Drawing "Bylayer" or specific

[rich.jozwiak]

Our company has about 30 AutoCAD users of different levels of knowledge and experience. One major disagreement among these people is whether objects in a drawing should be drawn with "Color" and "Linetype" set to "Bylayer" or to specific settings, i.e. Yellow, Continuous. I would like to get some views from people with various levels of experience as to which they think is the best way of creating objects. I know that there are exceptions to every rule, but I would like to know what you think is the "Rule". I intentionally did not state my opinion so that when I submit your opinions to my co-workers, they can't say that I an influence on them one way or the other.

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

In my humble ByLayer is the only correct method within AutoCAD.

Setting Objects to specific Colours / LineTypes is just pure :evil: (again in my humble opinion).

Have a good one, Mike

[Wanderer]

Our company has about 30 AutoCAD users of different levels of knowledge and experience. One major disagreement among these people is whether objects in a drawing should be drawn with "Color" and "Linetype" set to "Bylayer" or to specific settings, i.e. Yellow, Continuous. I would like to get some views from people with various levels of experience as to which they think is the best way of creating objects. I know that there are exceptions to every rule, but I would like to know what you think is the "Rule". I intentionally did not state my opinion so that when I submit your opinions to my co-workers, they can't say that I an influence on them one way or the other.
my opinion also, bylayer is the appropriate way. if an entity needs to show different characteristics or be called out in some manner, it should have it's own layer with different properties (be they color or linetype). saves aggravation. and, as far as I know, amongst experienced CAD people this is considered standard. if it is not, that is certainly news to me.

[jaberwok]

My opinion also is - set all properties to "bylayer" unless there is a very good reason not to.
Level of experience? -20 years.

[hel1799]

i agree with the replies. Bylayer is the way to go.

[Glenn Pope]

Have to go with the Bylayer vote too. Later on down the road when your standards change, it makes it easier to update older drawings.

[bbapties]

"by layer"all the way.....

[Brian Myers]

While choosing colors, lineweights, etc does have some upside potential (and works better in rare situations) it also makes Standards enforcement more difficult and makes it much easier to make mistakes.

It should be Bylayer 99.8% of the time and yes, that should be the office standard.

Experience - 16 years including CAD management.....

[Homerloew]

While choosing colors, lineweights, etc does have some upside potential (and works better in rare situations) it also makes Standards enforcement more difficult and makes it much easier to make mistakes.

It should be Bylayer 99.8% of the time and yes, that should be the office standard.

Experience - 16 years including CAD management.....
Yep, what all above said.

[mikepartenheimer]

We use Xrefs extensively. Bylayer allows control of plotting and linetype in each individual plotting file. Assigning properties to objects strips you of that control.

[Ron Oldenbeuving]

Ditto everybody else.

[drafting.82475]

always "by layer.

[CADMama]

That is the first thing I check on folks applying for a job to work with me.

I have them bring in a drawing and check to see if things are "ByLayer" or not. If not - don't bother! There is enough training I have to do to newbies here without having to re-train someone on the basics.

[scwegner]

Ditto here with two exceptions:
If I have an area where the designers scribbles were unclear or I am otherwise unsure about what is happening, I will on some rare occasions change to the one red shade that will print red to call attention to the problem area. I do this only when a cloud will not do. For example, if a designer hands me an existing plan with some missing or questionable measurements, I will draw it with the uncertain parts in red. A revcloud wouldn't always work because it wouldn't tell me which of the lines in the area where certain and which where to be trusted. I suppose I could use a distinct layer but it seems like more of a hassle for just a handfull of lines.
The other exception is layer 0 in blocks. You don't always want to have the whole block like whatever layer you put it on but neither do you want to clutter your drawing with too many layers. My layers list almost fills the screen as it is.
I don't know. Maybe everyone else here will tell me I'm an idiot for doing it like that, but it works for me.

[MMccall.83699]

Almost always, by layer.

In addition to the advantages listed in the previous responses, doing things 'by layer' also allows you to load your template files with all the right colors, line types and line widths for the layers. Some of these templates can include layers from referenced drawings with settings that are different from the layer in the reference drawing. (it's kinda like 'pre' referencing another drawing) You no longer need to teach others what color or linetype something should be, only what layer they belong. Also, if one of a series of items is one the wrong layer it will most likely be very obvious.

I've taken it a step further an color coded my text/label layers to match the items they belong with. Now I know something is wrong if I see a blue line with a yellow label.

The exception for 'by layer', for me at least, is sheet borders, title blocks, and typical details.

[tbedrich]

I agree with the "by layer"
And for the reason of using xrefs, if you want a background to be shaded on one plot and be bold on another plot, by layer is the only way to go.

I have also worked in an ofice that a person created everything on layer "0" :screwy: and changed colors, then would give me the drawing and want certain things done that made me redo :banghead: the entire drawing to "by layer" :evil: .

So I would make the standards be by layer.
Luckly now I work in a office that I control the CAD standards.
So now when we draw it is by layer. :beer:

[jaberwok]

I have also worked in an ofice that a person created everything on layer "0" :screwy: and changed colors........
In that situation I wrote a lisp that changed everything selected to colour "bylayer" and linetype "bylayer" and allowed the user to move those objects to a specified (existing) layer.
Just an idea.

[scwegner]

I have also worked in an ofice that a person created everything on layer "0" :screwy: and changed colors, then would give me the drawing and want certain things done that made me redo :banghead: the entire drawing to "by layer" :evil: .


