i know this is possible...question about layer mgmt

[jeff.194708]

So I have 300 sheets to plot with certain layers on (ie revision clouds) then again with those layers off. I know there has to be some management tool to publish this job and have it automatically exclude or include those layers. I am not sure of the words to use for a google search but know you guys and ladies know what I am saying. 3rd party software? anything?
Thanks in advance.

[Thundercleese]

you can set the layers not to plot in the layer manager.

theres a little plotter icon, click it and it will show a red line through it indicating that it will not plot.

[jaberwok]

Layer States Manager ?

[cadtag]

and ScriptPro ?

[irneb]

Yep, this would be a task for scripting. Either ScriptPro (on 32 bit) or AutoScript (on anything). Both work similar, but I like AutoScript a bit better. Just do a google for the one you want.

Next you create a SCR file (text) which the above programs run on each of a selected list of drawings. The SCR contains the keystrokes as if you've typed them into the command line. So the trick is to figure out what you would have typed if you were only allowed to use the keyboard (no mouse interaction). E.g. to turn off some layer's you could have:
LAYER
SET
0
OFF
Layer1,Layer2

QSAVEThe set to 0 is simply so the current layer is not one of those to be turned off. You could also have simply set it to not plot, see the help for command lne promps in the -LAYER command.

The layer state idea might also work, but I think you'll need some lisp inside that SCR to make it work over multiple drawings.

After you've run the script, do a publish. Then run another script (note both ScriptPro & AutoScript has the capability to save which drawings were selected last time) to revert the layers to be turned on or plotted. Then run the publish again.

Otherwise you could even add the PLOT command-line stuff to the SCR so it plots directly while running the script. But that could be a bit complex, especially with different page sizes.

[jeff.194708]

thanks will give that a try. The scripting is what i was after. Excellent info ladies and Gents.