topic Re: Turning off layers on blocks from top level in AutoCAD Forum

Turning off layers on blocks from top level

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 04:57:27 GMT

Hi,

So, at work, we're switching from ME10 to AutoCAD. We use our 2D software for plant layouts only, and one of the features we would like to preserve, is the ability to turn on/off the Water, Electricity info that we have on each of our Blocks. The info on the Blocks are usually used later, when we print out drawings for on-site installation. And sometimes the drawings gets messy if you have to many info tags on the drawings

One of our blocks could for example could be a Vessel that has a valve and electrical tag/symbol to it, that we would like to be able to turn off from top level, once the block has been inserted to the main drawing.

I have attached a before and after Picture. The Picture shows a small section of a plant layout (Can't show the whole thing for obvious reasosn). I'm then able to turn off the water and electricity symbols/tags, that each of the blocks have. This I can do from top level/main drawing.

Our Blocks are a mechanical constructions ie a conveyor, table, etc. and the tags/symbols we usually attach to these are:

- Item no.

- Electricity symbol for on-site installation

- Water symbol for on-site installation

- etc.

How do I go about this in AutoCAD?? 🙂

Re: Turning off layers on blocks from top level

ennujozlagam — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 05:48:34 GMT

@Anonymous Hello, it is a best practice to differentiate drawings with layers, which means different item should have their own layers, same items same layers. This procedure can easily turn off layers that you don't want to see and turn on when you need it. AutoCAD drawings are controlled by layers. Thanks

Re: Turning off layers on blocks from top level

DannyNL — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 06:50:57 GMT

Looking at your description I would not setup these blocks with different layers but as a dynamic block with visibility states.

It could be done with layers, but then you cannot not use those layers for anything else and it will hide or show all information drawn on those layers when switching on/off.

Dynamic blocks with visibility states can even be controlled individually and can be layer independent, which is way more flexible and gives you more control on what you see or don't see in the drawing.

Re: Turning off layers on blocks from top level

Kent1Cooper — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 12:20:45 GMT

If those things are differentiated by Layer, you can use LayerQuellPick.lsp, available here. It has four commands in it [described there, and in the file]. If you use one of the commands with N in the name, you can pick on a nested object on [for example] a Water Layer, inside a Block, and that Water Layer will be turned off or frozen [depending on which command], no matter on what Layer that Block is inserted. [If you use a command without the N in it, picking the same object would turn off the Layer the Block is inserted on, not the Water Layer.]

Re: Turning off layers on blocks from top level

gotphish001 — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 12:41:25 GMT

Is there a way to change the visibility state on multiple dynamic blocks at once? If not then I don't see how that would help the OP. He would need to go into a drawing and switch visibility states on many blocks then probably need to switch them back later.

Re: Turning off layers on blocks from top level

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 07:17:10 GMT

What he said 😃

I need to be able to turn off all the valve symbols on my main drawing, on each sketch block that has a valve symbole

Re: Turning off layers on blocks from top level

DannyNL — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 09:31:11 GMT

Yes, that is possible.

A visibility state is published as a property, so it can be set for multiple dynamic blocks through the property palette at once. Not sure if it is possible for multiple dynamic blocks with different names (needs to be tested), but in that case LISP could provide additional functionality to switch all blocks on/off independent of block name.

Re: Turning off layers on blocks from top level

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 05:19:58 GMT

I just experimented a bit with it, by using just layers and seems to be doing the trick. I can add the sketch Blocks to my main drawing and switch off the valve symbols etc. by turning the layer off.

I guess the con in this is, that you have to have a master lister of layers used in your drawings and deviating from that will create a mess.