Topic Title

Recently we recieved civil dwg, which had 3D lines and as well as lines drawn above each other.
How do I delete multiple doubles?

Hello,

Someone on the DBUG forum asked this same quesion just yesterday:

> is there an easy way to remove multiple copies of lines from a plan drawing? (similar to what is available in 3d-hide)
>
> i've imported a file that has 32 and or 64 copies of many but not all of the lines in the drawing.


Sure -- you can actually use the 3D Hide, layer by layer. Save each "view" out as a layer file. Then erase each layer, and Load them back in. Oh, and make sure that you have Delete Double (on the second "page" of the options menu) toggled *on*.

To clarify a bit more; you should make each layer Active Only, and while in the Ortho view, use the 3D Hide with the Delete Double on and Save Image on; then save each "image" out to a layer file, erase all the entities, including the multiple lines, then Load the layer file back into that layer. Repeat as required. That should do it!

Thanks Neil
It works, but not on curves....When you try this method on a DWG that has lots of Curves and Circles......It breaks those curves into individual lines....Or maybe I have to toggle something else.

Hello Sinha,

In the first step you could check if the curves are doubled also. If not, you just have to keep this layers untouched and doing the HLR only in the 'other' layers as Neil has oriented.

Let me share with you a variant 'trick' I use when a situation like this happens. (The method exposed by Neil is the best for straight lines).

Suppose you have a layer named "Curves" with several entities superimposed.

a) Create a new layer to be your 'target' layer. It will be empty.
b) Make "Curves" the 'Active Only' layer;
c) Make a drawing 'Extends' on the screen and don't pan in any way, until you have ended the selection you will do from now;
d) Enter "Move/To Layer" menu and select by "Entity" one by one all the lines you can 'see'. Will transfer one line at each selection to the other layer. As the target layer is OFF it will 'disappear' from the screen when selected. Take care NOT to pan the screen and NOT refresh it, because if you do so, the duplicated lines will appear and your job is loosed.
e) When finished the job, just make 'Active Only' the target layer and check contents. If something lacks you can bring from the 'old' layer.

Another tip: If the layers in the original file are somehow confused, try to separate the contents using "Mask" by entity type or color options, reorganizing to better management.

Hope this helps,
Miguel