Organizing Layers – Using “children”

  • Organizing Layers – Using “children”

    Posted by David Cutler on October 19, 2022 at 1:23 pm

    Did you know that you can create “layer hierarchies”? It’s really quite simple:

    1. Create a new layer – “Takeoff” is one that I use

    2. Right click on your “Parent” layer and select “Add New Layer, Add Child”

    3. If you have other layers that you’ve already created you can click and hold on them and then drag/drop them under your Parent layer.

    This is a great way to keep all of your layers together in the layer tree when there are hundreds of “native” layers from the CAD file.

    Bonus Tip – You can drag your Parent layer to the top of the layer tree so that it is easy to find – just make sure that the option for “Sort Layers Alphabetically” is not selected

    Troy DeGroot replied 1 year, 5 months ago 3 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • Vince French

    Member
    October 20, 2022 at 9:07 am
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    Thanks @David Cutler !

  • Troy DeGroot

    Organizer
    October 20, 2022 at 3:13 pm
    Points: 20,778
    Rank: UC2 Brainery Brown Belt UC2 Brainery Advanced Brown Belt Rank

    Great post @David Cutler thanks for sharing.

    I knew there was a catch to Child Layers so I tested it. If you assign your custom tools to a child layer in your toolset, it will only show the parent layer on a new document. Layers are extremely powerful, and child layers can definetly make a project easier to manage. Too bad it doesn’t stick in the toolchest. The work around I guess to to filter by color or label in the markups list.

    • David Cutler

      Member
      October 20, 2022 at 4:35 pm
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      Rank: UC2 Brainery Brown Belt III UC2 Brainery Brown Belt III

      Good point @troy-degroot . I’ll have to see if I setup my Parent/Child Layers on my Takeoff Coversheet if they stick. Of course there is still the issue that @Vince identified with 20.7.80/.85/Revu 21 with disappearing layers to be aware of too…

      • David Cutler

        Member
        October 21, 2022 at 7:29 am
        Points: 23,163
        Rank: UC2 Brainery Brown Belt III UC2 Brainery Brown Belt III

        @troy-degroot my new “thought of the day” is to make a set of “Custom Layer Tools” that I can include on my Takeoff Coversheet. That way I can bring my “standard” Takeoff Family with the parent/child relationships into every takeoff right from the start.

        For a moment this morning I was afraid that the “disappearing layer” issue from 2020.20.80/.85/20221 had migrated back to 20.70 as I couldn’t see my Takeoff Layers – then I realized that I was on a page that didn’t have anything assigned to those layers on it…🤣

  • Vince French

    Member
    October 21, 2022 at 12:37 am
    Points: 11,809
    Rank: UC2 Brainery Blue Belt I UC2 Brainery Blue Belt I

    @David Cutler how about naming your parent layer “aaa Takeoff” (or starting any title with “aaa “) and then ensuring that “Sort Layers Alpabetically” is turned on?

    Then that way it might not be necessary to drag to the top? 😀

    • Troy DeGroot

      Organizer
      October 21, 2022 at 11:59 am
      Points: 20,778
      Rank: UC2 Brainery Brown Belt UC2 Brainery Advanced Brown Belt Rank

      I sometimes use a * or _ to sort them to the top, but that doesn’t always work if the person in CAD used the same idea.

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