topic Re: $0$ Layers in AutoCAD Forum

$0$ Layers

JackNaylorPE — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 18:22:13 GMT

I understand that $0$ layers are ones that have been bound to a drawing. I don't know what caused this, someone did on purpose or it was a misclick. But as these layers still exist in the Xref, can they be deleted or unbound ?

Would rather not have 2 sets of 200+ layers in the drawing

Re: $0$ Layers

pendean — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 19:10:19 GMT

LAYMRG command can be used in the files where those layers exist not-as-xref-layers to get rid of if LAYDEL command can't delete them.

Re: $0$ Layers

3wood — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 23:33:30 GMT

You can try LQM in LAYER.vlx to merge these layers automatically.

Re: $0$ Layers

paullimapa — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 02:01:21 GMT

try attached fixbind.lsp routine I found awhile back which gets rid of those pesky $#$ symbols everywhere.

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I found it so cannot give credit to whom credit is due.

Re: $0$ Layers

Ed__Jobe — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:01:38 GMT

It can also happen when someone edits an xref in-place. Consequently, I avoid using that command and open the xref.

Re: $0$ Layers

pendean — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:06:46 GMT

@Ed__Jobe wrote:

It can also happen when someone edits an xref in-place. Consequently, I avoid using that command and open the xref.

... XOPEN command https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2022/ENU/?guid=GUID-6CD56F5F-AB89-482C-B1DC-57A95987ABED

Re: $0$ Layers

Ed__Jobe — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:10:27 GMT

@pendean wrote:

@Ed__Jobe wrote:

It can also happen when someone edits an xref in-place. Consequently, I avoid using that command and open the xref.

... XOPEN command https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2022/ENU/?guid=GUID-6CD56F5F-AB89-482C-B1DC-57A95987ABED

Yes, the XOPEN command or select the xref and Right Click, select OPEN.

Thx Dean

Re: $0$ Layers

JackNaylorPE — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 00:33:57 GMT

Great answers.... I'm enthused that I have options ! Bit I think I might not have phrased the question correctly 🙂

1. LAYMRG command can be used in the files where those layers exist not-as-xref-layers to get rid of if LAYDEL command can't delete them.

2. You can try LQM in LAYER.vlx to merge these layers automatically.

3. try attached fixbind.lsp routine I found awhile back which gets rid of those pesky $#$ symbols everywhere.

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I found it so cannot give credit to whom credit is due.

The concern here of course with all 3 is... will there be any data loss associated with any of these fixes ? The only time I open an xref in place is when I want to find out what layer it is so I can get rid of the cacophony of colors used by the xref creator ....like why does a 'door' need to be drawn in 3 colors ? 🙂 I never edit an original Xref, just do view port color changes or freeze. I would just try any one of them on a saved copy but comparing the two I'd be hard pressed to detect what was lost.

Here's the real odd part ....I have a site plan showing the work at 50 scale and then 3 others with match lines at 20 divining the 30 scale into 3 drawings. The minor contours are not visible on the 50 scale, they are on the 20 scale.

Opening the Xref that are labeled as CONT-MNR (NEW) and they are Green. Now opening my drawing, I see them as gray (20 scale). Opening the Xref in the editor creates a new layer while it's open called $0%CONT-MNR (NEW) and it's still listed as green but looking at the actual xref itself shows it as gray (as desired). There's over 100 $0$ layers as well as many $0$ layers , $1$ layers , $2$ layers up to 20 or so. Clicking on "Discard Changes" drops me to just 12 $0$ layers. It as if opening the X-ref creates all these layers... and then when you exit, tries to get rid of them and leaves few behind.

So now to the oddball thing ... Looking at the CONT-MNR (NEW) with a locked viewport in paper space on the 20 scale drawing I see that the layer correctly shoes in the Xref with a green color and a viewport over ride as gray. On the viewport override at 50 scale it said green and when I changed it to gray, I'd come back and it would be green again.

On the bright side, I fixed it or thought I did ... I saved the override to yellow, saved, opened and changed it from yellow to gray and that worked.,,, well i thought it did.... not sure now.

I had been having continued problems with every few days, having to go into the Licensing Manager and re-register, I a;so would crash occasionally when opening ACAD that and my son ( a pilot) would us the puter at night to check out approaches and practicing landings to air ports he's never been ... and would crash.

