Creating Layer Filters

AutoCAD (and Civil 3D, Map 3D, etc.) have convenient tools for controlling layers from the Home tab on the Layer panel, as shown below. 

The tools I have noted above are the most convenient for controlling the visibility of layers, in my opinion. One can turn off or freeze layers by simply selecting objects on the respective layer, or one can turn on or thaw ALL layers. 

However, there is a drawback to these tools; it is difficult to turn on or thaw individual layers without going through a long list of available layers. In this blog, I will be focusing on how to make a layer filter for layers that are invisible. 

Creating a Layer Filter 

Layer filters feature prominently on the left-hand side of the Layer Properties panel, as shown below. There are some default layer filters involving xrefs and layers that are in use. 

To set up a new layer filter, you can either click , right-click on the All layer filter and select New Properties Filter… (as shown below), or type <Alt>+<P>. 

In the Layer Filter Properties panel, give the layer a name that is easily identifiable, such as Invisible.  

Note the different rows in the Filter definition table, as shown below. We want to populate two rows, and the only columns that need to be filled in are On and Freeze.  When you click in the respective cells, a drop-down menu becomes available. In the drop-down menu, click on the (Off) or (Freeze) icon, as shown below. Ensure that you use two separate rows to set Off and Freeze respectively so it filters Layers Off OR Layers Frozen. If they are on the same row, the filter will be for Layers Off AND Layers Frozen. 

Note how the Filter preview area changes as you enter more criteria for the Filter definition. 

Click OK to save the new layer filter and close the Layer Filter Properties panel. 

Back in the Layers Properties panel, notice that the Invisible filter is highlighted and therefore active, and all the layers listed are either frozen, off, or both frozen and off, as shown below. When you thaw a selected layer (that’s not off), the layer will be removed from the list since it no longer meets the criteria. 

In the (Layer Settings) panel, which is available in the upper right corner, you can choose to have the layer filter applied to the layer panel so that the only layers available in the drop-down list of layers are the “filtered” ones, as shown below. This is the default setting; however, I do not recommend it. 

An interesting situation sometimes occurs when there is only one layer in the drop-down list of the layers, as shown below.  

Most likely the culprit is that the Apply layer filter to layer toolbar setting is selected (which is the default), and in the Layers Properties panel, the All filter AND the Invert filter checkbox are selected. This will also cause the layers to not be displayed in the Layers Properties panel, as shown below. This is because when the All filter is inverted, the result is None, which means that nothing is displayed. 

Conclusion 

Layer filters are a good tool to be able to manage layers more effectively. While other tools allow for layers to be turned off or frozen quite readily, it is more difficult to make selective layers visible. Therefore, creating a layer filter for layers that are invisible can be quite convenient. 

About the Author

Learning Content Developer<br><br>Jeff specializes in infrastructure tools such as Civil 3D and Infraworks, delivering training classes and contributing to the learning guides for these Autodesk software applications. Jeff has worked for several Autodesk resellers and has had roles of both CAD and BIM Manager with Civil and Architectural firms.

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