Solved: 2017 Blocks inserted using Tool Palettes create Noplot layers

Tekcon13 · ‎05-31-2016

New issue with Autocad 2017:

When inserting a block (electrical symbol) from a Tool Palette, if the block's layer is not already defined in the drawing, the symbol layer is created as a Noplot layer.

Been using Tool Palettes for years and have never seen this particular quirk.

All the electrical symbols are in one master library drawing. The layers in that drawing are all set as plottable. I also made sure that the current layer of the drawing into which I was inserting the symbol was not set to Noplot, just in case the new layer was being created based on the current layer settings. The new layer still got set to Noplot.

If the symbol layers are created before the symbol is inserted, inserting a symbol from the tool palette doesn't affect the preset layer settings.

The trouble is, as we are used to the layer being created properly in previous versions of Autocad, and Noplot layers presenting on screen as if they were plottable (ie. not faded or a different colour to indicate the Noplot status - HINT, HINT Autodesk!), drawings are getting plotted with missing symbols.

Anyone else noticing this behaviour?

Sofia.Xanthopoulou · ‎05-31-2016

Hi Tekcon13,

I cannot recreate this situation.

Here is what I did.

Drawing with blocks for symbols.

Each symbol on a different layer.

Created new palette.

Open new drawing - dragging one symbol into this drawing.

New layer has been created - status printable.

What did I miss.

Can you send me a screencast to show me what you are doing?

Thanks

TheCADnoob · ‎05-31-2016

How old are or rather what version are these blocks saved in? Have you tried opening one of the blocks in 2017 and then saving it as the latest file type?

CADnoob

pendean · ‎05-31-2016

What is the name of the NOPLOT layer? There is no such thing as a noplot for a layer name and there is no such thing as a noplot setting for objects alone. So explain in more detail, it doesn't appear you have done much research into the topic before posting.

Did you create this block, mor did you buy it from a kit? What if you open the source file for this block, what layer settings are present?

Also, and this is very important: right-lick over this object in the TP, select PROPERTIES and post a screenshot of the new pop-up that appears after to expand it full width and full height so we can see what all the details are.

Sofia.Xanthopoulou · ‎06-02-2016

Hi @Tekcon13,

three people are trying to solve the puzzle here

If you do not come back to us with more information we cannot support you.

If your problem has been resolved, please enlighten us. All readers would like to benefit from your experiences.

Thank you

Tekcon13 · ‎06-06-2016

Hi Folks,

Sorry for not responding, and I appreciate your input, but I am snowed under at work and have had to go back to Autocad 2016 in order to get my jobs out.

Still on a deadline, so I'll briefly answer some questions:

All the blocks are our company's creation. They are in one large library drawing and have been since approx. 2008. The drawing is updated with each new dwg version, so this has been opened and saved in 2017. The layers in the library drawing are all as they should appear, and are all plottable.

When I get a chance, I'm going to investigate the original palettes creation. My usual practice has been to copy the folder structure of the palettes from the previous Autocad version to the new Autocad version and there have been no issues to this point. I'll see what happens when I use Export (from 2016) and Import (to 2017).

( Added to the above problem, a drawing from an architect containing 32 Layout Tabs took 15 minutes to open using Autocad 2017 and only 2 minutes to open in Autocad 2016. )

So, at this point I've gone back to Autocad 2016 and will probably not get a chance to look at 2017 until the workload abates, or Update 1 shows up, whichever comes first...

nbaerWEI · ‎06-07-2016

I wanted to chime in that I am also experiencing this issue. New layers created from blocks inserted from my Tool Pallette are no-plot. It has caused a lot of issues for me so far and is limiting my productivity.

This issue did not occur on Autocad 2016. All my blocks are also in a single .dwg file and the layers on that file are not no-plot.

Tekcon13 · ‎06-07-2016

Glad to hear I'm not an isolated case Nathan.

I just did a couple of experiments:

Created a new drawing and set it up with no preset layers.

1. Inserted a symbol from the palette that I had copied from the Acad 2016 folder to Acad 2017. (Copied the .atc palettes folder structure)

Result: the new layer was created, but set to Noplot

2. Inserted a symbol from a palette that I had exported from Acad 2016 and imported to Acad 2017. (Right-click on palette, Customize Palettes...)

Result: the new layer was created, but set to Noplot

3. Created a new palette (Right-click on palette, New Palette...). Dragged some symbols into the palette from my library drawing - basically creating the palette in 2017 from scratch.

Result: the new layer was created PROPERLY, SET AS PLOTTABLE

Something I did not do was use Autocad's migration tool, so I don't know how that would affect the palettes.

The bad news is I have multiple palettes for both metric and imperial, plus others for different client standards, all highly customized, so recreating them all from scratch is not in the cards right now.

