Layer naming stratagey?

[Gawdzira]

For your layer names, do you have something like:

"Text, Site Plan"

or

"Site Plan, Text"

 

I am thinking about a big change as I do a major cleanup of my workflow for X14. One of those would be to better refine layer searching. Currently I use the "Text,Site Plan" arrangement for my layers but I think that is flawed for quick searches. I have so many layers that start with "Text" that there is a time suck in scrolling down to find the one I want. If, with Aldo, I search for "Site" it will only return about 5-10 layers.

 

How do you name your layers?

[robdyck]

Personally I think Chief does it backwards. I keep several items named by the drawing type first. They of course organize with the SVP's.

Site, Text /  Site, CAD /  Site, Dimensions / Site, Footprints etc.

Roof, CAD / Roof, Dimensions / Roof, Text etc.

 

Chief also had most templates and text styles organized oddly. I organize my templates by scale factor. So if a plan gets too big for the paper at 1/4" scale,it's no work at all for me to change it to 3/16" or 1/8" scale. 

 

I also name all my text style by the font, size, characteristics. WTH am I going to do with "cabinet text style" if cabinets are displayed in different drawings at more than one scale factor?

I see they have cleaned this up a bit in X14. Wonder where they got the idea for that?

For example: Arial 4" / Arial 4" Bold  / Arial 8" / Arial 8" Bold / Arial 25", etc.

[Dermot]

Although the program allows you to rename the hardcoded system layers, I generally don't recommend this. 

 

If you ever copy things between plans, import any data, or use things from the library, you will probably end up having some things on the old layer names and some things on the new layer names which will only lead to more confusion.

 

If you have already renamed some system layers, or ever just want to make sure your system layer are all using the default names, all you need to do is use the "Reset Layer Names" tool in the Layer Display Options dialog. 

 

[Michael_Gia]

3 hours ago, robdyck said:

For example: Arial 4" / Arial 4" Bold  / Arial 8" / Arial 8" Bold / Arial 25", etc.

Which also doesn’t make sense. 
 

I mean, don’t you simply want to know what height your text will be when outputted to whatever pdf or print?
 

Shouldn’t we just be designating 1/8” or 1/4” and then let the software do the math automatically and make sure that that is indeed the height of our text regardless of scale?
 

why so complicated?

[Gawdzira]

1 hour ago, Michael_Gia said:

Which also doesn’t make sense. 
 

I mean, don’t you simply want to know what height your text will be when outputted to whatever pdf or print?
 

Shouldn’t we just be designating 1/8” or 1/4” and then let the software do the math automatically and make sure that that is indeed the height of our text regardless of scale?
 

why so complicated?

Very dangerous solution. If I am not designing my drafting around the visible space available how would the computer know where to align text to not create visual overlap?

 

But back to the original question, naming conventions for layers?

[Michael_Gia]

4 hours ago, Gawdzira said:

Very dangerous solution. If I am not designing my drafting around the visible space available how would the computer know where to align text to not create visual overlap?

By working in a set scale in plan view at the outset. No danger. Don’t be afraid. 

[Renerabbitt]

5 hours ago, Gawdzira said:

Very dangerous solution. If I am not designing my drafting around the visible space available how would the computer know where to align text to not create visual overlap?

 

But back to the original question, naming conventions for layers?

as suggested by dermot, I would strongly advise anyone to keep as close to OOTB as possible. Having dove deep into modification of this software and its conventions for years I could tell you it is an absolute mess when it comes to things you save to library over time and try to bring back in with a new "convention" thus having to modify the old items that you still use on the daily.
I still have a layer in my templates that says "delete when found" and this is 100% from a library I have dropped in at some point in my save-as-template actions.

[Christina_Girerd]

I long ago started putting a zero in front of my custom layer names so that they all show up at the top of the list and aren't mixed in with layers I typically don't adjust, which makes searching easier as I usually just need to scroll and don't need to search on a keyword.  As Dermot mentioned, it's better not to change the default layer names.  I do the same thing with my custom layerset names.  Don't need to do it for my saved plan views since there are no defaults in that list. Attached screenshots of my method in case that is helpful.  (They posted out of order, but close enough...)

[MoeGia]

I have mine set up similar to Christina's but my needs are set up for construction documents.  I rarely have to scroll the ALDO box; everything I change regularly is in one location.

 

Yes, there are complications as Rene and Dermot have pointed out.  I never rename the 'Text' layer; I create my owe.  I've been using this method since Chief first introduced naming layers.

 

One wonderful new tool in X14 is the ability to merge layers.  Click the layer you want to keep, then click the layers you want to add to that layer and click the merge button.  Pure heaven when updating old plans.

[Planstech]

This is the most recent thread I could find on layer naming.

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I was curious if the newer versions of chief changed their layer naming again.

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It's very frustrating opening my older X-Version .plans with later versions because they totally revamped their layer naming conventions. When I export to AutoCAD, I now end up with two wall layers. One named something like Walls_Normal and one named Normal_Walls. I think the same is with many layers where we end up with duplicates.

I actually think their renaming to have Walls_ first makes more sense than having Normal_ first.

And I'm currently using their layer naming in my AutoCad drawings for simplicity and consistency.

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I'm thinking before I open an older project with a newer version of Chief that I'll first rename the layers to be the currently used. 

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Anyway....

I'm trying to find a master list of all of Chiefs current X-Version layer naming.

 

[DBCooper]

What version are you coming from?  I don't think Chief has renamed any layers in a while. If they did, I didn't notice.

 

If you open an old plan and want the latest Chief names for the system layers, you can just use the "reset names" button.  I don't think this will make any changes to your custom layers though.  You can use whatever naming you like for your custom layers and I don't think the program cares.

 

[Planstech]

I think it's X1

I know... I'm way back there. 

I started back in 9.0

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Is there a complete list of all of Chief's current layer names, colors, line type and weight?

[Planstech]

I guess I could download the latest trial version, but I figured there is probably a full list out there.