Expert: Bill DeShawn - 3/15/2011

Question
QUESTION: Bill,
In the old days, when you froze a layer it would freeze it in the model space, paper space and viewports.  If you wanted to have a variety of layers on and off, you would just turn it off in the space you want. I need to be able to use layer manager to freeze layers in all spaces, not just the active space like it did in the old days.  The new layermanger only does the current active space.  Any ideas?

ANSWER: Jeffrey
Try the command line version:  -LAYER

-LAYER
F
*

Like that.  Keep me posted
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Bill,
That worked like you said.  However, I have multiple layers I need to do that to.  I wrote a lisp routine that froze the layers but it takes too long.

sample:
 (command "layer" "FREEZE" "CHILLED WATER-LINE" "" "")

I need to freeze and thaw multiple layers, in the viewport and layout space.  The -Layer command worked.  

Is it possible to write a lisp routine that is a fast as layer manager when it comes to restoring layers to a previous state that does it in multiple spaces other than -Layer at the command line?  As of now I just use layer manage in the view port then again in the layout space to achieve the results.  I would like to do it once like I used too instead of twice.

Thanks.

Answer
Jeffrey:
I think you should become familiar with the VPLAYER command.  It can be run from LISP in a similar fashion as the -LAYER command.  You can set up layouts for the purpose of printing a specific layer group.  For example:  You may want the "CHILLED WATE-LINE" layer frozen in one sheet and thawed in another sheet.  For one type of drawing configuration, you can use VPLAYER to override the LAYER PROPERTIES MANAGER settings.  The only override it is capable of doing is to FREEZE a layer.  If a layer is frozen or turned off in the LAYER PROPERTIES manager, VPLAYER cannot thaw it in a viewport.  But if a layer is thawed in the LAYER PROPERTIES manager, VPLAYER can freeze it so that it will not display and its contents will not be selectable.  Layers that are turned off in the LAYER PROPERTIES MANAGER will not display, no matter how the VPLAYER overrides are set.  After all the viewports are set in all the layouts, you can merely thaw all the layers and go from one sheet to another, and plot them without changing layer settings.  If you create a new layer, you have to account for it in all the viewports, because it will display its contents by default.  Always keep in mind that paper space (or "layout space" as you refer to it) is also a viewport and is subject to VPLAYER overrides.  If you think something should be displaying and you can't find it, or you set a layer current, draw something on it and it doesn't display, you may have drawn it on a layer that is frozen by VPLAYER or its "current viewport display" setting was changed in the LAYER PROPERTIES MANAGER.  This is a common error that people make in paper space, and can be maddening, if they don't know what's going on.  Also remember that LAYERP also restore previous VPLAYER overrides just as it restores settings in LAYER PROPERTIES MANAGER.  The inquiry (?) option of the VPLAYER command doesn't work in paper (layout) space.  But the LAYER PROPERTIES MANAGER will display the layer's VP FREEZE properties in its associated column in the Manager. Once a configuration has been written with VPLAYER in LISP, duplicating such a configuration in other drawings will be a snap.  It's just writing the first LISP script or routine that takes the time.  The layer settings can be your layer standard, and are subject to your own editing and ideas as you grow in your discipline.  

Good luck to you.  Keep me posted on your progress.

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn