Organising / grouping sheet and design layers

[phin]

I'd love to see something that allows for better organisation of Sheet and Design Layers. I would envisage this as being a system of folders that can be collapsed and expanded.

 

For example, we am working on a huge landscape design project which utilises a lot of different types of stone (think of a very complex pattern of setts, cobbles and sawn stone) across a project with four different areas (main garden, roof terrace, drive etc. etc.). It's got plan drawings, setting out details, construction details, planting plans etc. etc.

 

I have loads of Design Layers and loads of Sheet Layers. It would be great to have a better way of seeing and organising these - through sub-folders that can be expanded, as in the RB, for example - to make life easier.

[Kevin McAllister]

This is definitely needed and has been previously wish listed. Other organization features that have been asked for relating to this are the ability to assign colours to layer names in the organization palette and the ability to add "dividers" to the list of layer names.

 

KM

[Matt Overton]

Yes existing wishes are out there. So if everyone votes up before Jim merges the threads we can really push the vote count up.

[rDesign]

1 hour ago, Matt Overton said:

Yes existing wishes are out there. So if everyone votes up before Jim merges the threads we can really push the vote count up.

 

Note that @JimW has said votes for merged threads don’t add together, they currently only take the vote count of the oldest thread.

 

This older thread (already merged) on this same topic currently has more votes, so be sure to go over there and up-vote:

 

Edited June 25, 2018 by rDesign

[ericjhberg]

Thanks @rDesign for the credit on the original post! Obviously I strongly agree with this request. The need is clear when we have files and data sets that are exponentially increasing with each project.

[Grethe Connerth]

A folder hierarchy would be so helpful !!!!

It definitely got my vote.

[phin]

Ah I did search but I couldn't find anything relevant - thanks! Will vote there too. 

[zoomer]

Yes, linear Layers or classes are a bit 90ies.

I don't know how ACAD users can live with their Layers only,

perhaps there is a filter option and they have their Layer states.

Like VW Saved Views but I think you can hide unwanted Layers that way.

 

VW has its hierarchy but its limited to "-" separator and very unreadable.

 

I think even simple coloring would help Navi Palette.

 

What I see more and more in parametric BIM Apps (e.g. FreeCAD)

is similar to how any 3D App with their Object Managers/Item Lists work.

(C4D, Modo, Max, ....) There you have to build your hierarchy manually by

sorting to groups. And these have 3 Visibility States :

- Default/Unchanged (=parented)

- ON

- OFF

So you can shut off the hole content of a parent group folder (like in VW),

while having the option to still force a single element to be visible by forcing

its visibility to ON, which overwrites the parent settings.

And you have access to any single Object.

(Like I don't want to see any Walls - but Wall37)

 

Bricscad Structure Manager goes a bit further in a way that Hierarchy, Sorting

and Filtering are done dynamically and automatically. This is very flexible.

You can build your own Presets for any sorting to switch for current interests.

Like :

- sort by Buildings and or Stories

- sort by Wall thickness, material, fire rating or structural vs non structural

- hide all things like Doors and Windows.

This way you can easily navigate, to find things like Elements that have

no IFC tagging or any characteristic you like. And "isolate"Visibility to

your selection.

 

In VW you can also separate Stories by Classes and Layers. And "isolate"

Objects Visibility by Saved Views. Works very easy and fast.

But if you also separate by Buildings you will get another set of Layer

duplicates in a linear list and it gets clunky.

While in the other system you can combine any number of sorting characteristics

behind each other. Like : Filter is : BuildingX + StoryX + ObjectType + MaterialType + ...

The needed Folder Duplication in the Tree happens temporarily only and

automatically on the fly.

 

 

 

 

[Matt Overton]

The Odd thing about this is BIM IFC file standard Space is organized in a hierarchy and allows grouping along the lines we'd want. This is basically the formats analog to layers. Indeed could be a nice upgrade to Layers to make them spaces with boundaries and a hierarchy. Which means there is nothing stopping the user keeping the flat layer structure of the current.

 

 

[Marc Davies]

Would also love to be able to import layers (preferably with an assigned colour number for both pen and fill) from a spreadsheet including some outline/folder hierarchy. Sooo much easier than creating all from scratch. - I know a template might help, but there are so many differences between each project in my humble experience.

[Jeff Prince]

Bumped because someone mentioned this thread when creating the same wish.

[MarcelP102]

Seems like a relatively simple adjustment? Wonder why this would take more than 4 years. Great example of low hanging fruit.

Edited August 4, 2022 by MarcelP102

[RichT]

Take a look at this link: 

 

Rather than grouping layers and sheets you can use filters. It works brilliantly!

 

[Grethe Connerth]

On 7/1/2018 at 10:50 AM, Grethe Connerth said:

A folder hierarchy would be so helpful !!!!

It definitely got my vote.

I also remember suggesting it to the OzCAD team here in Australia a few years ago.

Classes have sub-categories!

why not for Design & Sheet Layers.