Change visibility on classes/layers - referenced files in Viewports

[MartinBlomberg]

Long title, but hopefully it make sense. 

I've got a drawing of a venue with several layers and classes, like audio, rigging, lights and so on.

I also have another file with the set design. I've referenced the venue drawing file in the set design drawing, so I can make several set designs without the actual venue included in the file.

 

Now to the question:

I want to print different sheet layers with the set design, but different content from the referenced drawing.
I.e, on some sheets I want to hide the lighting, rigging or audio, but I can't find where to hide/unhide classes/layers on the referenced file per sheet layer.

 

Thanks!

[Tom W.]

21 minutes ago, MartinBlomberg said:

Long title, but hopefully it make sense. 

I've got a drawing of a venue with several layers and classes, like audio, rigging, lights and so on.

I also have another file with the set design. I've referenced the venue drawing file in the set design drawing, so I can make several set designs without the actual venue included in the file.

 

Now to the question:

I want to print different sheet layers with the set design, but different content from the referenced drawing.
I.e, on some sheets I want to hide the lighting, rigging or audio, but I can't find where to hide/unhide classes/layers on the referenced file per sheet layer.

 

Thanks!

 

You need to duplicate the referenced DLVP + have different visibility settings for each one. I tend to have referenced DLVPs on their own design layers then it's just a case of duplicating the DL + choosing the relevant DL in the VPs.

 

Another option is Layer Import Referencing. Here the class + layer visibility is controlled directly from the VP in the normal way + might be the better option if you have lots of different visibilities you need to show in the VPs. Otherwise you end up with hundreds of different DLVPs...

 

[MartinBlomberg]

15 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

 

You need to duplicate the referenced DLVP + have different visibility settings for each one. I tend to have referenced DLVPs on their own design layers then it's just a case of duplicating the DL + choosing the relevant DL in the VPs.

 

Another option is Layer Import Referencing. Here the class + layer visibility is controlled directly from the VP in the normal way + might be the better option if you have lots of different visibilities you need to show in the VPs. Otherwise you end up with hundreds of different DLVPs...

 

Nice, thank you! I've never worked in this manner before, how do I change a referenced file to Layer import referencing?

 

Many thanks!

[Tom W.]

I think it would be a case of deleting the existing referenced DLVPs + starting again from scratch so might be something to try on a future project... 

 

If you go to the 'References' tab of the Organization dialog + open the Reference Settings you can choose the method by which files are referenced. I think 'design layer viewports' is the default but to reference in the layers instead switch it to 'layer import'. It can only be one or the other. I have never tried changing this setting halfway through a project: I'm not sure what would happen to your referenced DLVPs if you changed it to 'layer import' now. I guess the DLVPs would remain but you'd lose the reference to the source file...?

[markdd]

You can make Referenced Classes (but not Design Layers) locally controllable by using the Source Buttons in the Class Dialog of the Referenced viewport. This will make any Classes controllable specifically from Sheet Layer Viewports.

 

To have the same functionality for Layers, you need to change your referencing Method to the older Layer Import Method. Then all Classes and Design Layers will be controlled locally. If you want to do that, then you should probably remake the files that have geometry referenced into them as changing the referencing method "half way" can be a little tricky.

[Tom W.]

6 minutes ago, markdd said:

You can make Referenced Classes (but not Design Layers) locally controllable by using the Source Buttons in the Class Dialog of the Referenced viewport. This will make any Classes controllable specifically from Sheet Layer Viewports.

 

Thank you I'm not sure I realised this. Or at least forgot about it. This is handy to know as only having to control design layer visibility via duplicated DLVPs might cut down the number of duplicates needed...

[MartinBlomberg]

MANY thanks! Worked like a charm!

VW-forum, is always the best!

 

Martin

[Boh]

10 hours ago, markdd said:

You can make Referenced Classes (but not Design Layers) locally controllable by using the Source Buttons in the Class Dialog of the Referenced viewport. This will make any Classes controllable specifically from Sheet Layer Viewports.

I never knew this. Thanks for the pro tip! I played around with it little and it looks like if the class(es) you want to edit in the referenced file are not in your working file, then changing a ref vp class to use the document's class definition imports the class into the working file. You can then edit the class in the working file including using sheet layer vp class overides. Very cool.

 

The only caveat is that the class is then referenced, so if you edit a class in the referenced file then those changes are brought into the same class in the working file when the reference is updated.