Draw Order by Layer

[kathy.oconnell]

Hi everyone,

This feature has been an AUGI wishlist request in the past and I am researching what you all feel this should include. So for everyone out there that wants this feature, let me know what you want this tool to include and why and if you have ideas of how, that would be great. As always, I don't know when we will be doing this, but I need this information before we can even decide. Thanks!

Best Regards,
Kathy O'Connell
AutoCAD Product Manager

[KJBIKE7]

The office I am in uses a mask layer (nonplot color) for the text mask. We have big issues with the text mask. Either it plots black, or not the proper size, or covers to much area....... Our wish would be the C-ANNO layers will always plot on top. This would cover the text and dimensions to always plot on top.

[Firmso]

Would be nice if we can set Draw Order by each Viewport, just like having the "Override Layer Properties by Viewport".

edit: along with "Draw Order by Layer", of course.

[H-Angus]

How about a numerical draw order controlled in the layer manager for style based plotting and controlled in .ctb files for colour based plotting, similar to how line weights are controlled.

[CADDmanVA]

How about a numerical draw order controlled in the layer manager for style based plotting and controlled in .ctb files for colour based plotting, similar to how line weights are controlled.

That's a fantastic idea! That would work the exact same as layering in CSS. There could be a lot of potential there. The only bad thing would be if something needs to be "on top of" something else in just one or two Viewports, or if the needs change for each job.

[H-Angus]

That's a fantastic idea! That would work the exact same as layering in CSS. There could be a lot of potential there. The only bad thing would be if something needs to be "on top of" something else in just one or two Viewports, or if the needs change for each job.

True In 2008 you can change layer colours (and other settings) in different viewports, maybe something similar with draw order.

Another problem I guess is if objects are on the same layer and need different draw orders, so may need an override as well, eg. a draw order override or bylayer.

I don't know just thinking out loud.

[BrenBren]

Hi everyone,

This feature has been an AUGI wishlist request in the past and I am researching what you all feel this should include. So for everyone out there that wants this feature, let me know what you want this tool to include and why and if you have ideas of how, that would be great. As always, I don't know when we will be doing this, but I need this information before we can even decide. Thanks!

Best Regards,
Kathy O'Connell
AutoCAD Product Manager

One of the wishes I've seen pertaining to this is to have a "Draw Order Navigator", which I think is just a great idea.

[irneb]

I'd say have a numerical draw-order per layer, and then as per previous post an override per entity. Say make 1 the top order then step down (e.g. 2 just below 1, 3 just below 2, etc.) - this will allow for more level of order. You could add a DXF code per entity, set 0 as by-layer and the override as a number ranging from 1 to 255 (for example) - same as with colours. Maybe even 256 for by-block.

[jpaulsen]

I do not like the idea of a numerical order. Our typical drawing has over 500 layers when you include the xref layers. It would be time prohibitive to have to number each layer.

I would much rather see a separate dialog that allows you to drag the layers in a list to establish a hierarchy. Similar to the wish that Brenda posted. The dialog should allow normal Windows selection methods (Ctrl, Shift, Ctrl+A, etc.). There should also be filtering mechanism so layers can be selected using wildcards.

There should also be tools similar to what we have now to change display order. The ability to send a layer to the back, to the front, behind another layer, etc.

There should be a command line option to change the display order of layers so it can be done programmaticly. I would use this to send hatch layers and existing contour layers to the back every time a drawing is opened.

This should work with layers in multiple xrefs. For sample:
A drawing contains 3 xrefs. Each xref contains a hatch pattern on a layer that needs to be sent to the back. I should be able send those layers to the back and it will be honored no matter what the display order of the xrefs is.

The ability to set overrides in a viewport might be useful to us occasionally but not high on my priority list.

The ability to have objects on a specific layer override the layer's display order is low on my priority list.

[pyork]

The bigest thing I can think of for this is the background masks as already stated. We plot most our drawings using merge. And when using merge the background mask does not apear. If the background mask would just have a high priority of always being ontop this would make a great difference.