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Get notification when layers are added to your drawing—or not

A reader recently asked me the following question about AutoCAD 2008:

“When I’m working with xrefs, this comes up a lot: ‘Unreconciled new layer, new layers were found that may need to be reconciled.’ What is this and how do I correct this?”

AutoCAD 2008 introduced layer notification, which is a feature that lets you know when new layers are added to your drawing. Typically, this happens when you attach an xref and the xref’s layers are not already in your drawing.

Layer notification is very useful to help you maintain your standards, but it can also be annoying if you don’t want this feature.

The purpose of layer notification is to help you maintain your layer standards. By default, layer notification applies only when you attach an xref, but you can set it to apply to all layers.

To specify the settings you want for layer notification, open the Layer Properties Manager and click the Settings button.

In the Layer Settings dialog box, you can do the following:

  • Uncheck the New Layer Notification checkbox to turn off layer notification completely. This is controled by the LAYEREVALCTL system variable (0=Off, 1=On)
  • Click the Evaluate All New Layers option to get a notification any time you add new layers to the drawing, even if not in xrefs. This setting determines which new layers result in notification. This is controlled by the LAYEREVAL system variable (0=Off, 1=xref layers, 2=all layers)
  • Check the Notifiy When New Layers are Present check box and then choose one or more of the times, such as when you open or save a drawing, or when you attached or reload xrefs. This setting determines when you’ll receive notification. This is controlled by the LAYERNOTIFY system variable.
  • Check the Display Alert for Plot When New Layers Are Present checkbox to be notified before you plot a drawing that has new layers.

When you’re done, click OK.

When your drawing meets the conditions you set, you’ll see a notification icon.

When you see the notification icon, you can click it to open the Layer Properties Manager. You’ll see a layer filter listing unreconciled new layers. If you want to accept the layer, right-click it and choose Reconcile Layer. Otherwise, you can delete the layer, or simply leave it unreconciled.

Ellen Finkelstein

2 comments to Get notification when layers are added to your drawing—or not

  • Duane

    Is there a way to have new layers added to xrefs frozen by default. Currently we keep running into the the following problem. We have a drawing set up & that drawing is issued & printed. We have to go back due to revisions & a new layer has to be added to the xref. That new layer is showing up in all viewports that contain the xref. We would prefer that it is frozen & can be turned on in the viewports where it is required.

    Thanks

  • Freddy Klaudiussen

    Hi.
    Nice article. What I miss is further discussion about how to examines the layers that are new to the drawing/xref. It had been very nice if the LAYWALK command could have a listbox that contained layer filters, like the “Unreconcilesd new layers” filter so it was easy to examine the layers. Any comments?

    \Freddy

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