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Deleting layers

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Category: EN
Forum Name: AutoCAD
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URL: https://www.cadforum.cz/forum_en/forum_posts.asp?TID=8931
Printed Date: 18.Apr.2026 at 09:18


Topic: Deleting layers
Posted By: LeeP
Subject: Deleting layers
Date Posted: 07.Feb.2013 at 13:21
I've a feeling this is going to be another dumb question, but here goes anyway...
 
In trying to tidy up a drawing, I want to delete several layers that appear to have nothing on them - certainly not that I can find in the drawing. I get a msg box telling me that I can't delete  layer 0 etc or any layer containing objects. Fair enough, I get that.
 
But looking at the drawing, and short of turning off every layer (there are nearly 100) except one at a time, how can I find which objects are on any particular layer?
 
I have already purged unused layers.
 
Thanks,
 
Lee
 



Replies:
Posted By: CarlB
Date Posted: 07.Feb.2013 at 19:35
The command "LAYWALK" may help you view items by layer. it's kind of like your thought to turn off all layers except one, but automated.
 
 


Posted By: LeeP
Date Posted: 08.Feb.2013 at 07:35
That's a big help for identifying what's on a particular layer - thanks for that!
 
Now I've played around with that and looked at related commands , but I need to go a little further. Of my 96 layers, only one was unreferenced and able to be deleted. But there are several other layers that appear to have no objects on them and yet I cannot purge them - what am I missing?
 
There are also quite a few layers that have only one or two bits of lines or partial objectss on them (for some reason). Is there a way to select these few objects with the LAYWALK dialoge open and then move them to a different layer? Then I would expect to be able to delete or purge the layer they were on.
 
Thanks again.


Posted By: heinsite
Date Posted: 08.Feb.2013 at 08:48
Originally posted by LeeP LeeP wrote:

But there are several other layers that appear to have no objects on them and yet I cannot purge them - what am I missing?
 
There are also quite a few layers that have only one or two bits of lines or partial objectss on them (for some reason). Is there a way to select these few objects with the LAYWALK dialoge open and then move them to a different layer? Then I would expect to be able to delete or purge the layer they were on.

In the first case objects on those layers may be embedded in blocks that have been inserted on other layers, which makes finding things difficult.  You might open a few blocks in the block editor and look at what layers have been used.   If they use some of the layers you want to delete, change all of the objects in the block to Layer 0 and resave the block(s).  This might help with a few items.

Unfortunately you cannot select objects from within LAYWALK.  So you'll need to make note of the layers and get back to the orphaned objects some other way.

Dave.


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Dave Hein, P.E.
Hawaii District Engineer
Kona International Airport
AutoCAD Certified Professional
Autodesk Expert Elite


Posted By: admann27
Date Posted: 08.Feb.2013 at 18:42
Try making a copy of your drawing, then open/turn on all the layers. Explode all the blocks within the drawing and use LAYWALK to see where the unneeded layers are.
In the main drawing, find the blocks that contain those layers, edit them and move the lines/circles/etc to other layers you might want to have in the drawing.


Posted By: LeeP
Date Posted: 11.Feb.2013 at 08:57
Dave/admann,
 
Thanks for replies and your suggestions.
 
Looks like this is going to take some time, but at least now, I have the toold to do it.
 
Thanks again.


Posted By: heinsite
Date Posted: 12.Feb.2013 at 09:58
Admann's advice is excellent... and if this were my problem I would probably attack it along those lines myself.

Dave.


-------------
Dave Hein, P.E.
Hawaii District Engineer
Kona International Airport
AutoCAD Certified Professional
Autodesk Expert Elite



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