Unable to delete Layers from a Template file

[justinxxvii]

Hey guys, I have a small issue. Our company has a standard template for all design jobs, and the work I do is on a much smaller scale and doesn't need all of the 200 layers. I tried deleting them to make my own template, but it always gives me an error message



The following layers cannot be deleted:
Layers 0 and defpoints
The current layer
Xref-dependent layers
Layers containing objects


As far as I can tell, the layers I want to delete have no objects, and aren't layers 0 or defpoints. if I upload a dwg here can someone delete all the frozen layers and send it back? I only need a handful of these layers

Thanks!

[ralphsanchez]

Although it may not appear that the layers contain any entities, there may be blocks that contain entities on those layers. There also may be null text entities or empty blocks on those layers. To catch all of that "debris," try using the ECLN and PURGEALL utilities in the downloads section on my website. Report back to the group with the results.


Hey guys, I have a small issue. Our company has a standard template for all design jobs, and the work I do is on a much smaller scale and doesn't need all of the 200 layers. I tried deleting them to make my own template, but it always gives me an error message



As far as I can tell, the layers I want to delete have no objects, and aren't layers 0 or defpoints. if I upload a dwg here can someone delete all the frozen layers and send it back? I only need a handful of these layers

Thanks!

[justinxxvii]

Real quick, here is what I did:

I tried your ECLN app, and it said this:



Command: _appload ecln.lsp successfully loaded.
Command:
Command:
Command: ecln
-vbarun Initializing VBA System...
Macro name: ecln.dvb!RuntimeEvents.ecln
Macro not found.
Command: regenall Regenerating model.
Grid too dense to display
Command:
(ecln complete)
Command:
Grid too dense to display


Now if I open the layer property manager, the delete key is greyed out on each layer, and rightclicking, and choosing delete layer gives the same error.

Did I do something wrong here?

I'm not sure if the purge application is what I need, but I will try it, also

[Lemons]

Hey guys, I have a small issue. Our company has a standard template for all design jobs, and the work I do is on a much smaller scale and doesn't need all of the 200 layers. I tried deleting them to make my own template, but it always gives me an error message



As far as I can tell, the layers I want to delete have no objects, and aren't layers 0 or defpoints. if I upload a dwg here can someone delete all the frozen layers and send it back? I only need a handful of these layers

Thanks!You can always put something on each of the layers you want to keep, then -WBlock out to a new name, selecting the items (layers) you want in the new file, then quit without saving the file you started with.

Not a solution, but it should work fine for what you want to do.

[justinxxvii]

You can always put something on each of the layers you want to keep, then -WBlock out to a new name, selecting the items (layers) you want in the new file, then quit without saving the file you started with.

Not a solution, but it should work fine for what you want to do.


Wait wait, this sounds like something for me. I only need about 7 or 8 of the layers in this template and it sounds feasible. I'm not sure what the Wblock command is though, can you run me through a quick example

[BrenBren]

Hey guys, I have a small issue. Our company has a standard template for all design jobs, and the work I do is on a much smaller scale and doesn't need all of the 200 layers. I tried deleting them to make my own template, but it always gives me an error message



As far as I can tell, the layers I want to delete have no objects, and aren't layers 0 or defpoints. if I upload a dwg here can someone delete all the frozen layers and send it back? I only need a handful of these layers

Thanks!

It's been asked, but I didn't see a response. Do you have Xrefs attached to the drawing or blocks in the drawing that aren't exploded? If so, the layers may be in those entities and not be able to be deleted.

[ralphsanchez]

It sounds like you didn't put ECLN.DVB in a directory ('folder') that's in your search path. The full instructions should be in the readme (http://www.texupport.net/downloads/documentation/ecln-readme.html) file.

Another thing dawned on me just now ... You didn't mention which version of AutoCAD you're using, but prior to 2004 (or so), if a layer was only frozen in a viewport, then AutoCAD still considered it unpurgable.


Real quick, here is what I did:

I tried your ECLN app, and it said this:



Now if I open the layer property manager, the delete key is greyed out on each layer, and rightclicking, and choosing delete layer gives the same error.

Did I do something wrong here?

I'm not sure if the purge application is what I need, but I will try it, also

[Lemons]

Wait wait, this sounds like something for me. I only need about 7 or 8 of the layers in this template and it sounds feasible. I'm not sure what the Wblock command is though, can you run me through a quick exampleSure, but I gotta open Acad to give you the right stuff...

put some stuff on the layers you want to keep
type -wblock at the command prompt
dog (this is whatever name you want the new file to be, navigate to the folder you want it in, too)
"" (define new dwg)
0,0
(select entities)
then just get out of the dwg you are in WITHOUT saving changes and open the one you just created and erase your marker entities... It is VERY important to not save changes on the dwg that you started in.

I use -wblock because I also use this technique for getting stuff off a dwg (like layers with null entities) when a purge or superpurge doesn't work. You could just use the icon to create a wblock and pick the entities you want. I'm kinda old school, in case you haven't noticed. :)

[CGM]

...As far as I can tell, the layers I want to delete have no objects, and aren't layers 0 or defpoints. if I upload a dwg here can someone delete all the frozen layers and send it back? I only need a handful of these layers

Thanks!Hello,
Personally I like to use layer merge in this case. You might read this thread for details. However, seeing as you only need 8 or so of the 200 layers in the template; have you considered creating a new template from scratch?

[justinxxvii]

Well guys you all have good suggestions, and I will probably get it the way I want very soon.

I'll keep you updated



Hello,
Personally I like to use layer merge in this case. You might read this thread for details. However, seeing as you only need 8 or so of the 200 layers in the template; have you considered creating a new template from scratch?


The reason I want to delete layers and make a new template is because our company has 6 different layouts already made for different plot sizes, and I want to keep those.

[jaffarhu]

It's been asked, but I didn't see a response. Do you have Xrefs attached to the drawing or blocks in the drawing that aren't exploded? If so, the layers may be in those entities and not be able to be deleted.are you sure there wont be any problem with the xrefed layers?
my gues (i dont have acad instaled on this computer to make a test) is all xrefed items (blocks, layers, and so on) will still be xrefed even after exploding the xref.. in my opinion is so much easier detaching the xrefs, deleting all objects and blocks and aplying the PURGEALL command...