Help with duplicate items

[domer1322]

can anyone help with this issue:     I have multiple objects, lines, symbols, etc on one layer and I have many of the identical objects on another layer.  However the same objects/lines/symbols are not on both layers.  Is there a way to merge the two layers into one layer and make sure that all the objects/lines/symbols are present, but that none of them are duplicated ?

[Tom W.]

If you were to select all the objects on one layer then assign them to the other layer, then run Purge, would it get rid of all the coincident objects?

[domer1322]

No .....  on my old version of VW 2015, the purge command does not have the option to purge coincident or duplicate copies.     Any other suggestions ?

[Benson Shaw]

Oooh kayy? this might work if you are patient?? :

 

For safety, make a duplicate of layer A (call it A.1) and work with this new layer.

Or port these two layers to a new blank file and work with them there.

1. Draw a big rectangle surrounding all objects in A.1.  Select all and Group.
2. Set Layer Vis to A.1=visible, B= gray. Hide all other layers.
3. Select the group and offset it by a small known amount, eg x=1,y=1, enough to reveal the gray objects in Layer B
4. Edit the group with Show other Objects pref enabled. Wherever any Layer B gray object is visible, delete the corresponding object in A.1.  Repeat until no replicants are visible.
5. Blink Test: Rapidly and repeatedly toggle the quick Pref for Show other Objects to test whether replicants are present.
6. Exit the group. Offset the group to original position, eg x=-1, y=-1.
7. Move the group to Layer B.
8. Final tests: Move the group Front/Back (or Delete/Undo) a few times to verify optically that the objects are unique.
9. Ungroup. Delete the rectangle.
10. Rename the original Layer A and archive. Or delete Layer A. If desired, rename Layer A.1 to A.

-B