What are the best practices for layer names in wall styles

[leewh246]

What are the best practices for creating layer names for components used in wall styles. Autocad standard wall styles puts everything on layer 0 and sets colors and linetypes Byblock. I have wall styles I got from people I have worked and each has their own layer names for wall components and set colors and linetypes either Bylayer or Byblock or a combination of each. I have created my own wall styles using my standard layer names preceded by "AEC" to distinguished them from other drawing entities. I have always controlled color and linetype Bylayer and did the same for my wall style components. Are layer names used in wall styles just a personal preference or is there a best practice or standard to use and if so, why.

[David_W_Koch]

"Best" is often in the eye of the beholder.

Do you always work independently of others, and are always able to use your standard layering?  Or do you need to collaborate with others, or work with multiple layers standards (yours, those of your collaborators, those imposed by clients)?  Do you display Wall Components other than the Shrink Wrap component in your drawings?  Are you willing to customize the display settings to get the Walls to display as you want, in every different condition in which you see them (or do the out-of-the-box settings work for you)?  Are your collaborators (if any) able to work with display settings to get what they need (or can you set up display settings for them that do that)?

My personal preference is to avoid hard-coding layers in display settings, to allow for situations where we have to use a mandated layering system that varies from our own.  We typically do not show all of the individual components of a Wall, just the Shrink Wrap (and, for rated partitions, the Shrink Wrap Hatch, via the assigned Material Definition).

You can assign Layer Keys to Wall Components, which may allow for making use of layers for the components while preserving the ability to work in multiple layer standards.  I have never actually used that in practice, so I cannot say how easy it is to maintain the source files for that.

[leewh246]

I am not up to speed on all display settings and using layer keys having just recently upgraded from Autocad 2004 to Autocad 2021. I have created my own styles for doors, windows and walls and I am looking at layer names I used in the "Display Properties" for the styles I created. 

For over 25 years I was the sole draftsperson in a small architectural office were I created all standards that we used. I am now doing contract drafting work for various architects and designers. Each have their own layer standards regarding layer colors and the lineweight assigned by their Plot Style Table (CTB). I created unique layer names and I plan to  use Layer States Manager to change layer colors as necessary to get the proper lineweight for the various Plot Style Tables that I will need to conform to. All of my work is strictly 2D drawings and I am not concerned about assigned materials at this point.

In my styles, a wall for example, the plotted wall is only the Shrink Wrap. I do however, display all components in the drawing on layers that do not plot. My walls represent actual wall thickness to finish materials (Shrink Wrap) but I dimension to wall framing, wood studs for example, which are on a layer that does not plot. I have been rethinking the layer names I used and I want to create a standard that I will use going forward for all AEC styles I create. I assume it does not matter what name I give my layers but I think I should change some names that I used for AEC objects that are also used by other objects. I was just trying to find out if there are any standards or tips for layer names or if there is anything I am not considering.

Thanks

[David_W_Koch]

The best thing about standards is that there are so many from which to choose.

Depending upon where in the world you are located, there may be a national (or regional) standard that most (try to) follow.  If you are working with a range of clients, choosing that standard, even if all of your clients do not follow it, would probably be a good starting point.

[leewh246 · Accepted solution]

Thanks David, for both of your replies.

I was seeking input about layers I assign in "Display Properties" to AEC styles that I have created. It appears that there is no magic, best practice or reason that I can see that those layers can not be what ever I want. In nearly 30 years of collaborating with others, I have not seen a standard and each office uses what they want. Often what someone brought with them from the previous office they worked for.  Since the collaboration I do with others only needs to conform to lineweights as determined by color in their Plot Style Tables, I will continue with my current strategy. I will continue to use my layer standards, have a saved Layer State for each office I collaborate with, and use Layer States Manager to change layer colors as necessary to get the proper lineweight for the various Plot Style Tables that others use. I will consider my inquiry solved.

Thanks again.