Tips & Tricks
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Using Snapshots for Overlays
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Using Snapshots for Overlays
Not sure if this has been brought up before, but it’s worth repeating anyway.
A really good alternative to using the Overlay function, is to do the same using Snapshots (or Snapshot Content). Thank you Liz, Isaac, Jason, or anyone else who uses this trick.
I know the more experienced users know these steps, but indulge me for the newbies.
I start off doing this, I make a blank page, making it the same size as the sheet that I’m taking the Snapshot from and then scale it to match.
Next I take a Snapshot of the bottom layer and paste it into the blank page. Make sure you’re making it big enough so that you include some good reference points, i.e. Gridlines.
Set this snapshot on its own layer.Repeat for the next layers only add these steps.
Once you paste in the next layer, you need to change the Blend mode of the snapshot to Multiply so that it becomes translucent. You also need to change the colours to something different. Then add it to its own layer.
Now all you do is line up your reference points. Repeat as needed. At this point it works pretty much exactly like the Overlay function.
Other tricks… consider flattening your snapshots (remember to allow for unflattening), this will allow you to use the Snap to Content abilities. Just unflatten everything when you’re done.
You can also lock your snapshot in place to prevent you from moving them around after you’re placed them.I also mentioned Snapshot Content. If you have markups on the page you’re taking the snapshot from, you may not want those markups to come forward, in that case use Snapshot Contents File> PDF Content> Snapshot Content. Shift + G if you like keyboards. Weirdly though, its not available to add to a Toolbar.
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3 Replies
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Points: 26,754Rank: UC2 Brainery Advanced Brown Belt
If you really want to blow someone’s mind save your snapshots to a scaled toolchest. You can then drop them as a markup from the tool chest onto drawings that have different scales. When you do this the images automatically match the scale that they are being pasted to.
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Points: 3,274Rank: UC2 Brainery Orange Belt I
Those are some good points, Doug!
I use it quite frequently to build models for submittal reviews that require layering. I find the overlay tool to be cumbersome, even with the new automation it’s not working as smoothly as I would hoped, so that’s why I prefer the snapshot.
Couple of things to add: – If you are dealing with different size drawings (sometimes I get shop drawings that are on a different scale that is not identified for an easy conversion), remember to adjust the size from a corner, it stretches/shrinks the snapshot in proportion and not skewing vertically/horizontally. – If you utilize the same layers between different documents, you can same a blank document with the layers embedded it in. When you want to start a new document, you open that template (don’t save it as a PDF template if you have child/parent layers in it) then you add the blank drawing sheet and the layer structure will be added. My template has about 30 different layers including some child layers, it took me a long time setting each one correctly when starting a new document. Now it’s just assigning the snapshot to the proper layer.
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