automated conversion

[rewilson]

I have a number of vendor supplied drawings to convert to our standards, which I plan to do do using express tools layer merge in a script. What I can't seem to accomplish is importing the standard layer list from our template into the vendor drawing. It has to be easier than I'm making it. Any ideas? TIA

 

[Odie Silva]

One problem is that each vendor can have a different layer spec. Why not to use Express Tools "Translayer"? You can call your template file, assign each layer to the right destination and save it for future use if I read you correctly.

Odie

I have a number of vendor supplied drawings to convert to our standards,

which I plan to do do using express tools layer merge in a script. What I can't seem to accomplish is importing the standard layer list from our template into the vendor drawing. It has to be easier than I'm making it.
Any ideas? TIA

 

[rewilson]

Thanks for the reply. The problem with doing it with using express tools is that the powers that be don't really want to pay someone to sit there and do it manually. I've solved the problem of getting my layers into the drawing by inserting a blank drawing made from our template. That may not be the best way to do it, but it works. Now I just need to get their entities from their layers to ours, and purge their layers. Simple stuff, right? Thanks for your help.

 

[Laurie Comerford]

Hi,

Surely the easiest way to do this would be to create a file showing the vendor's layer and your equivalent layer for each vendor.

Then write a program to read the file and rename the layers.

The only user input required would be to select the relevant file. Or you could make it even easier by including all vendor's layers in one file.

Vendor Layer MyLayer
Door Doors
GarageDoor Doors
G_Door Doors
Window Windows

etc.

Thanks for the reply. The problem with doing it with using express tools

is that the powers that be don't really want to

pay someone to sit there and do it manually. I've solved the problem of

getting my layers into the drawing by inserting a blank drawing made from our template. That may not be the best way to do it, but it works. Now I just need to get their

entities from their layers to ours, and purge their layers. Simple stuff,

right? Thanks for your help.

 

[ECCAD]

Pardon me boning in here, but there is another problem to consider. IF the existing drawings have 'blocks' that have been built to (non-standard) layers, renaming the layers could be a real night-mare. Blocks tend to keep their properties, i.e. entities within block (if bylayer) would work, but specific entity on a (wrong) layer won't transfer.
Bob

 

[Laurie Comerford]

Hi Bob,

I just imported a block where the block data was on a layer which didn't exist in my drawing. (AutoCAD 2002)

I renamed the layer without apparent problem and after exploding the block, its data was on the renamed layer.

The only item that would need checking was that the layer did not already exist in which case all objects on another layer intended for that layer would have to have their layer name changed. That it not at all difficult for a program to do.

Pardon me boning in here, but there is another problem to consider. IF the

existing drawings have 'blocks' that have been built to (non-standard) layers, renaming the layers could be a real night-mare. Blocks tend to keep their properties, i.e. entities within block (if bylayer) would work, but specific entity on a (wrong) layer won't transfer.

 

[rewilson]

This could be even more interesting. I've got the layer issue resolved via a lisp routine, what I can't resolve is the fact that they use ctb plotstyles, and we use stb plotstyles. The only thing I've been able to come up with is to copyclip the drawing and paste it on our template.However, naming the new drawing to overwrite their file is somewhat, shall we say, "challenging". Any suggestions? TIA