Is there any way to choose what properties are saved in a layer state?

Joe Dunfee

Since I have a larger number of layers in some drawings, I often use layer states as a way to change between various on/off states for those layers. However, the layer state also remembers things like lineweight and color. If I ever change a layer's color or lineweight, I cannot use any layer states after that, or the layers color and lineweight will change back to what it was before, and I cannot get it back.

I guess one strategy is to save a "default" layer state, that I am careful to activate before I change things like color, and then to overwrite that layer state. But, I have doubts that I will consistently be able to remember to go through those steps. Is there any way to limit the scope of a layer state, so that it only affects things like on/off freeze/thaw lock/unlock?

-Joe

Joe Dunfee

I should add that I have always been intrigued by the check boxes marked, " Turn on all layer properties." and "Turn off all layer properties."

But, I cannot check or uncheck either box. And there is no explanation in the BricsCAD v14 help file.

-Joe

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Actually there is an explanation of the _LayerState command in the Help. To toggle individual properties you will have to switch to Tree View.

Joe Dunfee

Thanks for the information about needing to be in tree view. And now knowing what words to use for a search, I did find where it describes it in the help file. By playing around in the tree view, I can see how I can select which properties a particular layer state will affect. That was what I was needing to know.

But, those two check boxes still don't seem to have any effect. The help file says,

Layer Properties to Restore,  Specifies which layer properties are restored when the layer state is restored.
Click the On icon (check box image) to turn all layer properties on.
Click the OFF icon (check box image) to turn all layer properties off.

So, am still in the dark about what those check boxes are supposed to do. Those check boxes neither check, nor uncheck when I click them. I suspect it some other setting must be done first, or that something else must be selected to be able to use those check boxes.

-Joe

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Those two check boxes are in fact buttons with a fixed image. They work, but this is definitely a case of confusing GUI design.

Joe Dunfee

What do those buttons do?

-Joe

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Button with checked box image:
Select all properties.

Button with empty box image:
Deselect all properties.

You can verify this behavior by switching to the Tree View after using them.

Joe Dunfee

Thank you for that explanation. The explanation in the help file was too brief to allow me to see the problem. The reason I could not see the changes, is that in my version, the check boxes for the selected properties do not change, unless you first close that list with the -, and then reopen it with +. Even choosing the regen, or setting the autoregen option does not cause them to updated.

-joe