topic Re: How to delete empty layers? in AutoCAD Forum

How to delete empty layers?

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:04:58 GMT

I have plenty of layers in the drawing. Some of them are empty, with no object on it. How to identify and delete? I only want to keep the one with object on it. Thanks

Re: How to delete empty layers?

gotphish001 — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:10:43 GMT

Purge will delete layers that are empty.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-FEDE9BD6-EA31-4475-B16E-A5EF79B6CAFE-htm.html

Re: How to delete empty layers?

GabrielMagalhães — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:15:03 GMT

Você pode usar o comando purge, segue o link

http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2015/PTB/?guid=GUID-58455B9B-E120-4EE6-9ADC-31FF37C61FE0

Espero que te ajude.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

Moshe-A — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:51:52 GMT

@Anonymous hi,

how about LAYDEL command?

moshe

Re: How to delete empty layers?

cadffm — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 17:17:23 GMT

So please, LAYDEL to recommend when it comes to the clean-up of "empty" layers is careless.
Empty and referenced layers are cleaned up with PURGE, otherwise the layers are still referenced.
If someone has no idea what the layer is referenced to, then you should maximally recommend LAYMRG.

@Anonymous

I think you know about PURGE command, so if you have a file where you think the Layer is referenced

but you can not purge them, upload this file, tell us the Layername and we will show why Acad can bot purge this Layer.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

Moshe-A — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 19:22:01 GMT

@cadffm,

you asummes @Anonymous who is rank here "9 collaborator" doesn't know of purge command?

to me if some one comes here with the request to delete a layer then i asumme he tried layer delete \ purge

and if he delete a layer by mistake then he could undo or take the bak file.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

GrantsPirate — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 19:27:57 GMT

Open the layer manager (layerdlgmode must be set to 1), there is a column left of the name of the layer for Status. If the symbol next to the layer is blank then that layer is not being used. Pick the layer, right click, pick delete layer. You can sort the status column by picking on Status, pick a layer, hold Shift, move down and pick another layer, all those layers are selected, right click and pick delete layer.

If layerdlgmode = 0 then the status icon will not work as described above but you can still right click and delete the layer.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

cadffm — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 19:41:12 GMT

@Moshe-A

he asked for "How to delete empty layers?", answer is purge!

And yes, even at Rank 9 I would definitely give the TO all possible, after I have followed many threads in recent months.

I guess he's thinkeing the layer is empty, he don't wan't to delete informations, but the layer isn't unreferenced - thats the problem.

And the TO is not the only one who read this thread now and in feature and that was the reason for my answer,
I just wanted to make it clear that in case of uncertainty you should use LAYMRG and not LAYDEL to delete "empty" layers.

Laydel is the normal-User way to delete all objects on a layer (~ not empty layer~) and purge the layer themself to.

It's all good

Re: How to delete empty layers?

jayhar — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 06:51:13 GMT

Hi,

MERGE layer to "0"

Please Mark the Post or Posts as Solution(s) to help others find the answer quickly. If your issue persists,

Please give me a bit more detail on this issue so we can continue to work towards getting this solved.

Thanks You
Jayhar.M.J

Helpful Links: Prepare your computer for download | Autodesk Virtual Agent | Clean Uninstall | Steps for Setting-Up Student Software

Re: How to delete empty layers?

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 18:12:58 GMT

I have the same problem. Layers that have nothing showing up. Have tried purge, delete layer, etc. These layers remain. I have turned everything off except those layers, went thru each sheet, and nothing shows up.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

pendean — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 18:54:58 GMT

@Anonymous use LAYMRG command on those unexpected but still in use layers to layer 0 (they are probably buried in the items you brought in so isolating them is impossible with what you've tried).

HTH

Re: How to delete empty layers?

ВeekeeCZ — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 19:42:08 GMT

With a new-enough acad version, you can use the Find Non-Purgeable Items feature to investigate why you can't purge it.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

cadffm — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 20:03:35 GMT

And if purge dialog doesn't display where the layer is used, for one example (one file, one layer), we can say why the layer is not purgable.

If you like to know it, share a sample dwg and tell us layers name.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

zach__young — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:48:15 GMT

Can always count on some esoteric lore to explain with why a user can't carry out the most basic of tasks in this bloated disaster of an application

Re: How to delete empty layers?

pendean — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:53:53 GMT

@zach__young wrote:
Can always count on some esoteric lore to explain with why a user can't carry out the most basic of tasks in this bloated disaster of an application

OR.. you could just your LAYMRG when LAYDEL does not work nd you don't have the time to dissect where and what is still on that uncooperative layer. Who's got time for an explanation anyway, that's overrated, we have tasks to complete 🙂

Re: How to delete empty layers?

zach__young — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:58:00 GMT

This has to be done on a per-layer basis, does it not? Does this not suck?

Re: How to delete empty layers?

Kent1Cooper — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:03:18 GMT

@zach__young wrote:

This has to be done on a per-layer basis, does it not? Does this not suck?

No. LAYDEL can remove more than one Layer in one running of the command, and LAYMRG can merge more than one Layer at a time into a single target Layer.

Please try suggested approaches before assuming they can't do what you want.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

zach__young — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:02:21 GMT

How?

Re: How to delete empty layers?

Kent1Cooper — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:17:17 GMT

@zach__young wrote:

How?

What is that in reply to? It's a good idea to always quote what you're replying to [pick on the fat double-quote character in the tool bar], preferably edited down to just the relevant part.

[And if it's supposed to be in reply to my Message 17, I suspect you used the "Reply to the Topic" slot at the bottom. Things put there are always shown as being in reply to Message 1 and its author. I've suggested to them to get rid of it. Always use the REPLY button inside the individual Message you're replying to.]

And if it was meant to be in reply to me, read about the Name option in Help for both LAYDEL and LAYMRG. Help should always be your first step.

Re: How to delete empty layers?

zach__young — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:17:27 GMT

Wow! Thank you! Very helpful!