Any way to copy/past a whole drawing preserving the layer/class structure?

[jfitch]

VW2009 seems to have a problem updating old files, resulting in printing problems with my Epson 3800 printer (see the topic in Printing). I doubt anyone will look into this since it seems to only occur at the cross section of: a larger than A size sheet, a file created in an older version of VW, and an Epson printer. I discovered that if I copy and paste the same data into a fresh file, the print problems seem to go away. However a simple copy/paste results in everything copied ending up on the same layer. That means to recreate the drawing requires a copy/paste of each layer, a very tedious process in drawings with a large number of layers.

Is there a way to copy and paste an entire drawing to preserve the layer structure?

[islandmon]

You could try the old faithful > WorkGroupReference bringing the old Layers > new.

Don't forget that Printer Drivers need to be configured properly.

And always print from the Viewports.. good luck ; )

[J Lucas]

This may do what you want:

In a new clean file choose

Tools

Organization

Design Layers

New

Import/Choose (Make sure to check the "Import Layer Objects" option just below.)

Choose the layers you want to import and click ok.

[jfitch]

OK, I tried this. First were a large number of dialog warnings about layer links not being pastable. I dismissed them all, figuring I would have to recreate them.

Then it crashed VW with an "unexpected error". Maybe this feature doesn't work?

[jfitch]

More:

I can import the layers a few at a time without crashing, however there seems to be multiple bugs in the process. The "Import Objects" checkbox for example sometimes greys for no reason, reselecting the layers several times will fix it. Then some layers import with no objects on them at all. Trying to set up the same view I wanted to print ends up crashing during a resection of visible layers in the viewport. This view was previously done with layer links, of course those are now gone. I cannot import those layers with links, not legal.

So far, not much luck with this 2009 upgrade....

[jfitch]

Tried deleting, then individually re-importing the layers that imported empty. No dice, nothing comes in on those layers. On layers that import blank, I can "select all" then paste in place, works OK. Why won't it import? How do I know that it imported all the objects on other layers, if it can pick and choose?

Edit: of the 40 or so layers, 16 imported empty and do so on repeated attempts. I cannot see any difference between ones that import correctly (I assume...) and ones that are empty. I can "select all" on a layer that will not import, and "paste in place" with no problems.

Edited January 13, 2009 by jfitch

[billtheia]

jfitch, sorry that you're having so much trouble with this. I had the exact same problem in VW2008. Sorry to hear that it hasn't been fixed in 2009. I found that the only truly reliable method was to copy and paste layer by layer.

[J Lucas]

Also sorry to hear about the problems you are having. For the record, the method I outlined has worked without a hitch for me in VW2009. I never tried it in VW2008.

[jfitch]

It seems to depend on the layer. I have not been able to determine any common feature among the 16 layers that did not import, that are not shared by layers that did. Some of them are not at all complicated. All of them were cut/pasted into the blank layer the import created (which at least gives you the name, Z offset, etc.) after a select all. I am going to have to assume that those layers that did import, did so without error - that is a very difficult thing to check.

The newly created file, with imported and pasted layers, does print. I had to recreate the view using viewports since layer links are no longer supported. (Recreating the view in the old file using viewports did not correct the printing problem.)

Edited January 13, 2009 by jfitch