Deleting unused layers.

[Anonymous]

Anyone knows a faster way of deleting layers that i do not use.Whenever we get back drawings from(mostly)engineers(dwg),the original layers are almost always duplicated but in CAPS.

Now,even though i use layer combinations efficiently,i find it rather inconviniencing to navigate through a host of layer i do not use.Is there no way to just delete ALL LAYERS that represent NO ELEMENTS at all in one fell swoop?
and i'm alone in this?

[Anonymous]

Tom wrote:
All this is fine information. However, what I want to know is does AC or does it not purge supposedly "unused layers" that actually have any objects, lines, or anything else on it. It appears to me it does. If it does, the delete unused layers function should be at least named something else to prevent confusion and loss of work.

I have done this several times - always very apprehensively - and not lost anything thank goodness.

[__archiben]

Tom wrote:
All this is fine information. However, what I want to know is does AC or does it not purge supposedly "unused layers" that actually have any objects, lines, or anything else on it. It appears to me it does. If it does, the delete unused layers function should be at least named something else to prevent confusion and loss of work.

tom

i have never experienced archiCAD deleting layers with elements on them using this method. in fact, it actually works out the opposite: some unused layers aren't deleted because they are the current default layer of some of the tools.

where you may have trouble is if you use the attribute manager to purge "unused" line types, fill types, composites and materials: it can often be the case that elements of this type are unused in the project file, but can actually be in use in the GDL scripts of some objects. purging these attributes may then result in loss of data in the file . . . but as far as i recall, the attribute manager actually warns you of this?

HTH
~/archiben

[Tom Krowka]

I believe it does warn me of the gdl script issue. If I simply tell attribute manager to delete unused layers, it does come up with the warning. But it doesn't tell me which layers. So when I choose not to delete unused layers because of the warning, I'm right back where I started.
I'm not at my machine, so I can't try it, but can I select one layer at at time in the attribute manager and try to delete it as unused that way? Somehow, I've got to get rid of some layers.

Also, does each tool have a default layer? If I delete that layer, then use the tool, will it automatically default to that tool layer and create the layer, or just put the object or whatever on the current layer? Will I have to know what the default layer is for each tool, and then create as new if it's been deleted?

This has been bugging me. I'm an ex-autodesk desktop user; they did do layers right.

[Djordje]

Tom wrote:
Also, does each tool have a default layer? If I delete that layer, then use the tool, will it automatically default to that tool layer and create the layer, or just put the object or whatever on the current layer? Will I have to know what the default layer is for each tool, and then create as new if it's been deleted?

Yes, each tool does have its default layer; whether the layer will be created depends on the tool (some APIs, like Construction Grid, can create their layer if it is missing) but in general you will get a warning that a layer in missing and an option to choose a different one.

Tom wrote:
This has been bugging me. I'm an ex-autodesk desktop user; they did do layers right.

Hmmmm ... are you trying to re-arrange ArchiCAD layers in the AutoCAD fashion? That might be counterproductive, as the layers in ArchiCAD, although called the same, are not the same thing conceptually and functionally. Therefore I would advise you to first get a grip on the system as it is, and then start tweaking.

Anyway - as an ex ADTer, you are used to lots of layers. The default ArchiCAD batch is by far less than the ADT one.

HTH,

[Tom Krowka]

I know it will tell me the layer is missing. Since it asks me to choose a different layer, it seems that AC does not automatically recreate the default layer. Is that correct?

The reason I'm asking these questions is I had done a layer purge before the project really got started, and I had only a few objects in it. Then I was not sure if the default layers would come back, so I started created layers of my own to put things on. Now I think I have a mess of layers that do not relate to the defaults.

I guess I'll start with a default template next project.

[Anonymous]

Tom wrote:
what I want to know is does AC or does it not purge supposedly "unused layers" that actually have any objects, lines, or anything else on it. It appears to me it does.

Yes, it does! I just had it happen to me. I didn't use the Purge All, I went through and selected exactly the layer I wanted to delete -- every one of them we 'supposedly' unused. Now I have 14 details that are missing some or all of the 2D linework and/or annotation!

Ahhhh!!!!!!

[Tom Krowka]

IMHO, I think the program should not delete any layer with anything on it, and it should automatically put objects or whatever on their default layer is by recreating it if the layer has been purged.

I find it hard to believe this has been overlooked. It would make layer management much easier.

[Anonymous]

Tom wrote:
IMHO, I think the program should not delete any layer with anything on it,

Agreed! AutoCAD won't let you delete anything that is in use -- layers, linetypes, font styles, etc.. I can be annoying if you are having trouble finding the entity that is using the layer/linetype, but it's way better than finding out that ArchiCAD killed layers that had stuff on them.

[James Murray]

Don't forget to vote.

[Anonymous]

Tom wrote:
IMHO, I think the program should not delete any layer with anything on it, and it should automatically put objects or whatever on their default layer is by recreating it if the layer has been purged.

What would help when deleting layers with information still on them is to have a dialog box pop up and give you two options: delete all elements on current layer and move all elements on current layer to layer [0], or something along those lines.

Is there a poll/wish list for this anywhere (too lazy for a search)...