I, unfortunately, work in a place where I have... mixed authority. In theory, I have authority over all CAD standards, but I can't always get the designers who are more senior to listen when they work on their own drawings. I get drawings like that all the time. Fortunately, there's a lisp floating around that will take all objects with anything other than "bylayer" and place them on layers named for the color. From there it's easy enough to merge/translate your way to sanity.

[RobertW.82344]

Sounds like everyone here has the right idea. ByLayer is definitely the way to go. I am constantly getting drawings from Architects that set everything hard, and nothing seems to work right. I have to actually go into their drawings and change everything to bylayer. We have a lisp routine written to combat this problem very quickly.

Add this to your acad2005doc.lsp file

(defun c:byl ()
(apply 'command (list "chprop" (ssget) "" "co" "bylayer" "lt" "bylayer" ""))
(princ)
)

Shut down AutoCAD and restart it.

When you type in "byl" at the command prompt, it will ask you to select the objects. Type in "all", then press enter.

Now every entity in the drawing is set to bylayer (Colors and linetypes).

Hope this helps.

[RobertB]

Add this to your acad2005doc.lsp file
(defun c:byl ()
(apply 'command (list "chprop" (ssget) "" "co" "bylayer" "lt" "bylayer" ""))
(princ)
)
Shut down AutoCAD and restart it.
When you type in "byl" at the command prompt, it will ask you to select the objects. Type in "all", then press enter.

A couple of comments...
A simplier statement would be (no need for apply or the list):
(command "._ChProp" (ssget) "" "_color" "_ByLayer" "_ltype" "_ByLayer" "")

Also, it is very important that your own customizations be placed in Acad.lsp or AcadDoc.lsp, not Acad200x.lsp or Acad200xDoc.lsp. Those latter two files are for Autodesk's use only. Code in Acad.lsp and AcadDoc.lsp will migrate to newer releases when you use the Migration Tools. Code in the Acad200x files might not, and can be overwritten by Autodesk when upgrading.

Also, when you place new code in AcadDoc.lsp there is no need to restart AutoCAD. The next drawing opened will load the code. If you wanted to run the new code in the current drawing, simply close the current drawing and reopen it.

[rich.jozwiak]

Thanks everyone, this is exactly what I was looking for, and my sentiments exactly. Now, to get it across to everyone else here.

[pnorman]

I draw objects, color and linetype BYLAYER, most of the time. That's my rule but I do have exceptions. Years experience; 14 years.

[Wanderer]

Thanks everyone, this is exactly what I was looking for, and my sentiments exactly. Now, to get it across to everyone else here.
good luck, Rich, have a feeling you'll need it. ;)

[SCROSLEY]

In my company we use the by layer method because that was the best and most common way with the early versions of AutoCAD and we developed many standard details and blocks base on this method. However, I do find know that firms new the game like to use lines with a specific weight. Also with lines given a specific pen weight make it easier when working with other cad software like Microstation. Many times I'm involved in projects with other firms that use Microstation and convert the files to AutoCAD, and all the layers are white and all the entities have pen weight, so if you plot by pen weight and not by color it helps in this situation.

[jaberwok]

In my company we use the by layer method because that was the best and most common way with the early versions of AutoCAD and we developed many standard details and blocks base on this method. However, I do find know that firms new the game like to use lines with a specific weight. Also with lines given a specific pen weight make it easier when working with other cad software like Microstation. Many times I'm involved in projects with other firms that use Microstation and convert the files to AutoCAD, and all the layers are white and all the entities have pen weight, so if you plot by pen weight and not by color it helps in this situation.
A valid point but, since lineweight can also be set "bylayer", it doesn't reduce the value of previous posts.

£0.02

[amy.stuart]

Glad to see this discussion. We have had this discussion since December (when I implemented a standard template) and it was set to ByLayer for everything.....

Can you hear them still screaming from the middle of nowhere!!!

Anyway we came to an agreement that they could put a partial component in a different line type if needed otherwise EVERYTHING must be on ByLayer. I was a rude awakening to this company. Previously they did NOT use layers. They just drew on the layer that was set current. (poor drafting skills, training for the templates were a bi***). So good luck to those who have to convince others that ByLayer is the way to draft!! I sincerely feel your pain.

[CADMama]

Glad to see this discussion. We have had this discussion since December (when I implemented a standard template) and it was set to ByLayer for everything.....

Can you hear them still screaming from the middle of nowhere!!!

Anyway we came to an agreement that they could put a partial component in a different line type if needed otherwise EVERYTHING must be on ByLayer. I was a rude awakening to this company. Previously they did NOT use layers. They just drew on the layer that was set current. (poor drafting skills, training for the templates were a bi***). So good luck to those who have to convince others that ByLayer is the way to draft!! I sincerely feel your pain.
You poor baby - No layers at all? Man! Keep them with lots of coffee nad keep waking them up.

Were any of them AUGI members? Do you make that a requirement? Make them use the forums before asking you anything?
OK - that may be pushing it - LOL
Good luck!

[jaberwok]

I once received a drawing (from a US consultant I must say) a drawing of an off-shore oil drilling platform - all on Layer 0. Can you imagine the hours I spent playing with that?

[kimlance]

Hi

I too set everything bylayer. You have to how else can you control the drawing. So many times I get drawings from architects and I need to turn off some layers that I don't need, but these knuckle heads don't have the layers set up right and I have to be careful what I turn off. I spend so much time doing their work to correct their drawings.

[pmedina]

Bylayer.
This is especially a must when using xrefs.
15 years expirience. Have managed cad staff. Have created department standards.