Duplicating Multiple Layers with

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for a way to duplicate multiple layers at once, maintaining all their properties and just changing one letter in the name. Possible?

For example,

UNIT_A_CROWN

UNIT_A_FRAME

UNIT_A_FACING

UNIT_A_BASEBOARD

Duplicated with new names

UNIT_B_CROWN

UNIT_B_FRAME 

ect. 

thanks

[rkmcswain]

And keep them in the same drawing file? You could isolate those layers, wblock them out to a new file, open that one, rename, then insert this block back into the original.

If this is something you need to do often, it could be automated with lisp, etc.

[ВeekeeCZ]

Copy/Paste some object in those layers to new drawing.
Rename
UNIT_A_*
to
UNIT_B_*
copy/past back aside, delete objects.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

I would use DesignCenter to drag & drop these layers to a new drawing, then in the new drawing rename the layers (manually or using command _RENAME if possible).

When they are finished again use DesignCenter to drag & drop these layers from the temporary dwg to the original one.

HTH, - alfred -

[Kent1Cooper · Accepted solution]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

I'm looking for a way to duplicate multiple layers at once, maintaining all their properties and just changing one letter in the name. ....

UNIT_A_CROWN

UNIT_A_FRAME

.... 

Duplicated with new names

UNIT_B_CROWN

UNIT_B_FRAME 

....

---

Try this [lightly tested]:

(foreach lay '("UNIT_A_CROWN" "UNIT_A_FRAME" "UNIT_A_FACING" "UNIT_A_BASEBOARD")
  (setq ldata (entget (tblobjname "layer" lay)))
  (entmake (subst (cons 2 (vl-string-subst "_B_" "_A_" lay)) (assoc 2 ldata) ldata))
)

It assumes the Layers in the list are in the drawing, but it could be made to check that for each one, and make the _B_ ones only for those _A_ ones that exist.

[rhgrafix]

For Single Layer:

Today I discovered a weird trick, type -, anywhere in a layer name and it makes an exact copy underneath it with the dash added. (I use Acad 2018 so I can’t vouch for older versions).

Then add your unique text: eg. Calendar_Month_Headers - add a dash and comma with no space:

Calendar_Month_Headers-,  you end up with: Calendar_Month_Headers-  then add your text, or put at beginning like -,Calendar_Month_Headers  you will get -Calendar_Month_Headers

For Multiple Layers:

Press Alt+S in your layers manager or type LAS at command line, export layers list to; eg. mytest.las, open with text editor, copy your sections and rename there, save, import back to drawing. Technically you leave your drawing but you don’t need a second drawing, I realize these are funky workarounds but until Autodesk follows forums, sees years of us asking for stuff and not fixing them (they do fix some of them), we have to do this stuff. Hope this helps,

R.L. Hamm

[Anonymous]

Thanks! That's a useful trick to know. I usually just highlight the layer I want to copy properties of and click 'new layer' but you still need to rename that new layer from 'layer1' to the new name in that case.

[ВeekeeCZ]

Yes, the workflow is pretty simple - confirm a new name with comma key instead of enter.

Reference HERE

[rhgrafix]

Hmm, so that is a thing, I thought I found some weird anomaly.

[ВeekeeCZ]

Well, it's one of those many less/un known tricks that autocad have. Undocumented, but intentional behavior.

You definitely deserve kudos for the discovery.

IMHO what is weird is that comma key. Why a comma key?! I can imagine that combinations like CTRL+Enter or Shirt+Enter would be better.