Classes v. layers

[Lisa Bernacchi]

I am new to Vectorworks. I have worked in Autodesk product for many years. Can you please describe how you use classes and layers? I have gone to help but would like to get real world examples.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Lisa

[PVA - Admin]

This should cover the basics: http://www.vectorworks.net/getting-started-guides/Common/working-with-classes-and-layers

[C. Andrew Dunning]

I have worked in Autodesk product for many years. Can you please describe how you use classes and layers? I have gone to help but would like to get real world examples.

I use the "Where"(Design Layers)/"What"(Classes) convention described in the video.

Where:

Either specific performance spaces or, if I am using Design Layer ViewPorts, hanging locations or structural elements (like a truss pod). This means that, if I'm not using DLVPs and am working in a single space, I'm working in one Design Layer.

What:

Lighting (conventional, intelligent, notes, dimensions, etc.), audio (PA, monitors, notes, etc.), video (projection, LED, confidence monitors, etc.), staging, scenic, truss, rigging, venue (walls, steel, safety perimeters, etc.), etc.

I end up with a TON of Classes but, with Saved Views, no big deal at all.

[mike m oz]

Classes are the what and are Vw's equivalent of Autocad's Layers.

Design Layers are the where and are Vw's equivalent of Autocad's Model Space.

Unlike Autocad Vw has multiple model spaces and this makes the modelling or drawing of multi level buildings much easier because the floors can be stacked vertically.

Note also that Vw's model spaces can have a scale. This does not mean that the information is drawn at scale though. It is still at 1:1 in the database and what you see on the screen is that information viewed at the desired scale.

[Lisa Bernacchi]

Thank you so much everyone. This was incredibly helpful.

[Benjamin Weill]

I have worked in Autodesk product for many years. Can you please describe how you use classes and layers? I have gone to help but would like to get real world examples.

I use the "Where"(Design Layers)/"What"(Classes) convention described in the video.

Where:

Either specific performance spaces or, if I am using Design Layer ViewPorts, hanging locations or structural elements (like a truss pod). This means that, if I'm not using DLVPs and am working in a single space, I'm working in one Design Layer.

What:

Lighting (conventional, intelligent, notes, dimensions, etc.), audio (PA, monitors, notes, etc.), video (projection, LED, confidence monitors, etc.), staging, scenic, truss, rigging, venue (walls, steel, safety perimeters, etc.), etc.

I end up with a TON of Classes but, with Saved Views, no big deal at all.

I use Classes and Layers similarly to this.

I use layers to broadly categorize my drawings by discipline (one for Theatre Architecture, one for the set, and one for lighting)

I use classes to more specifically organize the file. (lights, positions, labels, dimensions...etc.)

As said above, a lot of classes, but Saved views make it a snap.

[SamIWas]

Old thread, but maybe still useful info...

My template file for the museum exhibits I design has a large number of layers, and an even larger number of classes.

For layers, I have the bottom one for Titleblock Info, which contains the bases for viewports which populate all of my sheet layer title block keys and notes, along with show graphics and personnel info.

Up from there is the "Base" layer, which contains drawings from anyone else, which I usually trace into my own versions, because they use way too many colors and big text blocks.

And from there it goes Building Walls, Building Electrical, Building HVAC, Exhibit Walls, Exhibit Objects, Truss/Pipe, Rigging, Track, Lighting, Electrical (Multi placement, Racks, etc), Cable-Fixture (all the jumper cables), Cable-System (feeder, multi runs, data runs).... I left out a few, but I use layers to separate each separate "genre" of stuff. When I'm working on lighting, I don't want to be avoiding truss and whatnot.

Classes for me are for controlling colors, line weights, and visibilities beyond layers. For instance, a lighting fixture has "Lights-Outlines", "Lights-Inlines", "Lights-Base", "Lights-Grey", and more. In scenic elements, I have "Scenic-2D-Main", "Scenic-2D-Medium", "Scenic-2D-Dotted", and more. I class everything so that I have global control over colors and line weights by type.

For the most part in my setup, very few classes are used on more than one layer, so it's still controllable when exported to AutoCAD. It's all just a game of being able to quickly control visibility, and control what I can and cannot select when working.

I know some people who draft on a single layer, and I don't know how they don't want to kill themselves.

[zoomer]

I use the "Where"(Design Layers)/"What"(Classes) convention described in the video.

Where:

Either specific performance spaces or, if I am using Design Layer ViewPorts, hanging locations or structural elements (like a truss pod). This means that, if I'm not using DLVPs and am working in a single space, I'm working in one Design Layer.

What:

Lighting (conventional, intelligent, notes, dimensions, etc.), audio (PA, monitors, notes, etc.), video (projection, LED, confidence monitors, etc.), staging, scenic, truss, rigging, venue (walls, steel, safety perimeters, etc.), etc.

I end up with a TON of Classes but, with Saved Views, no big deal at all.

I saw that video too and I think that's a quite reasonable explanation.

A problem for me is, when exporting other than DWG or DXF where you can

map your classes to ACAD layers.

If you export by FBX or Cinema4D that sorting by class gets lost because it

is all about layers only. I think that is the reason why some people use layers

only and no classes at all.

This workaround is ok until you will need stories and levels.

Edited August 23, 2015 by zoomer

[Art V]

I'll be filing a wish list item for layers/classes and dwg compatibility. It should be fairly easy to solve this issue.

[RickR]

Try this version:

Layers = things that are placed together. Everything on a layer has a "physical" relationship regardless of class. Different layers may be related to each other but don't have to be.

Class = things that show together. If you see one you see them all, on the same layer. They can also look the same if you use class settings.

Layers can act as groups of duplicate classes, but more classes gives the same results with more flexibility. Thus we tend to have a few layers and many classes.

I.E.

My installation details go on a separate layer because they don't exist with anything else.

I have multiple dimension classes because sometimes I only want the major ones and not the little stuff. But dimensions "should" always be on the same layer as what they are dimensioning.

Make sense?