Default Layers

[Tom Krowka]

How can I print out a copy of the default layers. Also, when inserting objects, some of them seem to automatically go to a default layer. Some of them don't. Is there a setting to have objects go to their default layer assignment, if there is one?

[Anonymous]

Ben wrote:
please check out the wish I posted for this a few days ago

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=6021

You REALLY need to look at Favorites. I'm really having aproblem here trying to understand what part of this VERY POWERFUL feature ArchiCAD users are having a problem with?


woodster

[Anonymous]

woodster wrote:

Ben wrote:
please check out the wish I posted for this a few days ago

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=6021

You REALLY need to look at Favorites. I'm really having aproblem here trying to understand what part of this VERY POWERFUL feature ArchiCAD users are having a problem with?


woodster

I loved having favorites.. right up until graphisoft issues a new library and all of my favorites are linked to a part that is not loaded. Actually with the new library structure, I could probably reset all of our office favorites, except for the lack of time.

[TomWaltz]

I'm really having aproblem here trying to understand what part of this VERY POWERFUL feature ArchiCAD users are having a problem with?

Maybe I'm just blind, but I don't see how having dozens of palettes full of favorites actually helps. You still have to hunt down the item you are looking for. At least the library is searchable.

Our office has a Module of common parts off to the side of the drawing area, which has most common elements clustered together by type (windows, doors, etc), which provides a visual cue and requires about 2 seconds of user training. As a module, it can even be globally updated, to send out new items and changes to existing settings.

Favorites really don't provide any of that when it comes to real-world usability.

[Tom Krowka]

In my opinion, all these methods under discussion are work arounds to take care of something that should be function of placing the objects.

Otherwise, what purpose do the default layers serve in Archicad except to give the user a convenient list of layers to use?

I'm sure not going to spend a bunch of time to assign layers to objects one at a time and put them in favorites as decribed in the tip of the month. Unless I can figure out how to do them a whole object folder at a time.

Then you have to redo them every library change.

Is it impossible for AC to program this function?

[Barry Kelly]

Tom wrote:
In my opinion, all these methods under discussion are work arounds to take care of something that should be function of placing the objects.

Otherwise, what purpose do the default layers serve in Archicad except to give the user a convenient list of layers to use?

I'm sure not going to spend a bunch of time to assign layers to objects one at a time and put them in favorites as decribed in the tip of the month. Unless I can figure out how to do them a whole object folder at a time.

Then you have to redo them every library change.

Is it impossible for AC to program this function?

What I have done is to set up a favourite to one object in each folder.
For example I have set up an ELECTRICAL favourite that just happens to select a light object in my electrical folder and set the layer to my electrical layer.
Then if I want a switch or a fan or a poewer point I just choose the appropriate object knowing that the layer is already set.

Of course these means organizing your library into folders where the objects are all in the same layer - otherwise you will still be hunting around your library.

The other alternative is to make a number of favourites to suit different layers for objects in the same folders.
For example :- PLUMBING-SITE, PLUMBING-GENERAL, etc.
These favourites may link to the same object but just in different layers.
If you want a different object just select it.


Another little thing we have done is to script into our objects a little warning that will pop up if you try to put it in the wrong layer.
Can be very annoying (as the default layer always seems to be the wrong one when selecting a new object - of course change the layer and the message goes away) but it is the best way we have found to get 70 users to all put the objects in the correct layers.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Tom wrote:
I'm sure not going to spend a bunch of time to assign layers to objects one at a time and put them in favorites as decribed in the tip of the month. Unless I can figure out how to do them a whole object folder at a time.

Tom,

Obviously you have not even tried using the Favorites as described in the tip of the month or you would know that one of the beauties of setting up Favorites is that you do not have to set all the parameters to all of the elements one at a time. If I'm doing Electrical Favorites for example and I'm adding Electrical symbols I set the layer once and keep adding symbols. Further, setting up the favorites once is certainly easier than messing around with layer assignments every time you place an element on every job,

And, for example, if you sometimes place lines in a Lines layer and sometimes on an Electrical layer and sometimes on a Construction layer, what would be the right layer to be set as the default? No problem if you use Favorites.

Tom wrote:
Then you have to redo them every library change.

With a very few caveats, I have moved all of my 8.1 Favorites into 9.0 without having to do anything to them. Wall favorites that were set up in 8.1 came cleanly into 9.0. Did not have to make any changes to them or update them in any way. The same is true with electrical symbols from the 9.0 library. When loaded Electrical Favorites that were created with 8.1 in a new 9.0 project, the right part was found and the right settings were applied to parts in the 9.0 library.

By the way, testing how Favorites behave in the process of responding to you, I did find what I believe to be a bug... there is a problem with Windows and Doors Favorites (updating 8.1 to 9.0) which I will report to GS.

woodster