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How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 8:53 am
by Husky
... until we have a better solution :wink:

This "How to" shows maybe one of thousand ways to have always the same Basic Layer List in your drawings - but it is fast, minimizes mistakes and brings you to a kind of standard.

How to:
Open a new drawing - create your own Layer List like this sample or use/modifier this sample list what you can download and use for free.
Husky_Layer List.png
Husky_Layer List.png (5.77 KiB) Viewed 43404 times
"Save it as" in your Library Folder. (I used the name "Layer List.dxf" in my personal Library Folder what is saved in my Folder "my standards")

To use it:
Open a new drawing - open the Library - and drag and drop this Library Item into your new drawing.
You will see that all Layer are now also exist in your new drawing and they are ready to go. The Library Item (Layer List) will appear as a Block in the Block List. If you like to delete it - go for it. The Layer List will stay in your drawing.
Why are my Layer in a numerical order? Just to have them always on top of the list and all additional layer are then below my standard list. If you also like it - keep it on this way - if you don't like it name your Layer however it makes sense to you. :wink:

Have fun!!!
Layer List.dxf
(52.99 KiB) Downloaded 2005 times

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 4:25 pm
by Clive
Thanks Husky
Particularly the 'tip' about numbering the layers to keep them in order and at the beginning of the layer list - very useful! :wink:

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 7:30 am
by Tango
So once we do this, then the layer list is stored in the library?

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 5:52 pm
by Husky
Tango wrote:So once we do this, then the layer list is stored in the library?
Correct.

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Sat May 27, 2017 6:20 pm
by Tango
Thank you. Sometimes I need to restate what I've read or heard, just to be sure I understand it properly.

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 8:09 pm
by Tango
I must be doing something wrong. Here's what I did:
  • I created a library folder in my Documents folder. (On macOS, just for reference.)
    Restarted QCAD so the change would be read in (as directed to by QCAD)
    I opened a file with the layer list I want to use
    Saved the file to my library directory (empty, other than for the layers I want to use)
    Created a new blank file
    Found the previous file in my Library browser
From there I tried double-clicking on the icon in the Library Browser, tried dragging it into the editing window, and dragged it into the Layer List. Nothing worked except dragging it into the Layer List, and that basically re-opened that file.

Obviously I'm still trying to get a grasp of how QCAD "thinks," and at this point I'm not sure if I didn't add this to the library correctly or if there's a way to get the layer list out of the file that I don't know about.

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 8:43 pm
by Husky
Tango wrote:From there I tried double-clicking on the icon in the Library Browser, tried dragging it into the editing window, and dragged it into the Layer List. Nothing worked except dragging it into the Layer List, and that basically re-opened that file.
The Library Browser is designed to provide Items for all drawings. Do not try to drag library items into an editing window or what ever.

Case:
you are working on a drawing,
you need a item out of your library,
open the Library Browser,
look for your item and insert it into the DRAWING area,
if the item is placed in your drawing it will automatically be placed in your Block List for this drawing too,
next time you need this same item in this same drawing you can use the Block List to insert more of them.

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 2:54 am
by Tango
Husky wrote:Case:
you are working on a drawing,
you need a item out of your library,
open the Library Browser,
look for your item and insert it into the DRAWING area,
if the item is placed in your drawing it will automatically be placed in your Block List for this drawing too,
next time you need this same item in this same drawing you can use the Block List to insert more of them.
I'm clearly still doing something wrong. First, since I saved the file normally, was that wrong? Is there some way to save just the layers from the file? I do have the file listed under the Library Browser. (All that's in the file is a blank drawing, the layers I created, and whatever else QCAD stores in there by default.

I created a new file in QCAD, then went to the Library Browser and found the file with the layers I want to keep. I right clicked on it and picked "Insert." Then I clicked inside the drawing area to import it. Immediately I see "RetainingWallLayers" (also the name of the file, if that matters) in the Block List. But from there, I don't see how I can get the layers in that block to be used as actual layers for the drawing.

I don't mean I want the data in layers to be used, I want to be able to just use that layer list in other files.

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 3:26 am
by Husky
Tango wrote:... I created a new file in QCAD, then went to the Library Browser and found the file with the layers I want to keep. I right clicked on it and picked "Insert." Then I clicked inside the drawing area to import it. Immediately I see "RetainingWallLayers" (also the name of the file, if that matters) in the Block List. But from there, I don't see how I can get the layers in that block to be used as actual layers for the drawing.

I don't mean I want the data in layers to be used, I want to be able to just use that layer list in other files.
Could you please attach this File (RetainingWallLayers) to this post? Thank you.

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 3:30 am
by Tango
Sure. It's attached. Thank you!

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 4:27 am
by Husky
Thank you!

Ok - to use this Layer List with the Library Browser you need at least one entity (Line, Circle etc.) which is assigned to a Layer. Your drawing has the Layer but no entity. Please see in my description above the Screenshot with all those horizontal Lines.

Now a question - just to confuse you .... :shock:

If the plan is to use your own Layer List in an "Existing" Drawings then the Library solution is the way to go!
If your plan is to start a new drawing with your personal Layer List then you can use this posted Layer List (without entity's) as a Template in QCAD. Maybe a thought worth ... :wink:

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 5:34 am
by Tango
Husky wrote:Thank you!

Ok - to use this Layer List with the Library Browser you need at least one entity (Line, Circle etc.) which is assigned to a Layer. Your drawing has the Layer but no entity. Please see in my description above the Screenshot with all those horizontal Lines.
Understood. I went ahead and created a table, like you did in your example, which can be used later as a reference. I tested it and it worked fine and once the layers were in, I deleted the block and I had a blank drawing ready for work.
Husky wrote: Now a question - just to confuse you .... :shock:
Yeah, that's not hard at this point. I find when I start a new program, I can often jump in and do the big things, like, with QCAD, get the drawings done I need do, but then learning all the basic tricks can take me longer than you'd expect. I get the big stuff quickly - simple details take time! (And I really appreciate all your answers!)
Husky wrote: If the plan is to use your own Layer List in an "Existing" Drawings then the Library solution is the way to go!
If your plan is to start a new drawing with your personal Layer List then you can use this posted Layer List (without entity's) as a Template in QCAD. Maybe a thought worth ... :wink:
Good point. For now I'm using the Library, but after this week, which is hectic, I'll read up on templates so I can do that as well. Thanks for taking it one step farther!

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 2:40 pm
by Tango
I know this is veering off topic, but since you brought it up...

I've been searching. I can't find "Template" in the QCAD manual and when I search I find a few bits here and there, but nothing clear on now to use templates. Is this a plug-in for the Pro version or built in and where can I find a help or how-to page on it?


Thanks!

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 7:59 pm
by Husky
Yes - that is only available in Pro. Here is a brief description about that feature:
http://www.qcad.org/doc/qcad/latest/reference/en/

Re: How to create your own Layer Standards ...

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 2:44 am
by Tango
I wish the main page of the User Reference Manual included a search function!

I had not checked the "New from Template" since I assumed that wouldn't say anything about creating templates. I see I was wrong. So basically any file in the template directory is a template? Great! I can use that.

Thanks!