Topic Title

To all,

I know the Layer manager is possibly going to have a face lift, with respect to how one can't shrink it down to a better screen size.

So while the bonnet is up on this so to speak, I just thought of another tab that could be quite handy. I use "go to views" all the time, as I'm sure many others do linked in with multi-scale plotting. The idea I had was that while working on a plan with "go to views", we could have another tab on the layer manager to just display the "go to views" layers your working on at that time.

I only say this as it takes a fews seconds or so to find the layer I'm working on with all the layers shown at once in the layer manager. It would also help when adding another layer name for that "go to view" set of layers or editing when one needs to turn layers on & off in that same set of layer "go to views".

Just a thought, any others think this might be an idea worth implementing.

Clayton

Hello Clayton.

If you click on the Layer managers column titles (On / Lock / Color....) the layers will re order. Therefore if you click on "On" all the current layer that are switch on, will be placed together either at the top of the layer list or at the bottom. Does this do what you would like it to do?

Hello Clayton.

If you click on the Layer managers column titles (On / Lock / Color....) the layers will re order. Therefore if you click on "On" all the current layer that are switch on, will be placed together either at the top of the layer list or at the bottom. Does this do what you would like it to do?

Yeh, I do do this, I just wanted to air this as a good idea for "go to views".....wot think..

Clayton

Seems like an excellent add. GTVs are just a form of layer management and if available while in Layer Manager, would give a nice way to confirm, update, etc. the GTVs themselves.
Oran Woody

And, whilst considering these matters - a toggle on the Layer Manager would be good, to save the new layer order. Unlike the toggle now which has to be switched each time you want to save the layer order. The new order is saved automatically if you happen to drag a layer from one position to another. The new layer order is NOT saved however, if you sort by "On" layers, "colour" etc. I cannot think of one instance since the layer manager was created where I have not wanted to save the new layer order when I have sorted it for a GTV. Many is the time I have sorted the layer order and then forgotten to hit the save layer order tab. It would be good if this was an automatic feature.

And, whilst considering these matters - a toggle on the Layer Manager would be good, to save the new layer order. Unlike the toggle now which has to be switched each time you want to save the layer order. The new order is saved automatically if you happen to drag a layer from one position to another. The new layer order is NOT saved however, if you sort by "On" layers, "colour" etc. I cannot think of one instance since the layer manager was created where I have not wanted to save the new layer order when I have sorted it for a GTV. Many is the time I have sorted the layer order and then forgotten to hit the save layer order tab. It would be good if this was an automatic feature.

I think it was like this at sometime early during the beta test phase, but it did not turn out well as most (our office included) NEVER wanted it to sort by using the column headers and save automatically. Making mass changes to layers could be disastrous when not expected. Incorrect drags on a column header to widen could trigger a sort, or a user clicked the header to preform the sort out of habit from using other apps and then realizing 'Oops I just messed up the order of 200+ layers'. Fixing this was a pain using one of several different methods. I like that it is smart enough to know that if I am dragging a layer(s) that 99% of the time I want the layer(s) in the position I dragged it (them) to. Just because I sort by name, so I can quickly find a layer, doesn't mean I want it to stay that way. Our office's layers are setup so working groups of layers are near each other, but don't necessarily have similar names, or say I sort by count, there is no relationship there. Does that mean what your asking for is wrong? No way Jose, eh Rex. Maybe an option for popup dialog to ask if you want to save the sorted order when you go to close the layer manager could be added, but I would guess that the way it works is probably what most would want.

I agree that accidental re-sorts in the Layer manager need to be avoided.

Maybe it's a job for one of Dave's famous INI switches!

Sorry chaps, but I disagree most emphatically. The INI toggle would be a great idea. I mostly sort by the "On" option having initiated a gtv. I then work with to old fashioned layer system to toggle layers on and off, or lock layers within that gtv.

I must admit. that I do not work in a large networked office, so the problem of other users having their layer order upset in not a concern. Again, the toggle option would be much appreciated.

Here's a related issue: if the Layer Manger is set to be persistent, then the layer order gets saved without clicking Save new layer order -- which has messed up a complicated floor plan file we are working on. Many of the layers have come from other drawings, and so they are not named consistently.

I would propose that we would need to click on Save new layer order even when the LM is persistent -- otherwise sorting with the column headers is quite disruptive and problematic.

Here's a related issue: if the Layer Manger is set to be persistent, then the layer order gets saved without clicking Save new layer order -- which has messed up a complicated floor plan file we are working on. Many of the layers have come from other drawings, and so they are not named consistently.

I would propose that we would need to click on Save new layer order even when the LM is persistent -- otherwise sorting with the column headers is quite disruptive and problematic.

It does need a little refinement. When the layer manager is set to persistent, it seems the following tasks will commit the layer order:

Manually dragging a layer or group of layers - Good
Making an edit to a layers name or status - Good
Updating a GTV, Material or Z by Layer settings - Good
Sorting by a header(s) THEN perform one of the three above actions- Bad

We REALLY, REALLY like that dragging layers updates without having to hit a button and use it consistently thru out the whole day. It's pretty smart that it figures "Hey he's manually moving this layer to a specific location, it must have a purpose to the drag'. I would hate to loose this function just to fix the issue of the sort layer problem we have now as we hardly use the sort function except for special conditions. I think if we could sort by the headers and we were able to use most of the basic layer edit functions like Rename, Color, Lock, On/Off, Materials, Erase would be great. If possible delete, delete empty and some of the other manager functions would be extra gravy. Then, when we try to drag a layer after a sort by the headers, it could prompt that the layers have been previously sorted, and give two button options, Return to Original order or Keep Current Sorting which would update the layer order. This would make the current Save new layer order button unnecessary as the popup dialog would handle the layer order update. What do you guys think? Obviously with Rex's possible ini option his layers would just update at all times. I think it's a big enough of a problem that if there is time allowed in the programming schedule for this type of issue that this is worth at least a look. On a realy complex job this can be disastrous.

I think trying to allow tracking of the actual order vs. the layer managers display of the list of layers for other sorting options would be a nightmare of logic programming to work around how layers are updated now and I don't think it's worth the precious Datacad programming time.

Thanks for figuring out about the sorting, Josh. I didn't want to try in the floor plan file I was working on, because we have had other issues with it.

I hope this can be made to work as you describe. The moment a column sort is done, I agree that the Save new order button needs to be clicked in order for things to stick.