AutoCAD Civil 3D :: Can't Freeze Pipe Layers Through XREF
Jan 21, 2013
We have our pipe networks living in a master file that is XREF'd to our sheet files. Now, the pipe and structure objects are all the layer C-PNET. The style for the pipes is comprised of the layers C-STRM-PIPE (for pipe walls) and C-STRM-PIPE-PATT (for the center line that is the width of the pipe). When I go into the XREF I cannot freeze OR change the color of the layers comprising the pipe style even though they are all set to ByLayer in the style dialog. The only way to freeze the network is to freeze the layer the pipe network is on C-PNET. However, this presents other problems with our file setup and we dont want to universally freeze C-PNET.
why we cant freeze the portions of the pipe network that are defined in the style as being on C-STRM-PIPE, and C-STRM-PIPE-PATT? If so, how do we remedy this?
I have the following code that works, most of the time. Actually, it works or completes itself all the time, but there is no "all encompassing" measures incorporated.
All of the reference entities, believe it or not, are on layer "0". There are also some consistent layers, that you can see in the code below. However, a user may create or even remove any layer in the reference drawing. Therefore in my current drawing, I may have layers that are not frozen in the xref.
Like i said, the following code works, but not all encompassing.
In previous versions of Autocad 2008 and earlier you could start a new drawing xref in a drawing then switch to layout and create a viewport that would show the xref. Then you could click inside that viewport and run the FL (freeze layer) command and selectively freeze layers by clicking on them.
In my current version of Autocad Civil 3D 2010, when I follow the same steps as above and run the FL (freeze layer) command inside the viewport, the entire layer contents within the viewport freeze as if everything is on that one layer.
I notice that if I pull up the layer manager box and go down the list of xref'd layers and select the freeze in viewport option for each of the layers I need to freeze it will do what I need to have done, But I'd like to be able to be able to selectively freeze these layers visually within the viewport like I've always been able to do, instead scrolling down a long list of layer names and freezing them that way.
I have a autocad file with MEP pipe objects (piping layout inside a building). If I start a new drawing using our company (dwt) template then xref in the cad file with the MEP objects they do not display. If I start a new drawing using one of autocads default (dwt) templates then xref in the MEP objects they display fine. My question is somewhere in our company template is a setting for MEP objects to be displayed .
We set up our projects with a Topo sheet, a separate Design sheet, then a plot sheet with the drawing referenced in. The design sheet consist of basically all the design information unless this is a larger project, then the design components are given their own drawing file. Pretty industry standard, right?
The problem we are having is that the symbols are not scaling correctly for the plot sheets. I did some testing and the topo sheets are working as expected, but the "smart" pipes and structures are not from the design sheets. For the structures we are using a block for the plan view, and that is using the current drawing scale for the symbol size. But that is not carrying over to the plot sheet or viewport scale, it is locked to the scale of the saved Design drawing. So when plotting the project, half way through, people have to open the design drawing, change scale and resave to get the structures the right size for that sheet.
Do I have the structure style setup wrong? Shouldn't the symbol change to the plot sheets current view scale like a survey point?
I have played with making that plan block annotative but Civil 3D doesn't see a annotative block in the definition of a style.
I don't think that the network should have to be native to each plot sheet, but the only work around I have is to dataref the network into each plot sheet, and then have to freeze the xref's layers so there are not doubles.
When a pipe network is referenced into a drawing in Civil 3D 2013 there is an option to set the layer for the pipes and structures. After the layer is set, the parts go onto these layers until the network is syncronized. After the network is synronized the parts revert back to whatever layer is set in the object layers in the drawing settings.
Civil 3D 2013 SP1 HP z400 Workstation Intel Xeon CPU W3520 @ 2.66 GHz NVIDIA Quadro FX 580 Windows 7 64bit 12 GB RAM
I have a pipe network created that is shown in multiple drawings. I created labels for the structures showing Rims and Inverts. How to put the Rim info on a different layer than the Invert info? Right now the label has 3 different components...I feel like there has to be a way to put each component on different layers...
I am referencing a survey file in my site plan. Both were created using Civil 3D. I want to change the color of all of the reference files' layers to 250, so I selected them all in the layer properties manager and did so.
However, some layers are not changing colors. One layer is red in the reference file, but comes through on the site plan as magenta. Some Civil3D structures are also refusing to change colors.
I selected all of the objects in the reference file and made sure their colors were "by layer," but it did not completely fix the problem.
- Dell XPS 8300 running Windows 7 SP1 64-bit with 12 GB of RAM
- AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series with updated drivers installed
- AutoCAD 2012 64-bit SP1
- ACAD Hardware Acceleration is ON
This hotfix is already installed.
This particular file (and a few others) has an issue whereby the computer pauses for a LONG time whenever an XREF is placed OR a copy/paste system command is executed (not the COPY AutoCAD command, but Ctrl+C/V). I have audited and purged the file; there are no audit errors. I also tried recovering the file and it made no difference.
I checked one of the problemmatic files on my machine (different machine but still AutoCAD 2012 and Win7) and the same file has the same issues.
New files do NOT have this problem. I have attached the file. Steps to recreate the problem:
1. draw a simple rectangle
2. try to copy/paste it with ctrl+c/v
3. this other machine and my machine both pause for 8-10 seconds
I'm confident that it's something in the file, but I don't know how to track it down.
