By Jordan Mussett, IMAGINiT Building Solutions
If you are not using layer states, you are missing out on the ease of managing your layers in a more global sense. Additionally, layer states can be set up in the files that you are xreffing in to provide more consistency with less work. The aim of this post is to inform of common pitfalls.
First, this is how this example project was set up, it is very simple. There is one Model File that is in one folder and one Sheet File which has the Model File xreffed into it.
First, create the Sheet file and xref the Model File into it. Then jump to the layout tab and create viewports for what you need to see. In this case, I will create two, one for the furniture plan, and one for the architectural plan. For a little housecleaning here, set the scales the same in these viewports, place them on a non-plot layer, and lock the display. They can look exactly the same to start, which is ok. They will probably be a little messy, that’s ok too.
These two viewports will need to be set up differently and I can create a layer state in the Model File to do that. Now the instructions will shift to the Model File.
In the Model File, I will create a layout tab also. This layout doesn’t have to have a title block or anything special in it. The viewports in here will be used to create the layer states that will be used in the Sheet File and that is all.
It is in the best interest of the drafter to create the layer states here in the Model file because there will be fewer of them and they will be more easily updated. If layer states are created in the Model Tab, that is fine but you will not be able to apply multiple layer states to viewports without continuously globally rearranging your layer states.
I will make layout based layer states, one for the furniture plan, and one for the architectural plan. Be sure to activate the viewport first. The VP freeze and VP color are the areas where we want to make these changes. The regular kinds of overrides will be applied, door and window tags to architectural and furniture tags etc., to the furniture plan.
Notice that is says “Layout” under space. This is the key, this will allow you to apply multiple layer states to different viewports on the Sheet File. Here is the part that is tricky. When applying the layer states in the Sheet File viewports, you will not be able to see which layer states are model based, and which are layout based, they all say “xref”. This is why it is a good idea to place descriptive information that will help you in the description field.
Now, jumping back over to the Sheet File, be sure to activate the viewport in the layout before applying the layer state. Most of the time, if the layer state was made correctly in the Model File but applied incorrectly in the sheet file, nothing will happen. If applied correctly in the Sheet File, the individual viewports will have the ability to look different from one another.
Since they all say Xref under Space, look to the description (see image above). This will let me know which ones are to be used in the viewports. The end result should be clean looking plans with less clicks.
Some layers are off from layer state to layer state and other layers are modified to “halftone” them, like the sink in the architectural plan.
Note: You can annotate wherever you like (sheet or model) but utilizing annotative text, dimensions, and multileaders through the viewport will provide more control.
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