AMEP 2018 - Display Manager has Layer Keys grayed out and I cannot modify them

[Scott_Loadman]

The Display Manager has the Layer Key column grayed out.  I need to have this working to show hidden lines on the ductwork.  Any idea on how to fix this?

Thanks

ScottL

[Victoria.Studley]

Hi @Scott_Loadman,

Could you post a sample file where this is occurring? I'll be happy to take a look.

It's difficult to tell exactly what might be happening here just from a screenshot.

• Is this happening in all files, or only some?
• On different machines in your office, or just one?
• In different versions of MEP, or just 2018? (I know this one might be difficult to test, since the 2018 file won't be backward compatible.)

If one or more of these posts helped answer your question, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

[Scott_Loadman]

Hi Victoria,

Thanks for your help.  What I am trying to do is use the Layer Keys to display Hidden components correctly and not hard code a layer like how it used to be done.  I started with the 2018 "Aecb Model (US Imperial Stb).dwt" template file (which the Layer Keys can be modified) and have been modifying it.  Somewhere along the way I must have changed something that caused this behavior.  Where, I don't know.  I am sure it is something simple, but I have not found anything that mentions this behavior.

Attached is a clean file from my template file and the original template file I started with..

ScottL

[Victoria.Studley]

Hi @Scott_Loadman,

I've been comparing the two files here, but can't seem to find a reason why these options are greyed out in the Display Manager. One major difference is the drawing standards you're using. Did the issue start happening around the time you switched the standard?

@Sridhar-Autodesk, do you have any thoughts as to why this might be happening? Would you mind taking a look at the files?

[Scott_Loadman]

I was playing around with the 2 files and stumbled onto something.  Using the OTB template (Aecb Model (US Imperial Stb).dwt) start a new drawing, look at the Display Manager - Representation by Object - Duct, and the Layer Key column is normal.  Close Display Manager.  Draw a piece of duct.  Go back to display Manager and look again.  The Layer Key column is now grayed out.. It is also grayed out for"Duct Custom Fitting", "Duct Fitting" and "Duct Flex", but all other objects are still normal.

I don't think this is how it's suppose to work.

To answer your question, I honestly don't know when this started.  I was already into a project when I noticed the hidden ducts where not displaying properly.  Apparently it started with the first piece of duct I drew.  I can fix that by hard coding in the layer, like it was in previous versions.  But going forward I wanted to use the Layer Keys.

ScottL

[ADSK451812 · Accepted solution]

Hi Scott,

As we know, after changing the layer key settings the effect can be seen only on newly added objects and not existing objects. So I believe usage of layer key is intended for "setting up" the drawing (For ex: in a template) and is not expected to change frequently while the drawing is being used.

The specific workflow in question (layer key column in display manager) is implemented such that the column gets disabled if there is any object in drawing of that particular type. This is exactly what you have described in previous post.

So instead of going the layer key way, does it help to use style overrides here? For example:

• Select the required object (duct) in drawing
• Right click menu -> Edit Duct style, select “Display properties” tab
• For the required display representation, click on “Style override”
• Update the layer (not layer key) and other properties, as required
• Since this is a style override, all the ducts using this style should undergo similar changes

Thanks,

Amod

[Victoria.Studley]

Hi @Scott_Loadman,

I'm just checking in to see if you need more help with this. Did the suggestion that @ADSK451812 provided work for you (either deleting the objects from the file in order to make your changes, or using style overrides)?

If so, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.