Turn off specific layers only in certain viewports

Jim Canale

This is just a quick question. I was wondering if there is any way to turn off or hide specific layers in just ONE viewport. i would want the layers visible in model space or other viewports.

Louis_Verdonck

Hi Jim, that is possible: select the viewport, then open de Drawing Explorer/Layers dialog. You will see a number of Vp* columns, which affect the selected viewport only.

Jim Canale

Thanks Louis. I found columns for transparency and line width and to freeze the Viewport layer, but I couldn't figure out how to hIde the layer in that viewport.

Anthony Apostolaros

The VP Freeze column, which appears right next to the Freeze column (but not when you're in the Model tab), works the same way as the Freeze column, except that it only freezes or thaws the layer in the current viewport or layout.

Louis_Verdonck

Hi Jim
The Drawing Explorer dialog might be too small to display all VP layers, hover over the right edge of the dialog box and drag when the double arrow displays to make it wider or use the horizontal slide bar.

Jim Canale

@Anthony Apostolaros said:
The VP Freeze column, which appears right next to the Freeze column (but not when you're in the Model tab), works the same way as the Freeze column, except that it only freezes or thaws the layer in the current viewport or layout.

Thanks. I had already selected the layers I wanted hidden in the VP Freeze columm. But I wasn't seeing anything happen. I didn't realize I had to toggle the viewport mode to have the changes implemented. Just freezing the layer in the Drawing Explorer doesn't change the layout view. You have to toggle the viewport mode first.

Louis_Verdonck

Hi Jim, sorry for not being clear enough, when I wrote 'Select the viewport' I mean double click inside the viewport .... When no viewport is active, the VP settings apply to the layout (= entities in paperspace).

Jim Canale

@Louis Verdonck said:
Hi Jim
The Drawing Explorer dialog might be too small to display all VP layers..

Thanks Louis. I realize now to get the changes applied to the layout, I have to toggle the viewport mode.

Anthony Apostolaros

And if you use Layer States to control which layers are visible in the model tab, that can also be used to automatically set which layers are VP-frozen in a viewport.

Jim Canale

@Anthony Apostolaros said:
And if you use Layer States to control which layers are visible in the model tab, that can also be used to automatically set which layers are VP-frozen in a viewport.

Thanks. I could have saved myself some headaches if I knew about these things years ago. I've always worked alone. No other CAD designers here. So this forum has been a God -send to me. ,

Andrew Overmyer

I have also looked for a way to TURN OFF a layer in a viewport vs FREEZING it in the viewport. The two actions don't really behave the same way, especially with embedded layers within blocks. Does anybody know a way to TURN OFF a layer in a VP?

Anthony Apostolaros

Andrew Overmyer said:

I have also looked for a way to TURN OFF a layer in a viewport vs FREEZING it in the viewport. The two actions don't really behave the same way, especially with embedded layers within blocks. Does anybody know a way to TURN OFF a layer in a VP?

VP Freeze is one of the properties of a viewport in a DWG file. There's no corresponding VP Off property.

You could create a custom command that would turn off a particular list of layers, but it would have the same effect as restoring a layerstate while in the model tab -- i.e., those layers would be turned off in all viewports and in the paperspace of all layout tabs as well as in the model tab.

Andrew Overmyer

Yeah, that's pretty much what I've been doing. But it doesn't really help when publishing a set. I have to go back, change the layerstate for that one viewport, print that sheet individually, and then change the layerstate back. Not ideal. VP OFF would be perfect! Something for their "suggestion box". :-)

Thanks for the unfortunate confirmation that it doesn't exist.....yet.

Anthony Apostolaros

If Brics were to add a VP Off property unilaterally, wouldn't it make their DWG files incompatible? Bricscad viewports would have a property that no other DWG cad software can recognize or accept.

Its_Alive

Instead of a command, you might investigate a custom reactor