Topic Title

I use the same layer for several different drawings, however I need that same layer to print with dashed lines or differnt color on some layers and others I need them to print as drawn. Now I copy the layer and change the color, but then I have several versions that require multiplue sessions when changes are made.

Can I have one layer of several that can can be programed to print differently than drawn, while all the other files of that drawing print as drawn?

Can you clearify this some more I can't follow what your asking

Sounds like a perfect use for a self-xref. Instead of copying the layer simply insert the file into itself as a self-xref and have only the layer you want on in it. Then use highlighting to change the color and linetype.

Did that make sense? I sometimes type to fast.

This is about the most confusing post I have ever read. I wouldn't want to make matters worse with xrefs. I realised it may be better to look away from layers and make the information into a symbol. It may thus be called upon many times and exploded to be dashed or whatever as required.

I have to agree with Tony on this one Nick. Although I don't particular agree with what he is doing, to each his own and perhaps what he is working this may make sense. But this does seem to be a perfect use of self xrefs. Each xref could use the xref highlighting feature to screen or dash all of the lines at once without changing the actual drawing at all. Then you only have one drawing and when you change the drawing itself all of the xrefs will be updated.

Greetings,

It does bring up an interesting point -- maybe there is a need to be able to Highlight a layer? If this could be controlled as part of the GTV, it would be pretty kewl.

I also have to agree with Nick and Tony B. We have done the same thing on a roof plan. We wanted the walls below to show up dashed on the roof plan for coordination with roof top mechanical units. Instead of drawing the floor plan over again with a dashed line, we xreffed the plan, highlighted the plan, with the reference manager, to a different color and to a dashed linetype. Now every time the floor plan is changed the roof plan is also updated, saving all sorts of editting time.

Aurthur's example of the roof plan is exactly the same situation I have. I do this for framing plans (showing the roof lines lightly), electrical plans with the walls light, etc. I will learn the xref function. For now I changed the color of the entities in some layers to a different color and must change pen tables for some drawings so those colors are assigned a different pen for that dwg, but it's clumsy -- I have 5 different pen tables per job.

Thanks for the replys!