How to retain layer assignments in custom symbol

[pdlock]

Is there a way to retain the layer assignments of items in a symbol?

I would like to drop the content of the title block into the drawing using a symbol, but it seems that symbols lose all layer assignments of the items in the symbol.

It looks to me like I would have to make multiple symbols then change my active work layer before each insertion. I sure hope I do not have to do all of that.

Am I missing something?

Thanks,
Scott

Scott B. Caley
TE Connectivity
NX 7.5.2

 

[JohnRBaker]

By design, when you add a Custom Symbol to a Drawing it's treated as a SINGLE object. Therefore, you can't possibly have 'part' of it on one layer and 'part' on another. How would you break-up a SINGLE object into multiple parts?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[pdlock]

Hmm, that is disappointing. I hoped that smashing the symbol would restore it to its original parts (retaining all characteristics, layers, colors, fonts, etc.).

Do you see the advantage of having it work the way I suggest?

Thanks,
Scott

Scott B. Caley
TE Connectivity
NX 7.5.2

 

[JohnRBaker]

NO, I do NOT!

The intention of the symbol project was to create an object, which for all intents and purposes, was a SINGLE object. If you want to create something which has a 'layer structure', then 'Symbols' are NOT the tool that you should be looking to for your solution.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[pdlock]

I appreciate the single object aspect of symbols, I am not suggesting anything be done to change that. But if you choose to smash a symbol it makes sense to provide an option to retain the original layer assignments of the items in the symbol.

I could use some direction on "the other tool" to solve this problem... We use common drawing formats between all of our global regions using NX. However, there are region specific things in the drawing format that need to be switched on and off depending on that site's needs. Currently we handle this through layers. Since I need to update all of our legacy drawings I am automating the replacement of select items in the title block which reside on four separate layers. What would be a better tool to insert these updated items (text notes, cross hatching, lines and arcs)?

Thanks,
Scott

Scott B. Caley
TE Connectivity
NX 7.5.2

 

[JohnRBaker]

The best approach, if you would still like the idea the objects found in these areas are single objects, then you should create a series of custom symbols, one for each set of items which you wish to independently control (via layers) and place these accordingly.

As for the idea that after being 'smashed' the symbol should be able to 'regurgitate' the original layer status, again this would require that each object inside the symbol carry additional information which is not needed by the symbol itself, which again defeats some of the purposes of having as lightweight an object as possible behaving as if it were a single monolithic item. However, if you wish to contact GTAC and open an ER to this effect, be my guest.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[pdlock]

John, thanks for all of your help on this. You have completely answered my question.

Because of the time and design intent savings potential of retained layer info within a symbol (as opposed to inserting one symbol for each "layer" item), I did contact GTAC, and they opened a ER for me.

Scott

Scott B. Caley
TE Connectivity
NX 7.5.2