How to merge the layers

Alessandro_D_Amato

Good morning
I work on 3D environments with Creo.
For work I need to export my 2Ds drawing from Creo file to dwg.
It create a huge number of layers, one per component.
I cannot find a solution on Creo side…
Can anyone help me to merge this huge quantity of layers? Maybe merging by color or line type.

Possibly without deleting the blocks created by Creo during the exportation, select all and impose the layer it is to easy solution😅

Thanks for your attention and help!

Virgil

Hello.

Depending on the case, something to experiment with would be:

• Use Layers panel or EXPLAYERS.
• Select all layers but 0.
• Right-click and choose Delete - the Delete Layers dialog opens.
• Click Change.
• Select layer 0 from the list.
• Click Change again.

This will move everything on layer 0 and delete other layers.

The drawing should be saved with another name, in case the layer changing doesn't work fine.

Alessandro_D_Amato

Unfortunately it isn't allowed to delete those layers… I'm not sure why, maybe the blocks are protecting the layers

Edit: I tried to export to dwg without the auto block creation, your instruction works.
It is possible to do it keeping the blocks?

martin@enco.us

Can you post a sample drawing?

Alessandro_D_Amato

Sure! That is a commercial robot
the img1 shows that all line in lowest group (part in the 3d environment) are exported with a layer, but it isn't used, they are defined with color and type of line, not by the layer.

Img2 shows that all single part are exported as block with unique name (I need this feature because I do layouts, to create block by myself is too time expensive)

Img3 shows some of the layers with the name of the block

bricsCAD_forum_test.dwg

Thanks!

David Waight

@Alessandro_D_Amato, I don't know if I am understanding you correctly but my interpretation of your question would be using either the layer section of the drawing explorer or the layer tool palette.

Select all the layers apart from whichever one you want to keep (let's say layer 0 in this instance), right-mouse click and choose Merge to…

This will then give you another dialogue box requesting you to choose the layer to merge to.

This will only be populated with layer 0 in this instance.

Press the Merge button on the bottom right of this dialogue box and all your entities will be moved to layer 0 and the other layers will be purged.

This won't affect any of your blocks, they will all still be there with the same names, just everything on layer 0.

Did I understand what you require or am I way off?

Neil47

Have you looked at Layer Translator (LAYTRANS)? Under the Options button you can translate layers in blocks, also once you have set what to translate from and to you can save as a DWS file and load this every time you have a drawing that needs the same layer conversion.

Alessandro_D_Amato

HI!
@David Waight
My goal is not to export an army of layers to the engineer who manages the plant's 2D, unfortunately my office is the only one using Bricscad and I feel like a gorilla throwing stones at a UFO.
I tried again to use the merge layers of drawings explorer, this time it worked, I tried a few answers before but it wouldn't let me select the "merge to..." command

As soon as I can I'll try again on one of the heavier drawings

Extremely interesting also what @Neil47 says, it will be useful.

I'd say I solved it here. Thanks to everyone.

P.s the next step is to understand how to do "explode everything" without spamming X ahahaha

David Waight

Hi @Alessandro_D_Amato,

So is the attached drawing not what you are trying to achieve?

MergeToLayer0.dwg

Alessandro_D_Amato

yes
Some day ago when I tried with one of my drawing I couldn't merge the layers, I thought that was fault of the blocks.

today I realized that it is one empty layer that can not be deleted or merged with the others (defpoints), 1 of 1000 or 2000 is very unpleasant to find… anyway thanks again