Modify the Delivered Layer Template - Intergraph Smart 3D - Help - Hexagon

SmartSketch Drawing Editor Help

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Intergraph Smart 3D
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SmartSketch Drawing Editor
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Smart 3D Version
13.1
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11

Layers provide a way to control the display of elements on a drawing sheet. By pre-defining the layers on the delivered view template (emptyvw.sha), you can easily override how objects appear in every new drawing you create. The view template file location is on the symbol share: [Reference Data Product Directory]\Symbols\Drawings\Catalog\templates\emptyvw.sha.

You must have administrator privileges on the computer on which you perform this procedure and at least write permissions to the Symbols share on the server computer.

Modify the Delivered View Template

  1. Open emptyvw.sha in SmartSketch Drawing Editor.

  2. On the Main toolbar, click Layers Layers.

  3. On the Layers ribbon, type the name of the new layer in the Layer box and press Enter. For example, create a layer named Equipment.

  4. Create two more layers named Piping and Structure.

  5. Click Tools > Display Manager.

  6. On the Layers tab, change the Color of the Equipment layer to red.

  7. Change the Line Type of the Piping layer to Dash Dot.

  8. On the Structure layer, change the Color to blue, the Line Type to Centered Chain, and the Width to .18mm.

    SHARED Tip To exclude a layer from the view, you can clear the Display option on the layer you want to exclude.

    DisplayManagerEx

  9. Click OK.

You can determine objects are displayed in different layers by modifying the label and dimension XML templates, and the graphic rule settings. For example, the layers you added to the drawing view template automatically associate with the appropriate objects after you have modified their template XML files or graphic rule settings. When the drawing is created, all of the Piping, Structure, and Equipment objects are associated with their assigned layers. This gives you the ability to change how certain objects appear in the drawing view by using the Display Manager on the Tools menu.

There are three different settings that can be modified to change the automatic appearance of objects in a drawing view layer. The label templates folder, dimension templates folder, and the graphic rule interface inside the software. Following these workflows automatically directs certain objects (labels, dimensions, graphics, and so forth) to unique, pre-defined layers.

Modify the Label Template XML Files

In this example, Equipment Plan_Equipment_Name.xml, Piping Plan_Piping Parts_RunName.xml, and Structural Framing Plan_Beams_Section Size.xml will be used to demonstrate the functionality of associating label templates to view layers.

  1. Open Equipment Plan_Equipment_Name.xml. This file is located in the [Reference Data Product Folder]\SharedContent\Drawings\Catalog\Labels\Templates folder.

  2. Add the following text to the XML file directly above the </label> tag.

    labelLayerSettingsEX

  3. Select File > Save.

  4. Open Piping Plan_Piping Parts_RunName.xml.

  5. Repeat Step 2, but replace the word Equipment with Piping.

  6. Select File > Save.

  7. Open Structural Framing Plan_Beams_Section Size.xml.

  8. Repeat Step 2, but replace the word Equipment with Structure.

  9. Select File > Save.

This workflow must be repeated for every label template that you want included in a pre-defined layer.

Modify the Dimension Template XML Files

In this example, Equipment, Piping, and Structural Framing templates are used to demonstrate the functionality of associating dimension templates to view layers.

  1. Open Equipment Plan_Columns_Horizontal.xml. This file is located in the [Reference Data Folder]\SharedContent\Drawings\Catalog\Dimensions\Templates\Equipment folder.

  2. Add the following text to the XML file directly above the </dimension> tag:

    DimLayerEx

  3. Select File > Save.

  4. Open Piping Plan_Columns_Horizontal.xml.

  5. Repeat Step 2, but replace the words Equipment Dim with Piping Dim.

  6. Select File > Save.

  7. Open Structural Framing Plan_Columns_Horizontal.xml.

  8. Repeat Step 2, but replace the word Equipment Dim with Structure Dim.

  9. Select File > Save.

This workflow must be repeated for every dimension template that you want to include in a pre-defined layer.

Modify the Graphic Rule Settings

The graphic rule settings are accessible through the Tools > Define View Style menu in the Drawings task. For more information, see Assign Drawings Objects to Specific Layers in the SmartSketch Drawing Editor Drawings and Reports Help.

Layers that you create in SmartSketch Drawing Editor are preserved when saved as MicroStation and AutoCAD formats. For more information on saving a drawing as a different format, see Working with CAD Drawings.

See Also

Display Manager Command
Control Layers in an AutoCAD Reference File
Control Layers in a MicroStation Reference File