Automatically turn OFF new Layers in Xref files

[Nick.Nemechek]

I am a CAD specialist for a MEP firm. Our electrical staff usually xrefs the mechanical dwg's into their sheets to see the mechanical equipment. The problem with this is that over the course of a project the mechanical designer may add new layers to their dwg's. The electrical person only wants to see certain layers. They accomplish this by turning off or freezing all layers except the ones they want to see. I know I am rambling, but here comes the point. Acad defaults to always turn on new layers in xrefs. So the electrical will open up the sheets and plot not knowing the mechanical person added new layers and those new layers plot. I am wondering if there is a way to fix this. Does anyone out there have a command already in place. This is becoming more and more of a problem. I am finished blathering...If this doesn't make sense let me know. I don't have any caffeine in my system yet today.

[mjfarrell]

Perhaps a batch file or a layer translation template
That turns off all layers other than those on the list
of the standard layers you need to see in the XREF.
Then when the drawings are opened the new layers
should be off.

[Ms. Serene]

I do not know if this will help, but the last place I worked had very strict Cad standards. They did this so that they could have preset layerstates that contained all possible layers. These states could be imported (according to what kind of drawing you create or work on) and restored so that if for example the Mech person added a layer that should be off in everyone's drawing it would be. But you really have to follow the standard.