Making a line non-selectable without turning layer off and without freezing layer.

[jatin_sanskrit]

I have some projection lines (Mechanical Engineering Drawing) which project from one or more image-views to another. These are just marker lines, and while drafting I want Autocad commands like copy, trim, etc to ignore them. These are overlaying the object lines and hence are resulting in a selection box when selecting object lines, which is a bit tedious. I would wish autocad to ignore these projection lines while selecting the object lines and other elements. 

[paullimapa]

how's about placing those Lines on a Layer that's Locked? In your exercise 2.dwg just Lock the Construction Layer

[WeTanks]

Please try to use the XF commond.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

I think without development you can not make objects not selectable.

If you know a bit of development (or you know someone who can do that for you it is possible, of course).

The suggestion with XRef works partially, but if you do a bigger crossing window selection you also get the XRef selected.

@paullimapa 

>> how's about placing those Lines on a Layer that's Locked?

Does not prevent from being copied which was part of the original question. But at least an option to make sure you can't modify them (can't move, rotate, scale, ...)

- alfred -

[jatin_sanskrit]

Locking construction layer have no effect in the display of entity selection box for overlayed entities during the copy command. We still have to select the correct entity from the selection box which presents all the overlayed entities.

[parkr4st]

QSELECT  layer = Objects  will select only entities on the layer.   

[jatin_sanskrit]

@parkr4st Can you please elaborate how qselect might solve the issue I am having. Basically, I am trying to perform operations like copy, move, trim, erase, etc on overlayed entities (viz construction layer lines) without the selection box being popped up.

[paullimapa]

I'm unable to select any objects on Locked Layers. How are you able to Copy them?

[paullimapa]

I'm not sure by what you mean with entity selection box. Attempting to select any objects on a Locked Layer will be ignored including the Copy command.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> I'm unable to select any objects on Locked Layers.

>> How are you able to Copy them?

I have to correct myself, you are correct that objects on locked layers (now) can't be copied with _COPY command.

I was sure that this was possible in earlier releases but can't test this now, so just remembering (and maybe incorrect again? Not sure any more).

- alfred -

[jatin_sanskrit]

@paullimapa I have attached the screen shot of the selection window that appears when attempting to copy line on object layer. You see, the construction line (xline) is also presented for selection even when its layer (blue) is locked. I don't wan't this selection window to appear every time I try to modify my object (yellow layer).

[paullimapa]

That’s strange because I’m not seeing a selection window appear when I run Copy command. All I see are what objects are ignored and that appears as Text on the Command line

[3wood]

Once you selected them, you can use GROUP command to make a selection group. Use Ctrl+H to turn on the group selection.

When you need ignore these objects, you can use command HIDEOBJECTS to hide them.

Then use UNHIDE command to turn them on.

[Kent1Cooper]

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@paullimapa wrote:

That’s strange because I’m not seeing a selection window appear when I run Copy command. All I see are what objects are ignored and that appears as Text on the Command line

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Do you not get this?  At a select-objects prompt, hover over where there are multiple objects, so you see the little overlapping-squares icon [to the upper right of the empty white square which is my pickbox]:

then pick, and you should get the tell-me-which-one-you-want dialog box-let:

and that includes the yellow Line which is on a locked Layer here.  @jatin_sanskrit , is that what you're talking about, but by a Layer you would designate, not necessarily by Locking it?  I assume you don't want that to come up at all if all but the thing you want to pick is/are on locked Layers [or your designated un-selectable Layers] -- you don't want to be required to narrow it down when there's only one selection possible in the command you're in.  I don't know of a way to limit selection in that way, but there are multiple threads on the same question relative to Locked Layers, that you can Search for.  I think the biggest problem may be that there are commands for which being able to select even things on locked Layers needs to be available, particularly as TRIM/EXTEND/HATCH boundaries.

[paullimapa]

Got it...Selection Cycling needs to be on for overlapping symbol to come up and then the Selection box.  Since I typically leave this off, I've never seen that selection box. Also I would typically use crossing window and then objects on Locked Layers would just be filtered out and ignored.

[pendean · Accepted solution]

@jatin_sanskrit AutoCAD has no "ignore objects still visible on screen" solution unless you freeze the layer they are on IF locking that layer (but they are still selectable) is to visually distracting for you, sorry.

How would you like to proceed within AutoCAD's abilities?

[joelsymonds]

One thing which may be useful to know is that freezing layer 0 makes DEFPOINTS layer untouchable/unselectable. If you can avoid drafting anything important in layer 0, then put your construction and projection lines in the defpoints layer, freeze layer 0, and achieve the effect you are looking for without locking anything. This is not what defpoints is supposed to be used for, but it works for things like this. 

[Kent1Cooper]

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@joelsymonds wrote:

.... freezing layer 0 makes DEFPOINTS layer untouchable/unselectable. .... 

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I don't recommend using DEFPOINTS for this, either, but just so you know:  Turning Layer 0 merely off has the same effect [it doesn't need to be frozen].

[jakeQTGYV]

so you guys are saying, there is no way to make an overlayed or attached CAD file visible but not accidently selectable? for example in my attached screen recording, see how all of the light gray stuff is accidently selected? is there a way to make the selection of this block impossible yet, while, remaining visible? Wont surprise me, just clarifying I'm in the in the correct thread for this phenomenon.

[pendean]

@jakeQTGYV Are you familiar with the difference between a crossing window (not in your video) and just a regular window selection (your video) in AutoCAD? Your video is only showing one instance.

In AutoCAD, in general terms, if you can see it you can select it with the correct selection method (and if it's on an OFF layer but not a FROZEN layer you could still select it too).

And then sometimes having layer 0 off/frozen/locked can do fun stuff too.

Confusing, huh.