Converting Multiple Layer Settings


As AutoCAD files flow in and out of your office, you're likely to find yourself working with layering standards from another system. You might, for example, receive files from an architect who uses the CSI standard for layer names , while your office prefers the AIA standard. If your job involves extensive reworking of such files, you'll want to change the layering system to one you are most familiar with. But converting layer settings is a painstaking and time-consuming process, especially if you have several files that need conversion.

Fortunately, AutoCAD 2005 offers a tool that can make layer conversion from one standard to another much easier. The Layer Translator lets you map "nonstandard" layers (that is, those using a system different from your own) to your own set of standard layers. It can then convert those layers to match your office standards. After you've mapped a set of layers between two files, you can save the map settings in a drawing file. Then any other files you receive that contain the same nonstand ard layer settings can be converted to your own layer standards quickly. Let's take a closer look at how the Layer Translator works.

When using the Layer Translator, you must initially match the layers of your incoming file with those of a file whose layers are set up the way you want. Here are the steps to do this:

  1. Open the file whose layers you want to convert in AutoCAD, and then choose Tools   CAD Standards   Layer Translator to open the Layer Translator dialog box, which lists the layers from the current file in the Translate From list box.

  2. Click the Load button in the Translate To group to open the Select Drawing File dialog box. Locate and select a file that contains the layer settings you want to use for this project. The file can be a standard DWG file, or it can be a DWS standards file or a DWT template file. After you've opened a file, its layer names appear in the Translate To list box.

  3. Select a layer name in the Translate From list, and then select the layer you want to convert it to from the Translate To list box. After you've made your two selections, click the Map button in the middle of the dialog box. You'll see a listing appear in the Layer Translation Mappings group, showing you the old and new layer names and the layer settings for the conversion (see Figure 21.7).

    click to expand
    Figure 21.7: The Layer Translator dialog box

  4. Repeat step 3 for all the layers that you want to convert. You can map several layers from the Translate From list to a single layer in the Translate To list if you need to.

  5. If there are matching layers in the Translate From and Translate To list boxes, the Map Same button in the middle of the dialog box becomes active. You can then click this button to automatically map layers that have the same names in both the Translate From and the Translate To lists.

After you've completed your layer mapping, you can save the mapping for future use:

  1. While still in the Layer Translator dialog box, click the Save button in the Layer Translation Mappings group to open the Save Layer Mappings dialog box. This is a typical AutoCAD file dialog box.

  2. Enter a name for your saved settings and click Save. You can save the layer map settings as either a DWS standards file or a DWG file.

  3. Click the Translate button, and AutoCAD will proceed to translate the mapped layers.

After you've saved the layer mapping in step 1, you can load the saved layer map settings into the Layer Translator dialog box in future layer translations, saving you the effort of mapping each layer individually each time you want to perform a translation. This will work for incoming files that use the same layer settings, but you'll have to create another layer map settings file for each different layer system you encounter.

To use a saved layer map, click the Load button in the Translate To group of the Layer Translator dialog box, and then select the saved layer map file you saved in step 6. You can have several layer map files for each project involving files with nonstandard layer settings.

Other Layer Translator Options

You'll often come across situations in which the layers in the Translate From list do not correspond directly to those in the Translate To list. For these situations, the Layer Translator offers a few additional options.

If you have difficulty finding a match for layers in the Translate From list, you can create a new layer by clicking the New button in the Translate To group. This opens the New Layer dialog box, where you can enter the properties for your new layer.

After you create a new layer with this dialog box, it appears in the Translate To list box, enabling you to map Translate From layers to your new layer.

Another option you'll find useful is the Edit button in the Layer Translation Mappings group. You might find that after you've mapped a Translate From layer to a Translate To layer, the Translate To layer is not exactly what you want. You can highlight the mapped layer in the Layer Translation Mappings group list box, and then click Edit to open the Edit Layer dialog box. From here, you can modify the new layer's settings from their original values.

Finally, the Layer Translator offers a set of options that give you some control over the way translations are performed. For example, you can control whether layer colors and line types are forced to the ByLayer setting or whether layer assignments for objects in blocks are translated. You can gain access to these options by clicking the Settings button in the lower-left corner of the Layer Translator dialog box. Figure 21.8 shows the Settings dialog box. The options are self-explanatory.


Figure 21.8: The Settings dialog box for the Layer Translator



Mastering AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005
Mastering AutoCAD 2005 and AutoCAD LT 2005
ISBN: 0782143407
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 261
Authors: George Omura

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