3 Questions then I will go away
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Q1.
I have a powerful PC running AutoCAD Xeon processor 16GB Ram etc. Why does my small 778KB drawing slow right down. A restart corrects this and things seem to work faster again.Q2.
I have created some chimney components and Sketchup shows that I have them on my allocated layer. However when I freeze the layer some entities remain. I think they are locked somehow but even after exploding the chimney I cannot figure out how to highlight and unlock these pesky lines.Q3.
What is the test for moving from the Newbie Forum? Certainly not there yet!Regards,
Andrew -
@penguin2 said:
Q1.
I have a powerful PC running AutoCAD Xeon processor 16GB Ram etc. Why does my small 778KB drawing slow right down. A restart corrects this and things seem to work faster again.Could be the GPU. You don't say what that is.
@penguin2 said:
Q2.
I have created some chimney components and Sketchup shows that I have them on my allocated layer. However when I freeze the layer some entities remain. I think they are locked somehow but even after exploding the chimney I cannot figure out how to highlight and unlock these pesky lines.What do you mean by "freeze the layer'?
It's hard to say exactly what's happening without seeing the SKP file but it sounds to me as if you have some entities on some other layer that is not turned off. Be aware, if you explode a component which has been assigned some layer other than Layer 0, the entities inside that component will get that other layer assignment. Edges and faces should be on Layer 0 always. If you explode a component you'll need to reassociate the entities with Layer 0.
@penguin2 said:
Q3.
What is the test for moving from the Newbie Forum? Certainly not there yet!There isn't one. You get to make the decision of when you're ready to graduate. From your comment it sounds as if you don't think you are ready. Take your time. There's no rush.
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Dave,
GPU NVIDIA Quadro 600 1GB
CPU Intel Xeon 31230 3.2Ghz
Ram 16GB
Windows 7 64bit (understand Sketchup=32bit)Thought the above was a reasonable set up. AutoCAD 2013 sings with it!
My chimney component was drawn on layer 0. Sorry when I said freeze I meant 'hide' or 'uncheck' the layer box. The component has been exploded.
Parts of the chimney pots are still visible despite 'Entity Info' telling me they reside in the turned off layer.
I read somewhere that some items can be locked but I can't find anything on this.I shall be away a couple of days. When I get the chance I will try to post a couple of images.
Thank you again
Regards
Andrew -
It would be more helpful if you post the SKP file for your chimney. Or send it by PM is you don't want to share it with the world.
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Q2.
This is my explanation of what appears to be happening.I draw a chimney with a circular pot on Layer 0.
I create a component (Chimney 01).
I insert and attach to some houses which have been drawn on Layer 'Plots 17-20'.
With a crossing selection (either L>R or R<L)I explode (Chimney 01).
I then select the house including the exploded chimney & place on new layer 'Plots 17-20'.If I un-check (deselect) this new layer everything except the vertical lines representing the chimney pot is turned off.
If I select these leftovers, Entity Info tells me they are on the turned off layer. There is no way I can move, delete or change these. It's as though they don't exist or there locked in some way.Sorry for the long winded explanation.
Regards,
Andrew
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Never assign 'raw geometry' - faces/edges - to Layers.
Always model on Layer0.
Always have Layer0 as the active-layer.
Use 'Entity Info' to reassign other layers to selected objects....
Useful to 'zero' geometry's layer to Layer0 by treble-click or Ctrl+A while in a particular context [i.e. the model OR editing a 'container'].
Assign layers to 'collections' like groups and component-instances.
Grouping geometry helps separate it from other parts of the model and eases layering issuesI suspect that the unseen edges in the pot's smoothed surface are being left on the wrong layer...
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@unknownuser said:
I create a component (Chimney 01).
I insert and attach to some houses which have been drawn on Layer 'Plots 17-20'.
With a crossing selection (either L>R or R<L)I explode (Chimney 01).
I then select the house including the exploded chimney & place on new layer 'Plots 17-20'.Here I see you are creating part of your problem. When you explode a component or group that has a layer association, the entities inside (edges and faces in this case) wind up with the layer association of the former component/group. Soin your example, when you explode the chimney component, the chimney entities are on whatever layer the chimney component is on. then you explode the house component and that geometry ends up on the layer called 'Plots 17-20'
If you want the chimney geometry to be part of the house geometry do this instead.
- Leave the chimney component and, of course its geometry on Layer 0.
Import the chimney into the model and place it on a house component as needed.
With the chimney component selected. cut it from the model: Edit>Cut, Ctrl+x, Command-X, or the scissors tool on the toolbar.
Open the house component for editing. DO NOT EXPLODE IT!
Hit Edit>Paste in Place. The chimney component is not inside the house component. It'll also show in any other instance of the house component.
If you have no need to move or remove the chimney you could explode it at this point and the geometry will become part of the house component geometry or you could leave it as a component making it easy to separate from the house later.
- Leave the chimney component and, of course its geometry on Layer 0.
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Thank you TIG & Dave,
I think my problem is stemming from using AutoCAD for nearly 20 years.
Your help and advice has proved invaluable.
Happy New Year to you both.
Regards,
Andrew -
What TIG is preaching is the truth! Always draw everything on layer 0. Only assign components and groups to specific layers. Once you get in this habit, problems like this will go away, and you will find that the layer management control is much more straight forward than ACAD.
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