layout. Certain notes would work well to be added to the layouts versus the drawing view. I suppose everything could be put on the archicad layer, but this is limiting. Does anyone have a recommended procedure for layers used associated with the layouts?

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2006 15:43:28 GMT

You could always use a layer extension for the plotmaker layers and then sort the layers by the plotmaker associated layers. This would be the only solution I have for it.

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

David Pacifico — Thu, 25 May 2006 15:55:51 GMT

Layer combinations work in AC10 layout mode.
Views are placed on a layer, via the new drawing tool.
While I prefer people put information in the project model, you can place notes in the layout. Maybe revision notes that are sheet specific.

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

TomWaltz — Thu, 25 May 2006 16:08:14 GMT

Mike wrote:
It does not look like layouts in AC 10 include the possibility for associated layer combinations. The issue is related to what layers your tittle blocks are on and any other elements that are "drawn" or placed in the layout. Certain notes would work well to be added to the layouts versus the drawing view. I suppose everything could be put on the archicad layer, but this is limiting. Does anyone have a recommended procedure for layers used associated with the layouts?

I'm leaning toward ignoring the layers as much as possible in Layouts since you cannot associate any kind of Layer Combination wit them. This creates a highly risky practice of remembering which layers are on for each sheet before you print and hoping that you do not need different layers for each layout.

The simplest (safest) method would be to place everything on the Archicad layer, which cannot be turned off.

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2006 22:55:13 GMT

Thanks for the comments. It looks like placing all tittle blocks on the archicad layer will be my only options. I like to do my revision bubbles Within the layout and look forward to the day when layouts can be tied to a layer combination - update a single layer combination and you switch from revision one to revision two. I used this method with plotmaker and it worked relatively well. In addition having all of archicad's tools available in the layouts offers the possibility of adding notes to certain types of drawings. The ones that come to mind would be site related for a site that is rotated on the layout (avoids the two file linked module strategy) and perhaps notes for preliminary drawings that have different notes than those that might carry forward

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

Anonymous — Fri, 26 May 2006 06:11:27 GMT

Mike wrote:
Thanks for the comments. It looks like placing all tittle blocks on the archicad layer will be my only options. I like to do my revision bubbles Within the layout and look forward to the day when layouts can be tied to a layer combination - update a single layer combination and you switch from revision one to revision two. I used this method with plotmaker and it worked relatively well. In addition having all of archicad's tools available in the layouts offers the possibility of adding notes to certain types of drawings. The ones that come to mind would be site related for a site that is rotated on the layout (avoids the two file linked module strategy) and perhaps notes for preliminary drawings that have different notes than those that might carry forward

There is a lot of work yet to be done with layers, and I suspect we will see much improvement in this area. If some of my old suggestions are heeded we will have more possibilities than are easily imagined in versions to come.

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

Rick Thompson — Fri, 26 May 2006 13:37:26 GMT

A little off topic, but something I figured out the hard way, layers in plotmaker are buggy coming into 10. I was purging layers so as not to clutter the combined file, and somethings disappeared. They were on a layer un-checked... so I thought empty. These are the default plotmaker layers. The two I have reading as empty, but are not, are"notes" and "additional graphics" , so I deleted them. Some read properly as having content, some don't.

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

Anonymous — Fri, 26 May 2006 14:35:15 GMT

Rick wrote:
A little off topic, but something I figured out the hard way, layers in plotmaker are buggy coming into 10. I was purging layers so as not to clutter the combined file, and somethings disappeared. They were on a layer un-checked... so I thought empty. These are the default plotmaker layers. The two I have reading as empty, but are not, are"notes" and "additional graphics" , so I deleted them. Some read properly as having content, some don't.

Since Attribute Manager is an ArchiCAD add-on it is not surprising that it's not fully up to date with the PlotMaker merge into 10. Unfortunate of course, but not surprising.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be sure to check my master sheets before purging old PlotMaker layers.

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

Rick Thompson — Fri, 26 May 2006 14:38:37 GMT

I did a report on it, so maybe if will be fixed in an update (?)

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

TomWaltz — Fri, 26 May 2006 15:00:50 GMT

Rick wrote:
A little off topic, but something I figured out the hard way, layers in plotmaker are buggy coming into 10. I was purging layers so as not to clutter the combined file, and somethings disappeared. They were on a layer un-checked... so I thought empty. These are the default plotmaker layers. The two I have reading as empty, but are not, are"notes" and "additional graphics" , so I deleted them. Some read properly as having content, some don't.

AC9 used to list layers that had something on them as "Empty" once in a while too. I got to a point where I did not trust it unless I had checked those layers myself (God help me if there was a lot of details to check, at which point i would usually leave it alone)

Re: Layer combinations for Layouts (AC 10)

Anonymous — Fri, 26 May 2006 15:14:34 GMT

TomWaltz wrote:
Rick wrote:
A little off topic, but something I figured out the hard way, layers in plotmaker are buggy coming into 10. I was purging layers so as not to clutter the combined file, and somethings disappeared. They were on a layer un-checked... so I thought empty. These are the default plotmaker layers. The two I have reading as empty, but are not, are"notes" and "additional graphics" , so I deleted them. Some read properly as having content, some don't.
AC9 used to list layers that had something on them as "Empty" once in a while too. I got to a point where I did not trust it unless I had checked those layers myself (God help me if there was a lot of details to check, at which point i would usually leave it alone)

I too have always been a bit suspicious of the check box in Attribute Manager. Unless I know the bits are easily recovered, I don't trust it for purging layers. (There is also the way it shows as used layers which are only the default settings of the tools - used or not.)