Block With Layer That Doesn't Show Up In Drawings, But is Preserved in PDFs and Can Be Turned On/Off in PDF Editor

[joelmNKB6B]

Pretty much what the title says - I've tried freezing layers, turning on/off layers, and editing the printer drivers. As far as I can tell, in order to preserve a layer, it needs to be viewable in the PDF that is published from AutoCAD and the model space as well. I would like it to not be visible in AutoCAD model space or the outputted PDF unless that layer is turned on with the PDF viewer.

[pendean]

Nope, not an option.

you'll need to find a PDF editor that will let you do whatever it is you want to only show in PDF after the fact.

[joelmNKB6B]

@pendean - Thanks for the reply, I figured that was the case...I guess that would lead me to my next question:

Is it possible to have a layer hidden, but when I publish my drawing set (I work mostly out of model space) the layer shows in the outputted PDF?

[ChicagoLooper]

Sorry, no.

It will follow the SAME-SAME rule:

If you have a 'hidden' layer in AutoCAD, then it will be 'hidden' in the PDF.

If the layer is displayed in in AutoCAD, then it will be displayed in the PDF.

You cannot have a 'hidden' layer in AutoCAD and same layer visible in PDF.

If you have 10 layers in Autocad, 4 layers turn off and 6 on, do you expect your plotted PDF to have the same 4 turned off? Or do you expect four random layers to be turned off? If you can successfully make your output a DIFFERENT group of 4 layers hidden in your PDF, then you have single handedly turned the same-same rule upside down.

And working mostly out of modelspace doesn't have a thing to do with it.

[pendean]

@joelmNKB6B LOL, rephrasing your question is not going to change the answer. Sorry.

[alique.langlois]

Could you give us a sample of what you are looking to do?  As I understand the goal. When you plot, all layers plot visible. So you can use the PDFreaders layers visibility ability to show or hide the information?

If that is the case it might be a question of the process you are using along with the method you build the overall model.

[joelmNKB6B]

@pendean - Here's a video of my process. I have tried just about everything I can think of but can't think of how to get a layer on the PDF that isn't in the model space. I've thought about using paperspace but then it would be on every drawing and might not line up with the controller in the same way as it would if it was built into the block itself. 

[pendean]

No video... .

[joelmNKB6B]

@pendean - Let's try that again, something is breaking when I try to imbed the video, here's a link:

https://autode.sk/3OleLtX

Thanks! 

[pendean]

@joelmNKB6B FWIW rephrasing your question even with a video is not going to change the answer. Sorry.

But I am curious why in your here-is-me-doing-it-all video you never look at the layer list in the PDF (its still not going to be there) or confirm your pagesetup is aiming at a PDF with Layer Capture turned on (it might be, it might not be, who knows, again, the point of the video is to show us you literally tried everything, isn't it).

Anyway, my initial reply still stands. Sorry.

[joelmNKB6B]

I figured someone might know a creative solution to achieve the end result I'm after (for example, using paperspace for plotting - this works, but was not quite what I needed). FWIW you asked for the video.

[pendean]

---

@joelmNKB6B wrote:
FWIW you asked for the video.

---

@joelmNKB6B Knot Eye 😉

You initial observation "... in order to preserve a layer, it needs to be viewable in the PDF that is published from AutoCAD and the model space as well..." and every other person responding with the same answer seems consistent.

HTH