Everything I create is on Layer 0

[Chaznsc]

I have noticed that every object I creat in C3d is generated on a parent layer of 0 (zero). Even then say a contour label is created on the target layer (p-contxt for me) the layer still lists as o (zero).

This makes layer management a little more difficult on my papersoace tabs. For instance I will go to my STAKING PLAN and click-freeze the contrours layer, everything disappears.

Am I setting this up incorrectly? Im pretty uncomfotable with what Im doing.

chaz_

[Sinc]

Look at Drawing Settings -> Object Layer Settings.  In general, we find it works best to change most of these to something other than Layer 0.

There have been schools of thought in the past that C3D could actually just put everything on Layer 0 and use only Styles to control visibility.  In practice, that doesn't work well, because it makes the drawings a disaster when people without C3D try to use them.  We also have no ability to override Styles in XREFs or on a per-viewport level, so we need things to be on different layers in order to gain extra control at those levels.

C3D entities can be thought of a lot like Blocks.  With Blocks, the linework inside the Block can be on one layer, but the Block itself can also be on another Layer.  C3D entities are a lot like that.  The layers for stuff inside the C3D entities can be set via the Styles, then the overall layer that the object goes on gets set in the Object Layer Settings.

[Pointdump]

Hi Chaz,

I feel your pain. I struggle with that one too. I've had some success with changing the order of point groups and their point and label styles, but even that is hit-or-miss and might not be the right way. Understanding how Layer 0 works with styles is, I think, the key, but some things about Civil 3D are unfathomable to me.

Dave

[jeff_rivers]

What Sinc said. The concept that C3D objects and labels behave similar to blocks is a good one. Also, put some thought into your layers when you develop your layer naming scheme or copy the existing scheme in the AutoDesk templates. Where I work every object layer begins with an underscore. For example, "_Alignment-*", "_Surface-*", "_Corridor-*", and so on. This allows use of layer filters to quickly find or sort out C3D objects. The AutoDesk C3D template uses all the "C-*" layers for the C3D objects. Lastly, don't go overboard on adding the object names to the end of the layer names (by appending dash-asterisk in the object layer name control). We struggled for a short while when every sample line & sample line label was put on an individual, unique layer. That's been fixed now.