Top + Bottom Classes

[Tom Klaber]

This has come up before. But rather than an always on top button - It would be great if classes could be grouped into 3 different groups - top classes / normal / bottom classes.

All top classes would always appear above (in the stack) all other classes. Among top class objects - the draw order would determine the stack. If an object is 'sent to back' - it would only be sent to the back of the group - and still appear above all objects in the normal and bottom classes.

This would be the same for the normal and bottom - where stack order would be determined inside the group with normal classes always appearing above the bottom classes and below the top classes. And lastly, the bottom classes always appearing below all other classes.

The uses are obvious where notation classes would be prime candidates for top classes, and something like floor hatches being good candidate for bottom classes. I know firms that use layers for this, but it would be cleaner if you could do it at the class level.

[Tom Klaber]

I want to revisit this.

More then every people are using layers to guarantee object stacking. This could better be done by having 3 class designations.

You could go so far as to stack all classes, but I do not think that is required, simply having "Top Classes + Bottom Classes" would eliminate at least 2 design layers that the office now uses for that very puprose.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

Can you give some examples? As I know of the use of layers like you are saying, but mostly there is a far better solution, like viewport annotations.

[Tom Klaber]

The big ones for top classes are annotations and RCP hatches. Example of bottom classes could be floor patterns, and furniture.

The annotations part of the viewport is good for details, but in general, I have found it much better to have annotations on the design layer for several reasons.

It is easier and more obvious to update when the geometry and annotations are in the same place. If you make a bunch of changes to the plan, you then have to go to several different places and update the annotations. If they are all in the plan you can do all that work at once.

Also, you always have access to all the information - nothing is separated off in some sheet somewhere. If annotations are in the annotations part of the viewport - they are stuck there and require you to copy them out and copy back in place. They are also easily lost if somebody erases that viewport.

[grant_PD]

I would tend to agree and also disagree.

There are some cases when my annotations need to be "global" and times when I need them to be "local."

I think what might be useful in that regard would be a "drop to design layer" function whereby the annotations selected would be taken from the annotation layer and put on the selected design layer. However, being a 3d drafter, I only really see this as useful for plan dimensions, not elevations.

I don't want my files to end up looking like AutoCAD files, where there are dimensions all over the place!