Layer Command in AutoCAD

  • The layer command in AutoCAD is used to control and organise drawings for many purposes.
  • It improves AutoCAD's display performance by concealing portions of our drawing when they aren't needed. It also improves the drawing's visual complexity.
  • We must develop a collection of layers with varying attributes. We may design different levels for doors, walls, and other elements in a floor plan or home layout, for example.

Layers and layer attributes are managed.

 The following prompts will appear.

?-Layers List

 Shows the names, states, color numbers, linetypes, lineweights, and whether the layers are externally dependent layers in a list.

 Make

Creates a new layer and updates it. On the current layer, new items are drawn.

If the name you specify does not already exist, it is used to create a new layer with that name. The new layer is active and has the following default properties: color 7, CONTINUOUS linetype, and DEFAULT lineweight.

If the layer exists but is disabled, it is enabled.

Set

Set specifies a new current layer, but if the layer does not already exist, it is not created. The layer is turned on and made current if it already exists but is turned off. It is impossible to bring a frozen layer up to date.

New

Layers are created. By separating names with commas, you may construct two or more levels.

Rename

Renames a layer that already exists.

On

Makes a selection of layers visible and plottable.

Off

Makes certain layers invisible and prevents them from being plotted.

Color

Changes the color of a layer's linked layer. Give the color a name or a number between 1 and 255.

  • True Colors

For the specified item, specifies a true color to be used. To define a true color, type three integer values from 0 to 255 separated by commas.

  • Book of Colors

To use for the specified item, select a color from a loaded color book, guide, or set. Put "DIC COLOR GUIDE(R)$DIC 43" as the name of the installed color book.

 The layer or layers are given a color, and the layers are switched on. Use a negative sign before the color to turn off the layer while assigning it a color. (-).

Ltype

The linetype associated with a layer is changed.

 Lweight

The lineweight linked with a layer is changed.

The current lineweight is adjusted to the nearest fixed lineweight value if you submit an incorrect lineweight. You may use the Plot Style Table Editor to change plotted lineweights if you want to plot an object with a custom width that isn't listed in the list of fixed lineweight values.

Transparency

The transparency level of a layer can be changed. Choose a number between 0 and 90.

Following the selection of a transparency value, the following prompt appears:

For the transparency indicated value percent 0>, enter the following name list of layers(s):

Enter the names of the layers to which this transparency level should be applied, or press Enter to apply it to the current layer alone.

Material

Attaches a layer to a material. Before it can be assigned to a layer, the material must be present in the design.

Plot

This property determines whether or not visible layers are plotted. The layer is not plotted if it is set to plot but is currently frozen or turned off.

Pstyle

Sets the plot style for a certain layer.

Note that you can only use the Pstyle option if you're using named plot styles. (PSTYLEPOLCY is set to 0 in the PSTYLEPOLCY system variable.)

Enter the name list of layers(s) for plot style current:

To use this plot style, type the names of the layers you want to use, or press Enter to apply it solely to the current layer.

Freeze

Layers are frozen, keeping them invisible and preventing regeneration and charting.

Thaw

Thaws frozen layers, revealing them and allowing regeneration and planning.

Lock

Layers are locked, making it impossible to modify items on those layers.

Unlock

Unlocks locked layers, allowing items on those layers to be edited.

State

State The state and property settings of the layers are saved and restored in a drawing.

–? With a list of named layer states, fill in the gaps.

The named layer state (LAS) files are listed in the drawing's support directory.

Save

Under a given layer state name, saves the state and properties settings of the layers in a drawing. When you save a layer state, you may choose which layer settings will be affected if the layer state is restored later.

Restore

All layers' state and property settings are restored to their previously preserved state. The layer state and property settings that were selected when the layer state was saved are the only ones that are restored.

Edit

For a given layer state, this command modifies the stored layer settings. The given parameters are utilised when the layer state is restored.

Name

The name of a stored layer state is changed.

Delete

Removes a layer state that has been stored.

Import

Layer states are loaded into the current drawing from a file (DWG, DWS, DWT) or a previously exported layer state (LAS) file. Importing a layer state file may result in the creation of additional layers.

Export

Saves a layer state (LAS) file to a specified layer state.

Description

Sets the value of the existing layer's description property.

When you add a description to a layer that already has one, a warning message appears.

Reconcile

Sets an unreconciled layer's unreconciled attribute.

? - Layers List Name

A list of all unreconciled layers is displayed.

Xref

Resets the current drawing's xref layer property override to the xref's layer settings.

Choose an option:

Put the name of the xref layer property you wish to reset in the box below. From this list, you may choose the relevant xref layer attribute (or all properties) to reset:

  • On
  • Color
  • Linetype
  • Lineweight
  • Transparency
  • Plot
  • Freeze
  • Lock
  • Freeze, the new Vice President
  • Description
  • All

The following prompt appears after supplying the xref layer property or all properties:

To reset, type xref layer name(s) or [?] or *>:

To reset an xref layer, type its name (or multiple levels separated by a comma), or press Enter to reset all xref layers.

? - Xref Layers Name List

This command returns a list of all xref layer names.