topic Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list in .NET Forum

Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:38:40 GMT

Is there a way in .net to add the layer description field (viewable in the Layer Properties Manager menu) to the layer dropdown list? Our designers want to see this information without opening the Layer Properties menu.

Thanks!

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:52:14 GMT

LayerTableRecord has a Description property. I'm not sure if this is what's used in the layers dropdown, but it might be worth a shot.

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:32:43 GMT

Hello fyathyrio8,
LayerTableRecord.Description is the property you want to set for the description
that shows up in the Layer dialog.

> LayerTableRecord has a Description property. I'm not sure if this is
> what's used in the layers dropdown, but it might be worth a shot.
>

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:55:15 GMT

There's several layer controls.

One is on the Ribbon and another is on the layer toolbar.

Which are you using?

--
http://www.caddzone.com

AcadXTabs: MDI Document Tabs for AutoCAD
Supporting AutoCAD 2000 through 2010

http://www.acadxtabs.com

Email: string.Format("{0}@{1}.com", "tonyt", "caddzone");

wrote in message news:6358774@discussion.autodesk.com...
Is there a way in .net to add the layer description field (viewable in the Layer
Properties Manager menu) to the layer dropdown list? Our designers want to see
this information without opening the Layer Properties menu.

Thanks!

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:05:01 GMT

The OP asked how to get the description to show up in the layer dropdown.

Do you have a suggestion for that?

--
http://www.caddzone.com

AcadXTabs: MDI Document Tabs for AutoCAD
Supporting AutoCAD 2000 through 2010

http://www.acadxtabs.com

Email: string.Format("{0}@{1}.com", "tonyt", "caddzone");

"Michael Robertson" wrote in message
news:6359834@discussion.autodesk.com...
Hello fyathyrio8,
LayerTableRecord.Description is the property you want to set for the description
that shows up in the Layer dialog.

> LayerTableRecord has a Description property. I'm not sure if this is
> what's used in the layers dropdown, but it might be worth a shot.
>

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:34:17 GMT

We are using the Classic AutoCAD layer dropdown,
(see attachment). Our designers have requested the
ability to view the layer description next to the layer
name to help them know which layer to choose.

Normally, I'd define the layer name to provide a
hint, but these files all have generic layer names
for post-processing reasons.

Thanks,
Vic Yarberry

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:59:02 GMT

Your only option is to create a standalone custom layer control, as there is
no way to customize the built in layer control. There have been some pretty
impressive third party layering systems built over the years, so you may
want to spend some time researching how others have solved the problem.
--
Owen Wengerd
President, ManuSoft <>
VP Americas, CADLock, Inc. <>

wrote in message
news:6360360@discussion.autodesk.com...
> We are using the Classic AutoCAD layer dropdown,
> (see attachment). Our designers have requested the
> ability to view the layer description next to the layer
> name to help them know which layer to choose.
>
> Normally, I'd define the layer name to provide a
> hint, but these files all have generic layer names
> for post-processing reasons.
>
> Thanks,
> Vic Yarberry
>

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:11:38 GMT

In that case, I'm afraid you're out of luck, because
the toolbar layer dropdown is not customizable in
any way, short of subclassing it and completely
replicating item painting.

OTOH, it took me about 5 minutes to modify some
code I wrote for extending AutoCAD Data Extraction,
to make it happen with the layer dropdown on the
ribbon (see the attached screen grab), and you can
get it here:

http://www.caddzone.com/LayerHelper.zip

--
http://www.caddzone.com

AcadXTabs: MDI Document Tabs for AutoCAD
Supporting AutoCAD 2000 through 2010

http://www.acadxtabs.com

Email: string.Format("{0}@{1}.com", "tonyt", "caddzone");

wrote in message news:6360360@discussion.autodesk.com...
We are using the Classic AutoCAD layer dropdown,
(see attachment). Our designers have requested the
ability to view the layer description next to the layer
name to help them know which layer to choose.

Normally, I'd define the layer name to provide a
hint, but these files all have generic layer names
for post-processing reasons.

Thanks,
Vic Yarberry

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

ralstogj — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:02:12 GMT

Did any one download Tony's example code who could post it here or email it to me as the link no longer works and his site is not active anymore.:(

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

andrewpuller3811 — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:11:43 GMT

The original as downloaded from tony's site.

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

ralstogj — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:21:55 GMT

Thanks Andrew

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 08:52:37 GMT

I would find the function in this package extremely useful, has someone got it to work?

I've managed to load the .dll in AutoCAD 2015 Architecture, and still nothing happens in my layer dropdown in the ribbon.

It would speed up my design process so much if I could see the layer description besies the layer name!

Cheers

Re: Add Layer Description to Layer Dropdown list

ActivistInvestor — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 12:55:34 GMT

Autodesk changed the way the layer combo gets the names of layers in recent releases of AutoCAD (going back to at least AutoCAD 2012).

I don't know of any way to display descriptions in the layer combo in recent releases.

@Anonymouswrote:
I would find the function in this package extremely useful, has someone got it to work?

I've managed to load the .dll in AutoCAD 2015 Architecture, and still nothing happens in my layer dropdown in the ribbon.

It would speed up my design process so much if I could see the layer description besies the layer name!

Cheers