Civil 3D no longer goes to layer name I type in properties

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone. We recently switched from 2011 to 2014. In the old version, if I had an object selected and wanted to change its layer I could click on the layer name in properties and start typing the first few letters of the name of the new layer I wanted and it would go right there. In the new version however, it just jumps around to the first layer name starting with each letter I type. Could someone please tell me how to switch this setting back so it just goes to the actual layer name I am trying to type? Thanks.

[AllenJessup]

I haven't been able to find a way to reverse the behavior. Just something we'll have to live with I guess.

Allen

[Anonymous]

Ughh...I really hope they role out a patch that addresses this soon. Thanks for the response.

[Jay_B]

Select an object on layer X and within Properties Palette>Click Layer name Type V-BLDG-ANNO it goes directly to that layer.

Is this what your trying to do? This does work fine here using in 2014 SP1.

[AllenJessup]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Select an object on layer X and within Properties Palette>Click Layer name Type V-BLDG-ANNO it goes directly to that layer.

Is this what your trying to do? This does work fine here using in 2014 SP1.

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Then there must be a setting that controls this. It doesn't work for me in 2014 SP1. If I click on the Layer name the list will drop down. I can type the first letter and go to the first layer starting with that letter. But with drawing where almost every layer starts with C- or V-. That's not too helpful.

Allen

[Jay_B]

Must be, but I'm coming up empty as to what that setting may be.

I'll try to post a video when I have some time showing how it works here.

[Anonymous]

Im having the same exact issue- and am also on SP1.

[Jeff_M]

I've never had it work with other than just the first letter. Now I'm curious how others have had it the way you describe.

[AllenJessup]

Jeff,

I tried it in 2012 and it still held to first letter only. I seem to remember that in some older (much older) version you could double click on the name and start typing. It may have changed at the time that some other properties dialog functions changed. It used to be that if you clicked on a field that would give a drop down like a simple Yes - No that when you clicked on the field the dropdown would immediately drop. For quite a few releases now. You have to click on the field to focus to it and then click again to drop it down. I remember complaining that that required an extra click for each change you wanted to make. But that may have been about 8 years ago or more.

I also haven't been able to find any sysvar that might control it.

Allen

[Jay_B]

This is really strange.

I was trying to change an entity which was on layer zero to another layer in Properties Palette and mine isn't working quite like I thought either.

When I posted earlier I was selecting a C3D Sample Line Object. Turns out this seems to matter here.

Can someone please test this on a C3D Sample Line Object & see if the target layer can be found by typing.

To be clear it's not a text editor or yes / no entry, just blindly typing the characters (not too quickly) and a layer can be found such as C-PROF-xxxx etc.

Not sure why it works on some C3d objects but not a simple acad line on layer zero?

[Bill_Myron]

Just giving this a little bump here.

Trying to set up 2014 for everyone in the office and ran into this problem.

We have been using Civil 3D 2011 and this worked.

1. Select Object/Entity (Did not matter what was selected, this worked for everything).
2. Properties Palette - Layer drop down
3. Type in layer name
4. Select layer

It seems now that you can only do this with Civil Objects. Seems conterproductive to me. I change the layers of AutoCAD enitities way mopre than I change Civil Objects.

[alanjt_]

This isn't much of a solution, but at least you get a little closer to the fuctionality you're accostomed to.

(defun c:TEST (/ ss)
  (if (setq ss (ssget "_:L"))
    (progn (initcommandversion)
           (command "_.laymch" ss "" "_name")
    )
  )
  (princ)
)

[Joe-Bouza]

works for me too. Although I did notice you have to type it in without stopping.

Also, if you have a layer filter set it will not find the layer if it does belong to the filter. 

[alanjt_]

c3d 2013.

It works for me for only the first 2 letters, beyond that and it just starts jumping to a layer starting with the newly typed letter.

[GTVic]

In 2015, the properties palette layer drop-down for a C3D entity has the color box next to the layer name). Whereas a simple ACAD entity has a bare list. I would say it is not the same drop-down list. So they have programmed the drop-downs differently.

Notice if you select a LINE and a AECC_FEATURE_LINE you cannot adjust the layer for both simultaneously using the Properties Palette. But you can with the drop down in the Layers panel of the Home ribbon tab.

Seems like there are some bugs or quirks in the Properties Palette.

Best option may be to report the bug and float the Layers panel of the Home ribbon tab. That drop-down reacts properly to keystrokes. Or add that drop-down to the quick access toolbar or create a custom tab/panel, copy of Layers, and modify.

Unfortunately the Modify toolbar has the same problem.

[MMMHSA]

Has anyone had any luck solving this?

[jmayo-EE]

I think this is just the way it is now (post 2014) unless you program a solution.

[troma]

As GTVic said, the layers drop-down on the ribbon reacts better.

[chrisb]

I know this is an old forum, but I've been having this issue in C3D 2022.  Did anyone find a solution?  Scrolling through layers all of the time sure is a pain.   Thank you in advance!   

[Joe-Bouza]

works in the layer panel. Even simpler with filters added