Understanding Layer Sets

QUESTION

What are Layer Sets and how are they used in Chief Architect?  

ANSWER

Layer Sets can be thought of as a stack of transparency sheets gathered together for a particular purpose that can be quickly applied to your drawing. Rather than turning on and off layers one-by-one, Layer Sets allow you to quickly switch from one collection of layer attributes to another.

Additionally, Layer Sets are connected to Saved Plan Views, which allow you to change a variety of options in the program all with a single click. If you're editing your electrical plan, for example, your job will be easier if unrelated objects such as roof planes and ceiling framing are not in the way. You could access your Layer Display Options and browse the dozens of layers in the list, turning off each unneeded layer for the view you're in; or, you could simply switch to the Electrical Saved Plan View, which could be associated with an Electrical Layer Set that has all of your preferred display settings already setup to your liking.





Chief Architect template plan files include a number of Saved Plan Views and Layer Sets created for a variety of purposes, including:

• Display settings for different types of views.
  
• Display settings for specific drawing tasks.
  
• Settings for the Reference Display.
  
  

You can learn more about Layer Sets in the following sections:

To manage, customize, and create Layer Sets

1. Access your desired plan, or create a new plan.
   
   
   
2. Navigate to Tools> Layer Settings> Layer Set Management .
   
   Here, you can scroll through the various Layer Sets that are contained within the plan and make any desired modifications.
   
   
   
   
   • To customize layer properties for an existing Layer Set, select the name of the Layer Set to highlight it, then click Define to open the Layer Display Options dialog.
     
     Layer settings such as Line Style, Line Color, Line Weight, Text Style, whether or not a layer is locked, and if a layer is displayed for the Layer Set can be specified here.
     
     

     For more information on layers and their properties, please see the "Understanding Layers" resource in the Related Articles section below.

     
     
     
     
   • Click the New button to open the New Layer Set dialog and create a new Layer Set. Layer Sets must have unique names. If you try to give the new Layer Set a name that already belongs to a Layer Set in the current plan, the program will ask you to choose a new name.
     
     
     
     Once a name is specified and you click OK, the Layer Display Options dialog will open for the newly created Layer Set allowing you to specify your desired layer settings.
     
     
   • Click the Copy button to open the New Layer Set dialog and create a new Layer Set based on a copy of the currently selected Layer Set.
     
     Again, once a name is specified and you click OK, the Layer Display Options dialog will open for the newly created Layer Set allowing you to specify your desired layer settings.
     
     
   • Click the Rename button to rename a Layer Set and the Delete button to delete Layer Sets.
     
     The Layer Set specified as the Active Layer Set For Current View cannot be deleted.
     
     

     Don't delete Layer Sets that are being referenced or used by a layout file.
     
     Also, it's important to be aware that any changes made to a Layer Set in one view will affect all other views that use the same Layer Set.

     
     
   • The Active Layer Set for Current View drop-down option displays the Layer Set that is used in the plan view that was active when this dialog was opened.
     
   
   
   
3. When you're finished customizing Layer Sets, click OK to confirm the changes and close the dialog.
   

To use Saved Plan Views to switch Layer Sets

Saved Plan Views are linked to Default Sets, Layer Sets, and a variety of other settings in any given plan. With this mind, Chief Architect makes it easy to switch between all of these various settings simultaneously with a single click.

1. Access a plan view that you want to switch the Layer Set for.
   
   
   
2. On your toolbar, look for the Saved Plan View Control drop-down, click on it once, then select a different Saved Plan View from the list. You can also switch between Saved Plan Views by accessing the Project Browser  side window.
   
   
   
   
   When you switch between Saved Plan Views, the Layer Set should also change if it's setup to do so.
   
   For demonstration purposes, you can see that the image below shows that the Layer Set matches the Saved Plan View, as they are linked with one another.
   
   
   
   

   Note: If changing the plan view does not also change the active Layer Set, the plan view may not be setup to change, or it's not linked correctly to the view. Please refer to the first section in this article or view the Related Articles section to learn more.

   
   

To export and import Layer Sets

If have created or customized your Layer Sets, you can transfer them to other plan files. 

1. Access the plan/layout file that you want to import Layer Sets into.
   
   In X16 and prior versions, instead access the plan/layout file that contains the Layer Sets you want to use in another file, select File> Export> Export Layer Sets , click Export, then proceed with exporting the .layers file. 
   
   
   
2. Once the plan that you want to import Layer Sets into is open and active, navigate to File> Import> Import Settings From Plan/Layout  or File> Import> Legacy Settings Import> Import Layer Sets .
   
   In X16 and prior versions, navigate to File> Import> Import Layer Sets  instead. 
   
   
   
3. Find and select the plan/layout or .layers file you would like to import, then click Select or Open.
   
   
   
4. The Import Settings From Plan/Layout dialog will display where you can choose the various settings you would like to import; you can select an entire category or you can expand each category to pick and choose specific components. In the Name Conflict Handling section, choose Replace Originals with Imported to overwrite and replace any existing Layer Sets that have the same name, or Rename Imported to not overwrite the existing Layer Sets with the same name, and instead rename the newly imported Layer Sets.
   
   

   Note: If you're importing Layer Sets that have the same name as existing Layer Sets already present in the file, and you choose the Rename Imported option, the new, imported Layer Sets will have a number appended onto the name.

   
   
   
   
   In X16 and prior versions, the Import Layer Sets dialog will display instead where you can select the Layer Set(s) that you would like to import into the current plan. 
   
   
   
5. Click OK to begin the import process.
   
   

To modify all Layer Sets in a file

1. Select Tools> Layer Settings> Display Options from the menu.
   
   
   
2. In the Layer Display Options dialog that opens, check the box beside Modify All Layer Sets.
   
   
   
3. Make any changes that you want to any layer(s) that you would like reflected in every Layer Set located in the file.
   
   
   
4. Uncheck the box beside Modify All Layer Sets once you're done making changes, then click OK to apply the changes to all Layer Sets in the file.