I have a few problems with my autoCAD 2010 version on my new computer.When I make a few hatches, there is a possibility that my entire computer freezes and the only way out is a hard shut down of my computer.
The same problem also appeared when I tried to open a drawing direct in autoCAD or when I search the file to make an exref into the drawing.
I'm on my paper space layout tab, I double click inside the viewport so I'm in model space, I open the layer properties with the full drop down menu and click on the far right column with the snowflake icon which is suppose to freeze the layer for that particular view port. It does not freeze the layer. I'm starting to wonder if it is something with the program.
I'm using Autocad 2013, and im trying to freeze layers in certain viewports, but the VP freeze/thaw button is greyed out for all my layers and wont allow me to freeze anything. I dont want to use the New viewport freeze/thaw button.
I am currently updating and coming up with a better system for are plant layout file for AutoCAD. When this project is complete, it will be set up so if someone needs to make a change they can just make a copy of the X-Ref file for the area they will be updating and hand it back in when there done. I will review the updated X-Ref then switch out the old X-Ref file for the updated one.
Problem: the problem I am having is when I am in the master drawing that contains all the X-Ref files, the layers list becomes enormous. There are about 30 to 40 different X-Ref files with 15 layers each. Those 15 layers contain the exact same information but you have to edit them individually.
Question: Is there a way to make the 15 layers in the master effect the corresponding layer in all the X-ref files? For instance, you hide the “Machines” layer in the master and it hides the “Machines” layer in all the X-ref.
Side Note: If you were going to make the suggestion “use Xbind” I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work well because “Xbind” creates a new layer you have to assign to things instead of making the layers relate to one another.
Pipe network storm pipes: Fairly new to Civil3D and trying to set up parts list for the storm sewer pipe and would like the plan view to appear as it does currently. We use a polyline for centerline of pipe, similar to dashed linetype but line and space are the same, width set to pipe width.
I created pipe network for my storm drain project. I have located all the structures (manhole) to all angle point of my alignment as required. Also I "insert" manhole every 400' per local code requirements using the command "network layout tools; structures only. My problem is I couldn't find the tools how to trim the pipe that pass through the manhole. Please see attached pdf file.
One of the things I seem to struggle with is being able to depict a single pipe when it needs to be shown in one profile as a crossing pipe, and another profile where you you show a lenghwise slice through the pipe. I end up tracing the pipe with eliptical objects where I'm cutting across the pipe and setting up more for the lengthwise/sideview of the pipe. Is there a way to have two different styles for the same pipe, one for a cross cut and one for a lengthwise slice?
How would I get LAYISO to freeze not turn off layers I do not want to see? I did this in AutoCAD 2006 but recently upgraded to 2014 and do not remember how I did it.
I am in need of a LISP to freeze layers in viewports on named pages. I found the following functions to return the frozen vport, but it only returns the list of already frozen and it only works if the viewport is active; besides just listing the frozen layers isn't enough. I need to be able to supply the page/tab and a list of layers to freeze.
Is it possible to provide the page/tab name and a list of layers as aguments to a subfunction that could either activate the viewport and freeze a list of layers, or simply freeze the layer list for the named page's/tab's corresponding vport.
Important: most of my pages/tabs contain at least two vports. The largest of the two vports is the only one I wish to change, but if the layer list is frozen on all vports (per page/tab) it will make no difference because the smaller vport only requires that layer 0 is visible.
Is there any way to freeze/lock selections from all layers other then current layer automatically-like we do in Photoshop where no object other then selected layer is select able.
I have to switch layers quite often and not want to select objects from any layer other then current layer. but for this i have to first freeze the previous layer and then unfreeze the current layer and so on.
Lets say I have file 1 and files 2,3,4, file 1 contains several layers and is an xref in files 2,3,4.
Can I somehow set a layer to off or frozen in file 1 and it will make sure to be switched off in my files 2,3,4 aswell? I have played around with New VP Freeze but if I add a layer at a later time and files 2,3,4 already have several viewports that doesn't do me very good.
AutoCAD 2008.I have read numerous articles saying that AutoCAD has made this feature drawing specific as opposed to an overall setting. What this means is that every drawing you edit layers in a xref, you get pop ups stating that layers have changed. Especially annoying when you are publishing a set of drawings. Does any overall command to turn this nonsense off completely? Or a command that will reconcile the layers automatically without the pop up message?
Any way to just bind a raster image into an autocad drawing, without having it show up in the xref manager?
How to prevent the Xref layer name from prefix of Xref dwg name? For example If I have been using one layer name as BORDER in Master Dwg. Now I going to use Master dwg As a External Reference, thereafter The Above specified Layer name are coming as Master$0$BORDER, while i am using the Master Dwg As a Xref Dwg of my another dwg. Actually I want to remove highlighted text from layer name?
I just received a drawing with a bunch of points in it. One of the layer is called V-ROAD-CNTR-PNTS. Unfortunately, the point number, description, and elevation are all in that same layer. How do I keep just the elevation turned on but turn off the point description and number? When I turn off or freeze the layer V-ROAD-CNTR-PTNS, all three disappear. I just need the elevation showing.
