Style Based Control Versus Layer Based Control

[FCahill]

Good Afternoon,

Does anyone have insight into whether to continue using layers to control objects with Civil 3D or to just use the styles to control everything? Any specific problems or advantages to either?

Thank You in advance for your input.

[srsherrill]

I am kind of surprised this hasn't been moved to Civil 3D yet.

Up to this point, I have used only a layer based template and I am beginning to see why the style based template is offered. No one here has any discipline at all regarding layers and with Civil 3D layer based some elements can get 2 or 3 layers deep. I now have a layer management nightmare when plot time comes. I am going to set up a style based template using STBs instead of CTBs and try a project with that as soon as it is ready to compare the results and I am expecting to find it easier to administer.

[Mike.Perry]

Hi "FCahill" ( Sorry, I do not know your real name )

Please note I have *moved* this thread from the CAD Standards forum to this one, as I feel this particular forum is a more appropriate place for such a topic.

Thanks, Mike

Forum Manager

[Glenn Pope]

Good Afternoon,

Does anyone have insight into whether to continue using layers to control objects with Civil 3D or to just use the styles to control everything? Any specific problems or advantages to either?

Thank You in advance for your input.

It depends on what is going to happen to the drawing down the road. Is anyone not using C3D going to be working with these drawing? Then you may want to go with using layers. That way they can change appearance of the objects and turn the visibility of objects on and off. If every one that is going to work on these drawings are going to be using C3D, then you you shouldn't have any problems with using styles.

[reed.stephens]

Whether your Civil 3D drawing is layer controlled or style based, if the drawing is to be used by someone without Civil 3D there will be problems. Unless you just send them a drawing full of proxy objects, you will have to export to AutoCAD and the results can be far from ideal. I just exported a 2006 Civil 3D drawing to a client that needed r2000 format. This was a very simple site plan with one surface that I exploded and survey points that had one point group defined for some spot elevations in addition to the "all points" group. There were no other Civil 3D objects. The resulting file had everything exploded except the polyline contours. Even the point symbols were exploded. Even though the points had been separated into two layers, the labels all came in on the same layer for both sets. To avoid this with a layer based drawing, a separate layer for point annotation for each point group must be established. The same problem will exist for each type of object that must keep different sets of objects and I have found it difficult to get the program to cooperate with putting these items on separate layers during creation. I often have to manually change the layers afterward because regardless of how I set the creation method it will not take. I do not know if a style based drawing with fewer layers and display properties hard coded will be any better, but I think it is a method worth exploring.

[eckdahlrd]

I prefer the layer based, simply because then I can manipulate the layers in an xref.

I have had good success in converting the drawings down to 2000i for clients. I'm not sure if you have tried using Autodesk's DWG TrueConvert program with a style based drawing, but it works very well with a layer based drawing...and it works quick too!

Robert

[dlash]

Use both!!!

I recently completed the creation of over 100 styles and have quite a few layers associated with the individual components.

Derek Lash

[DIN A0 Studio SL]

Hello to all

I want to teach a video to you

http://www.youtube.com/user/DINA0Stu.../3/fGYb3DuH9iU

I need your opinion

Thanks

[WalterL]

The video tutorial looks really good. However, I wish I understood Spanish better.