Locking A Class?

[CharlesJ]

Is it possible to lock a class(es) so that you see it but can not select any of the objects in it? For example, I want to see the floor slabs in my model, but I don't want to be able to select them or even have them highlight when I mouse over them. Thanks.

[E|FA]

I believe that if you "Gray" a class you can't modify it even with Show/Snap/Modify others set in View->Class Options.  It doesn't give you the same visibility but it might work for what you're trying to do.

 

Another option is to put the floor slabs in a separate layer, and keep Classes set to Show/Snap/Modify, and Layers set to Show/Snap, which is the setting I typically use.

[Boh]

You can’t lock classes but you can lock any object. I have my slabs on the same layer as my walls and often lock the slab so they don’t move accidentally. It also means you can select all and “move to front” and the locked slab will stay behind everything else, just where you want it. 

[CharlesJ]

Thanks for your responses. My problem is this: when I am working on the floor plan, the slab is the biggest thing and so I often select it by accident. Greying the class does not give me the visibility I need and not being able to modify the other classes or layers on the fly is more inconvenient than unintentionally selecting the slabs. Even if I lock the slab, it can still be selected. I want to see the slab plus see and select all the other objects on that layer.

[Tom W.]

Doesn't having the Slab on a separate layer as @E|FA suggests work the way you want? I quite often do this but more because I've added a floor finish to the structural slab which raises the floor level above the height of the layer elevation so I create a new layer (at the correct elevation) for objects I want to place on the finished floor.

[CharlesJ]

Tom,

The exterior walls are on the slab layer and they are among the things I need to modify. There is also a plan layer which has all of the interior walls, FFE, etc. I know how to mess around with the navigation palette to get things to do what I want, but I was a hoping there was some function that does specifically what I asked without moving stuff around. I did not build this model but inherited it and would rather not change the structure of it (pardon the pun) because of the any unintended consequences to visibilities elsewhere.

[Boh]

1 minute ago, CharlesJ said:

I did not build this model but inherited it and would rather not change the structure of it (pardon the pun) because of the any unintended consequences to visibilities elsewhere.

I think @Tom W. suggestion is the best way to go for you.

 

Note that a duplicated layer will retain all the same viewport and saved view visibilities as the original layer, so to avoid unintended issues with visibilities you could:

• Duplicate your slab layer
• Delete everything from the duplicated layer except the slab.
• Delete the slab from the original layer.

You can then have your design layer options set to show/snap or just show so you can see the slab without selecting it.

 

[CharlesJ]

That's clever! I may try that. Thank you!

 

Charles

[Boh]

The only potential issue I see with this is if you are using data tags, esp if they are in vp annotations. If there is a data tag attached to the slab and the slab is deleted the data tag will also be deleted. As I use data tags more I am learning to be careful with cut and paste operations as they can unintentionally result in losing data tags from the drawings.

[Guest Wes Gardner]

Which sort of brings up the concept of model set-up...I typically have at least three layers - Slab (for floor systems), Floor Layout (for walls, doors, and most other stuff), and Ceiling.  There may be a need for additional layers as the project evolves...easy enough to do...

 

Between Show/Snap/Modify Others in both the Class and Layer structure, along with "Lock" - that should pretty much get you where you need to be - sometimes a bit of Clip Cube can help quickly isolate objects...

 

Wes

[zoomer]

48 minutes ago, Wes Gardner said:

Which sort of brings up the concept of model set-up...I typically have at least three layers - Slab (for floor systems), Floor Layout (for walls, doors, and most other stuff), and Ceiling.

 

@Wes Gardner

 

I never really understood why you and many others propagate for separate Layers for Walls and Slab ....

For me, being lazy, the optimum is to get by with a single Layer per Story - for fast Story switching.

That does not always work, but the Slab was never the reason for me.

 

Is accidentally selecting one of your reasons ?

 

I usually draw the Slabs after everything else and of course Slabs are always in the way and occluding.

But I always hammer on CMD+B to put Slabs in Background and the rest is controlled by Show/Snap only of

Classes and or Layers, or better by switching Slab Container Classes to "gray" ......

Edited February 1, 2022 by zoomer

[Guest Wes Gardner]

@zoomeryes, accidentally selecting is one reason, another is visibility, in plan-view, I don't typically have my slab layer on so I that I don't see the "line" of the slab at door entries, etc.

 

It also makes teaching easier sometimes - people tend to "get it" more easily...

 

Wes

[FBernardo]

My advice here is,

 

You can actually Lock classes by just put that class in the GREY option (visibility) another one is if you just want the slab locked if you right click on the slab you will have an option to LOCK and it won't be selectable or editable (unless you edit the style of the slab) and you can still see it.

 

Like this you can use a single layer for the floor layout and still have the benefit of the auto bond with the slab and so on (although i think the autobond also works with the different layers)