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I may have asked this before, but can't find anything on search.
I have two drawing files that I want to merge. One has the most up-to-date format with current title blocks, layers structure, but most importantly, the building floor plan I am drawing is already drawn. In the other file, all of the sections and details are drawn (steel bar joists and steel beams and columns). I was about to save drawing #2 as a template, open up Drawing #1 and bring it in, but then I thought, no, I want all the layers to be preserved. Is there an easy straightforward way to do this? Drawing #1 is a new project I just got the go ahead on this week, Drawing #2 is the only other time I have drawn steel construction and is from 4 years ago. I've already converted drawing #2 (DC5) to my current .aec by opening it up in DC19.

George W. Burns CPBD wrote:I may have asked this before, but can't find anything on search.
I have two drawing files that I want to merge. One has the most up-to-date format with current title blocks, layers structure, but most importantly, the building floor plan I am drawing is already drawn. In the other file, all of the sections and details are drawn (steel bar joists and steel beams and columns). I was about to save drawing #2 as a template, open up Drawing #1 and bring it in, but then I thought, no, I want all the layers to be preserved. Is there an easy straightforward way to do this? Drawing #1 is a new project I just got the go ahead on this week, Drawing #2 is the only other time I have drawn steel construction and is from 4 years ago. I've already converted drawing #2 (DC5) to my current .aec by opening it up in DC19.

Open Drawing #1 and go to the File pull-down and select Import. Navigate to the folder where Drawing #2 resides and select it. On the following dialog, select the Layers, GTVs, MSP sheets, etc. that you'd like to merge into Drawing #1. I *think* this might do what you are wanting.

Dave

what Dave said, but also pay attention to the box at the bottom, do you want all new layer, clear the existing first, or append (or add) to the existing layers.

Worked like a charm! Thanks guys!

Okay guys and gals... I did it. As I said, it worked like a charm. But now I have been working in this drawing for a week, and I have 2 layers both named "section" and 2 layers both named "section notes". And a few other similar situations. I thought there was a way to "merge layers", but now I'm thinking I must be remembering Photoshop or something else in Adobe. Is there a way now that all the importing has been done? I looked in the layers manager, it's not there.

Sounds like what I would do is do a Layer, Active Only on one layer, and move the contents to the other layer. Update GTV's as needed.

With Layer Search toggled off, and set one of the Section layers active - Move / To Layer, then Control-A.

Repeat for the text layers.

Delete the two layers that are now empty, and update the GTV's.

Yeah, I guess that is an obvious solution, but it seems so messy... but now that y'all describe it, it seems pretty clean. Forgot about being able to turn layersearch off. That will prevent me from having to turn all layers off (except for the two Section layers) in order to easily isolate one to move to the other.
Thanks for the quick help!!!

You're entirely welcome!