In the previous few weeks I was literally crashing in ACAD 4-5 times a day ... I was blaming the old puter. But the licensing manager fix from a few days ago, changed everything.... no more having to re-register, no crashes and even the pilot hasn't crashed since then .... the puter not the plane :). So whatever it did... I'm glad whomever figured it out did so.

But back to the extra layers... I saved the file to an isolated place where it wouldn't get lost in the twice daily backups. Then did the following... Turned off all layers by 0 and the $X$ stuff ... drawing was empty except for 0 layer stuff ... feeling safe, Deleted $0$.... $1$... $2$ one set at a time. they were basically the same 12 layers recreated over and over again.

Save and opened ...checked to identify a layer on the Xref.... it created 12 layers just cause I had clicked on the one ... didn't edit or do anything else. and the same 12 layers were created. ... they were not deletable... but if you exit and come back they are. I thot I was "safe" never editing or saving the xref bat apparently not.

Thx again all.

Thanks for all the answers, was surprised I didn't have to employ anything but rt click / delete

Re: $0$ Layers

JackNaylorPE — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 06:18:49 GMT

Well I learned a lot from all the suggestions... but can't really single anyone out as a "best answer" as no one said "just delete them, not really anything there."

Re: $0$ Layers

cadffm — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 06:45:53 GMT

1. You have two topics, one is 'how to fix' and the other one is 'WTH is wrong with the 12 layers'

first)

They don't erase objects, but the look can change, the appearience in viewports.

If you understand all things like layer dimstyle blocks and so on,

and if you know the file content,

then YOU can answer this question for you.

Example:

Layer TEST color green,vpfrozen in all all viewports

Circle color ByLayer, Layer XR$0$TEST

Layer TEST color red, visible in all viewports.

And now you merge the layer XR$0$TEST with TEST.

You know what happen?

If yes: You know the answer of your question

if not: Test it!

For all other named object the same, specially for blocks and dimstyles.

12 layers:

Would you please share a sample? Open your main file, start ETRANSMIT, create a .ZIP with your data and share them.

This way we can check it 1:1

Re: $0$ Layers

Edgetrimmer — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:50:39 GMT

Thanks Paul. I downloaded and used FIXBIND and it works great. The only object names it doesn't handle is multileaders. They may not have existed when the command was written. It would be great if one of the LISP programmers could add that to the routine.

Regards,

Bruce

Re: $0$ Layers

paullimapa — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 03:20:58 GMT

try the attached updated Fixbind.lsp which should accommodate for both Mleader & Table styles.

Re: $0$ Layers

adeines — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:37:28 GMT

How do you ref the blocks such as an electrical symbol back to its original layer after you use the fixbind.lsp routine? In addition I lost VP layer management setting in the main drawing file with many xrefs that were edited in place, Thank you

Re: $0$ Layers

paullimapa — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:45:14 GMT

Could you share a sample dwg showing the layer they’re on now vs where you want them to be?

As for VP layer management that’s all out the window since the xref layers are now all changed.

Re: $0$ Layers

adeines — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:00:23 GMT

Please see the enclosed files you have to reload the xref's hope that's ok. The electrical blocks and some text are still referencing the $0$ layers when run a list command. Thank you for your time

Re: $0$ Layers

adeines — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:14:49 GMT

Original sample drawing before I tried to fix the $0$ layers w/ fixbind. We are training our ppl to not edit in place but we have a lot plans to fix

Re: $0$ Layers

paullimapa — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 23:23:35 GMT

When I open 2235 - Ravenna_Plot.dwg from both Zipped files there are missing a number of xref dwgs

Only the two dwgs you included in the zip are shown as "Loaded":

Base - Ravenna.dwg

Elevation A - Ravenna.dwg

Perhaps you should use the eTransmit command which would automatically collect all the remaining xref dwgs into a single zip for posting here?

As a test what I did was open the 2235 - Ravenna_Plot.dwg & xref Bind the two "Loaded" xrefs and Detach all the "Not Found" xrefs.

The following xrefs I could not Detach:

In addition to FIXBIND I also loaded another routine called FIXBOUND which seems to take care of those $##$ characters at the beginning of the names.

So give FIXBOUND a try.

Note: may have to run FXB more than once to complete renaming process.

Re: $0$ Layers

adeines — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 13:31:29 GMT

Thank you so much moving forward I will send the E-Trans from now on. You ROCK!!!

Re: $0$ Layers

paullimapa — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:25:29 GMT

You’re welcome…cheers!!!