topic Re: How to assign Xref Sub-layers to ACAD layers? in AutoCAD Forum

How to assign Xref Sub-layers to ACAD layers?

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 18:43:03 GMT

Situation:

In my current position, we use a 3D software for design then export top view and section views to ACAD as xref files.

These xref files have sub layers, for example, if I right click on the xref then "edit block in place" some lines are under a "future" sub layer, while others are under the "existing" sub layer.

Problem:

ACAD does not recognize these sub-layers; the whole xref is under the "0" layer.

Question:

Is there a way to link the "future" sub-layers in the xref file to the "future" ACAD layer?

In addition, all xref flies we export to ACAD for all projects have the same sub-layer names, is there a way to have ACAD recognize these sub-layers by name and assign it to the "future" layer in ACAD for every project automatically, so every time I export the views to ACAD the future parts will be under the "future" layer? (so I won't have to do it manually for every project I export to ACAD)

Thanks in advance for the help

Re: How to assign Xref Sub-layers to ACAD layers?

pendean — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 18:51:33 GMT

No such thing as "sub-layers" in plain AutoCAD: is that a feature of the other CAD program you used? What is it?

Or are you just trying to isolate/address XREF layers only like this from HELP https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2021/ENU/AutoCAD-DidYouKnow/files/GUID-46F22B6E-D087-4AB4-8D4F-580E0E75FAD3-htm.html

LAYER command names layers from XREFs by including the name of the XREF at the beginning, see for yourself.

Re: How to assign Xref Sub-layers to ACAD layers?

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 22:07:31 GMT

@pendean

Thanks for the reply,

I guess a sub-layer is the wrong nomenclature.

What i meant is that my xref file is under layer "0", but if right click and choose "edit xref in place" my xref has different lines that are under different layers, and I assume ACAD doesn't recognize these layers. How can I assign these layers to a different existing ACAD layer automatically? Like telling ACAD "when you see this xref layer under this name, match it to this other layer?"

Thanks

Re: How to assign Xref Sub-layers to ACAD layers?

pendean — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 22:23:36 GMT

Are you taking any classes for AutoCAD, or did you just jump in the deep end without help or guidance? I'm curious more than anything, you appear to have chosen the hardest method on the planet to use this complex software if I may say so. Let's see if I can explain what you seek differently:

The placement of the XREF can be on any layer you want, if it is layer 0 then that is fine. This has nothing to do, and has no effect on the layers inside the XREF.

The layers inside the XREF never go away, unless you decide to just hide them (or someone else decided to do that for you): they are listed separately from the top file's layers it is referenced in, start LAYER command, ensure you have the ALL filter chosen, the name of the XREF precedes the layer name inside the XREF. Those layers tend to be highlighted as well, just scroll down or up the layer name list afterwards to find them

No, you cannot "Assign" layers between files to match each other, that's not a thing in AutoCAD. All layers in all files remain separate when XREFed. Perhaps you need to actually INSERT your other drawing and make it part of the top file instead? That means no longer having a unique outside DWG file, you merge everything into one.

HTH

Re: How to assign Xref Sub-layers to ACAD layers?

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 00:47:35 GMT

@pendean

thank you for looking into this,

I tried to attach a screenshot of what i am trying to do but my work is blocking it. Let me try to explain further what i am trying to do. An xref file has 2 components next to each other. one component is under the "existing" layer while the other is under the "future" layer. When I import this xref into ACAD it automatically recognizes the layers from the 3D software and automatically assigns them to the existing/future layers in ACAD.

Basically there is an Xref_future layer and I want to link it to the ACAD_future layer and same thing for the existing so whenever I import a design to ACAD the layers that are future are automatically future and same for existing.

Our ACAD specialist is on vacation for another 10 days and what he did stopped working for some reason so i am trying to recreate it.

Thanks again for your help it is much appreciated.

Re: How to assign Xref Sub-layers to ACAD layers?

Alfred.NESWADBA — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 01:07:50 GMT

Hi,

>> When I import this xref into ACAD it automatically recognizes the layers

>> from the 3D software and automatically assigns them to the

>> existing/future layers in ACAD.

If you used command _XREF to load the external dwg-file (with layers "existing" and "furniture") into your current drawing, and then open your layer-manager (with filter set to ALL as @pendean already showed) then you should see something like this ... layer with the <name of the XREF>|<layername inside the XREF>:

If you don't see these layers, then we come back to the wording of your message...

What exactly means "import this xref into ACAD" ==> which command did you use? Could it be you used _INSERT?
What exactly means "recognizes the layers from the 3D software and automatically assigns them to the existing/future layers" ==> when you used command _XREF no layers are converted or assigned, the layers are just used as they are ... or are you using an application on top of AutoCAD which does that?

- alfred -