Topic: VISRETAIN - System Variable

[Mark]

Code: [Select]

Controls the properties of xref-dependent layers.

Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Controls visibility, color, linetype, lineweight, and plot styles.


[Lee Mac]

I vote 1.

In my opinion xref geometry & content should be displayed appropriately in each drawing in which it is referenced; the appearance of xref layers for one drawing may not necessarily be appropriate for another (for example, xref layer colours may need to be 'dimmed' in a drawing for which the xref geometry should be displayed, but not take precendence over other more important information). Hence VISRETAIN=1 allows refinement on a per-drawing basis.

[ribarm]

1+

Out of topic, I always wanted to plot Xrefs within other model space geometry, but like xref attached fade representation... Is this possible - or I must still modify layers transparencies manually?

[ronjonp]

I prefer 0 unless I need to control layers in viewports. I like that what I see in my design file, I'll see in plot files. Although this could be changed if I plotted out of my design file .... anyhoo.

[lamarn]

Mostly 1 for 2d drawings. 0 in a  the structure of xref-3d models. I could see the use a seperate visretain for just alone the transparency of layers 0/1 for 3d. I use Giles, fix block routine often to get blockdata into 'layer shape'..

[BlackBox]

I prefer 0 unless I need to control layers in viewports.

This.

I have yet to find a simpler way to manage a plan set, where VISRETAIN == 0 is used for the majority of sheets that make up our Civil plans (paving, grading, and drainage), and VISRETAIN == 1 is used for the remaining sheets (as required; not needed for detail only sheets, etc.).


Cheers

[HasanCAD]

It is important for Arch. & struc. drawings to be 1. But for other departments it should be 0.
all other departments need to show they work and all other to be fade.

[MSTG007]

I vote 1, but it would still be nice IF there was a way to set the visretain to 0 just to reload "Linetypes" and hold the current colors of the xref's. They only way I found around it is with layer filters and scripts.

[Lee Mac]

Just Linetypes you say...  

[MSTG007]

AHHHHH.... I should have know!! lol. Well, all I got to say is "1".

[lamarn]

Would it be possible to add 'transparency of layer' in your code as option, Lee?

[Lee Mac]

Would it be possible to add 'transparency of layer' in your code as option, Lee?

If I recall, the original code was written to be entirely compatible with ObjectDBX, and unfortunately there is no way to configure the transparency of a layer without going through the LAYER command which would remove this compatibility.

[roy_043]

... there is no way to configure the transparency of a layer without going through the LAYER command which would remove this compatibility.

In BricsCAD changing the transparency of a layer is a case of simply changing its Xdata. Assuming BricsCAD is compatible with 'the other product', and I am counting on this, this should therefore also be possible in a DBX context.

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (_Data_ObjectXdataSet
2.   lyrObj
3.   "AcCmTransparency"
4.   (if (/= val 33554687) (list (cons 1071 val))) ; Remove Xdata if transparency is 0%.
5. )

[Lee Mac]

... there is no way to configure the transparency of a layer without going through the LAYER command which would remove this compatibility.

In BricsCAD changing the transparency of a layer is a case of simply changing its Xdata. Assuming BricsCAD is compatible with 'the other product', and I am counting on this, this should therefore also be possible in a DBX context.

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (_Data_ObjectXdataSet
2.   lyrObj
3.   "AcCmTransparency"
4.   (if (/= val 33554687) (list (cons 1071 val))) ; Remove Xdata if transparency is 0%.
5. )

In my limited testing this does not appear to be the case in AutoCAD: the xdata associated with a layer will of course yield the correct transparency value, but appending/modifying such xdata seems to have no effect on the transparency of the layer.

[BlackBox]

The only real issue with 1 that I have, is the dependency on Layer States, which even with the Layerstate-* LispFunctions does not properly reload from .LAS file (one for each sheet type in a given plan set).

That, and Civil 3D Objects can have undesired results (example: Station Offset labels for an alignment?), when layers are frozen vs being turned off, etc which is just a PITA.

[BlackBox]

To that end, it would be fantastic if Layer States operated more like Sheet Set Properties, where each sheet could be assigned a Layer State, and modifying the Layer State once propagated the other associated sheets - just save Layer State settings, or change the assigned Layer State, and print.

[roy_043]

... there is no way to configure the transparency of a layer without going through the LAYER command which would remove this compatibility.

In BricsCAD changing the transparency of a layer is a case of simply changing its Xdata. Assuming BricsCAD is compatible with 'the other product', and I am counting on this, this should therefore also be possible in a DBX context.

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (_Data_ObjectXdataSet
2.   lyrObj
3.   "AcCmTransparency"
4.   (if (/= val 33554687) (list (cons 1071 val))) ; Remove Xdata if transparency is 0%.
5. )

In my limited testing this does not appear to be the case in AutoCAD: the xdata associated with a layer will of course yield the correct transparency value, but appending/modifying such xdata seems to have no effect on the transparency of the layer.

More testing shows that the situation is not as simple as I have suggested in BricsCAD either.
You can change the transparency of  a layer by changing the Xdata. But if there are entities on that layer or if the original transparency was not equal to zero, you have to close and reopen the file to see any effect. Even _EXPLAYERS (BC's layer manager) will show the old value until you do.

[lamarn]

Thank you Lee, en Roy.
I dont fully understand but get a sort of a picture.

[Lee Mac]

... there is no way to configure the transparency of a layer without going through the LAYER command which would remove this compatibility.

In BricsCAD changing the transparency of a layer is a case of simply changing its Xdata. Assuming BricsCAD is compatible with 'the other product', and I am counting on this, this should therefore also be possible in a DBX context.

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (_Data_ObjectXdataSet
2.   lyrObj
3.   "AcCmTransparency"
4.   (if (/= val 33554687) (list (cons 1071 val))) ; Remove Xdata if transparency is 0%.
5. )

In my limited testing this does not appear to be the case in AutoCAD: the xdata associated with a layer will of course yield the correct transparency value, but appending/modifying such xdata seems to have no effect on the transparency of the layer.

More testing shows that the situation is not as simple as I have suggested in BricsCAD either.
You can change the transparency of  a layer by changing the Xdata. But if there are entities on that layer or if the original transparency was not equal to zero, you have to close and reopen the file to see any effect. Even _EXPLAYERS (BC's layer manager) will show the old value until you do.

In AutoCAD, changing the value of the layer entity xdata will cause the new transparency value to be shown in the Layer Manager, but no change will be seen in the drawing until the drawing is closed and reopened.

(Aside, perhaps this discussion should be moved to a separate thread - sorry for the derailment!)

[tedg]

It is important for Arch. & struc. drawings to be 1.

+1 all day long... especially when sharing other discipline's drawings for backgrounds.
Written right in my Acaddoc.lsp (setvar "visretain" 1)