Tekcon13 · ‎06-14-2016

Further Testing...

I installed and ran the Migrate Settings tool. From the migrated (from 2016) Tool Palette, I inserted a symbol.

The resulting layer was set as noplot.

I suppose the next step is to open and compare the .atc palette files.

Tekcon13 · ‎06-14-2016

I compared two palettes in Notepad++:

Tool Palette "2016" was created in Acad 2016 and exported/imported into Acad 2017.

<Layer><BasicPropInfo>
<PropValue unspecified="FALSE" valueType="1" value="E-Powr-Dvce"/></BasicPropInfo>
<CreateInfo>
<LayerTableRecord isNotPlotted="FALSE" lineWeight="50">

Tool Palette "2017" was created in Acad 2017.

<Layer><BasicPropInfo>
<PropValue unspecified="FALSE" valueType="1" value="E-Powr-Dvce"/></BasicPropInfo>
<CreateInfo>
<LayerTableRecord isNotPlotted="TRUE" lineWeight="50">

Looks like I"ll be running Find/Replace on all my tool palettes in Notepad++. Much faster than recreating them all.

Tekcon13 · ‎06-14-2016

Too easy!

nbaerWEI · ‎06-14-2016

Good catch. Thanks!

Anonymous · ‎06-14-2016

I just installed 2017 LT today, used the Migration wizard and had this exact same problem. However when I did a side by side comparison of the palette files in Notepad I found that only some of the valeus were incorrect. I would just be careful before doing a global change.

This is clearly an issue that needs to be fixed as I have had this occur on multiple installations in our office.

Anonymous · ‎06-14-2016

Just wanted to chime in and say that I'm having the exact same issue.

I have the majority of my users on 2016 right now as I beta test 2017 to a few key people, I'd love to just go in and modify the .atc files and fix this on my end however the tool palettes reside on our network and both 2016 and 2017 use the same paths. If I modified the atc files then this would basically offset the problem from 2017 into 2016. Simply reversing the true/false doesn't seem like the best course of action for anyone in my current or similar situation.

Anonymous · ‎06-14-2016

I also run an office with multiple versions and require a solution for both worlds.

Tekcon13 · ‎06-15-2016

I remember reading (years ago!) that while you could upgrade your tool palettes to the next Acad version, it was not recommended to use the upgraded tool palettes with the older Acad version.

That's why I have a separate folder structure for each release of Autocad. I copy the old folder structure, rename it and tweak the LISP programs to work with the newer version. Anything version-specific, like tool palettes, cui, pgp, LISP etc. go into the version-specific structure. Everything else gets referenced from the "common" CAD folder (blocks, ctb, LISP, linetypes, fonts, etc).

Downside with the tool palettes is, if I make a change in 2016, I have to go make the same change in 2017. But I only have to worry about that when I'm test-driving the new release. I don't put the new release on the other CAD stations until I have it working on mine. After the new version is running, we don't use the old version. It's only kept for an emergency.

Clear as mud? It works for us, but every office has a unique workflow, so one size does not fit all...

Oh yeah... forgot to mention: The reason I didn't use the Migrate Tool in the first place is bitter experience years ago and my recent experience was no different. I had my three profiles set up and pointing to the new 2017 folder structure. When I installed and ran the Migrate Tool in my attempt to troubleshoot the Tool Palettes bug, it reset all the CUSTOM paths to the 2016 folder structure. Of course it did, as Autodesk has no way of knowing my customized folder structure. But it ended up updating my 2016 tool palettes to 2017 before I realized what had happened. Thankfully, I had exported my 2016 palettes, so I could get them all back.

Sofia.Xanthopoulou · ‎06-20-2016

Hi @Tekcon13,

could you please upload one palette? I'd like to run some tests on it.

Thank you

Tekcon13 · ‎06-21-2016

This palette was exported from 2016 and imported into 2017.

gros33 · ‎06-22-2016

Same here,

I can confirm that in ACAD 2017, blocks which are set to drop on a new layer, and that layer in empty (that is, non of the objects within that block resides in that empty layer) ACAD will automatically set that layer to non-plot.

ACAD 2017 seems to read IsNotplotted="FALSE" from the .atc file the wrong way.
And I'm in the same boat, reading the same tool palette for 2017 and 2016....

Autodesk, please fix it.

Deshi10 · ‎06-22-2016

I just got slammed with this today! I am so glad you took to the time to resolve this. I did exactly what you said with the ATC files and it worked perfect.

THANK YOU!

2017 Blocks inserted using Tool Palettes create Noplot layers

2017 Blocks inserted using Tool Palettes create Noplot layers

2017 Blocks inserted using Tool Palettes create Noplot layers

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