Layergroup Manager Dialog Box (AutoCAD Mechanical Toolset)

Use this dialog box to create, delete, and rename layer groups, change their properties, or move objects from one layer group to another.

Toolbar Buttons

 

Creates a layer group. You can rename the layergroup as soon as it is created.

 

Deletes the current selection in the list. If the current selection is a layer group in the Layergroups list, the layer group is deleted. If the current selection is a layer in the Layers list, the layer is deleted, but the layer definition continues to remain.

Note: The following cannot be deleted:
  • The base layer group
  • Layergroups and layers that contain objects
  • Layer definitions that have been assigned to objects
  • Layer definitions shipped with AutoCAD Mechanical toolset (The default layer definitions that begin with AM)
  • The current layer
  • The special layer AM_0
  • The special layer DEFPOINTS, which contains the definition points of non associated dimensions.
  • xref dependant layers.
 

Sets the selected layergroup as the current layergroup.

AutoCAD Mechanical toolset commands always draw objects on the current layer. If you use layer groups to organize geometry, set the current layer group appropriately before you use the commands.

Note: The current layer selection in the Layers list is ignored by AutoCAD Mechanical toolset commands, because they always draw objects on the preassigned layer.
 

Enables you to select objects and determine what layers/layer groups they are drawn on.

This button closes the dialog box temporarily to enable you to select an object in the drawing area. Once all the objects you want to check are selected, you press Enter to return to the dialog box. When the dialog box appears again, the layers/layergroups that the selected objects lie on are highlighted.

Note: The layer that the object in on is not shown unless a layer is selected at the time you click the button.
 

Temporarily hides the dialog box to enable you to select objects and move them to the selected layer or layer group. If you select a layer group only and do not select a layer, the object moves to the layer corresponding to its current layer in the new layer group.

 

Temporarily hides the dialog box and highlights the objects on the current selection. If the current selection is a layer group, all the objects on that layer group highlight. If the current selection is a layer, only the objects on that layer highlight.

 

Displays the visibility enhancements dialog box, where you can set a special color to all noncurrent and/or locked layer groups. This setting is valid only for the current drawing session.

 

Hides all layer definitions in the Layers list.

Right-click menu items that are not available as toolbar buttons

 

Use as Selection Set

Selects all the objects on the selected layer or layer group as part of a selection set. In subsequent commands, when you are prompted to select objects, you can access this selection set by entering the Previous keyword at the command prompt.

 

Invert Selection

Selects all items in the list, except the items that are currently selected.

Use Layergroup Colors

Makes the Layergroup Color property available for editing (AMLGCOLORMODE=1). This menu option is available only if you right-click inside the Color column.

Use Layergroup Linetypes

Makes the Layergroup Linetype property available for editing (AMLGLTMODE=1). This menu option is available only if you right-click inside the Linetype column.

Use Layergroup Lineweights

Makes the Layergroup Lineweight property available for editing (AMLGLWMODE=1). This menu option is available only if you right-click inside the Lineweight column.

Search for Layergroup

Filters the list of layer groups to match the name you enter. You can use wildcard characters when specifying the filter. For example, if you only want to display layers that start with the letters GEAR, enter GEAR*.

Note: For more information on wildcards, search for “Wildcard Characters” in Help.

Filter type

Enables you to filter the list of layers based on the object types that use the layers.

Current layer

Displays the name of the current layer.

AutoCAD commands always draw objects on the current layer. On the other hand, when Automatic Property Management is on, AutoCAD Mechanical toolset commands draw objects on the appropriate layer no matter what layer is set as the current layer.

Columns in Layergroups list

 

Status

- Indicates that the layer group is the current layer group.

 

Name

Displays the name of the layer group. Click to enable the ability to rename the layer group.

 

Freeze

Indicates whether the layer group is frozen or not. When a layer group is frozen, objects drawn on the layers belonging to that layer group are not displayed, plotted, hidden, rendered, or regenerated. Click to toggle the freeze/thaw status.

 

Lock

Indicates whether the layergroup is locked or unlocked. When a layergroup is locked, objects on it cannot be modified. Click to toggle the locked/unlocked status of that layergroup.

 

Color

Indicates the color associated with a layergroup. Click to display the Select Color dialog box, which enables you to select a different color.

This column is available only when the right-click menu option on the Color column, Use Layergroup Colors, is turned on.

Linetype

Indicates the linetype associated with a layergroup. Click to display the linetypes you can set for that layergroup.

This column is available only when the right-click menu option on the Linetype column, Use Layergroup Linetypes, is turned on.

Lineweight

Indicates the lineweight associated with the layergroup. Click to display the lineweights you can set for that layergroup.

This column is available only when the right-click menu option on the Lineweight column, Use Layergroup Lineweights, is turned on.

 

Plot

Indicates whether the layergroup is plotted or not. Click to toggle the plot status of that layer.

Objects on layergroups that have plotting turned off continue to be visible in the drawing area. Layergroups that are frozen are not plotted regardless of the plot setting.

Columns in Layers created list

 

Status

- Indicates that the layer is the current layer.

- Indicates that the row corresponds to a mechanical layer.

- Indicates that the row corresponds to a mechanical layer that does not get replicated when a Layergroup is created with the AMLAYERGROUP command.

- Indicates that the row corresponds to an AutoCAD layer.

 

Name

Displays the name of the layer or layer definition.

 

Freeze

Indicates whether the layer is frozen or not. When a layer is frozen, objects on it are not displayed, plotted, hidden, rendered, or regenerated. Click to toggle the freeze/thaw status of that layer.

 

Lock

Indicates whether the layer is locked or unlocked. When a layer is locked, objects on it cannot be modified. Click to toggle the locked/unlocked status of that layer.

 

Plot

Indicates whether the layer is plotted or not. Click to toggle the plot status of that layer.

Objects on layers that have plotting turned off continue to be visible in the drawing area. Layers that are off or frozen are not plotted regardless of the plot setting.

 

Description

Contains an optional description of the layer or layer definition. Click to enable the ability to change the description for that layer.