SW's Layers & Dims/Notes/Annotations 1

[brrian]

Can SolidWorks be set up to AUTOMATICALLY put dimensions on a particular layer (I'd create an Annotations layer)? I can't find a way to do so.

How about notes & annotations such as hole callouts & weld symbols... can they?

Why, you ask? I'll be exporting DWG files to a person who needs geometry only. They'll open in Illustrator, and have the capability to turn off or delete layers. If I could get everything but geometry onto specific layers, then I would have nothing to do but export the file.

Alternatively, could geometry be automatically placed on a specific layer? This would accomplish the same thing.

I do realize that there are other options (a custom VBA program could throw out everything but geometry)--I'm just exploring my options at this point.

PS--If any of you have a need to share files between SW and Illustrator, there's a plugin for Illustrator called CADGate that seems to do a pretty nice conversion job--much better than Illustrator's out-of-the-box capabilities. Check it out, & thanks in advance for the help...

Brian

 

[ctopher]

There is a layer menu bar. Create the layers you need and add the features you want to them.

 

[brrian]

I know that I can manually add them... I was hoping that I could have them created on that layer by default. Can you do that?

 

[ctopher]

Is probably possible, I have not done that. Maybe someone has created API already to do that.

 

[SBaugh]

Since your Exporting it to a DWG you should look at using a Map file - See help "Map file" for clarification.

There is nothing that is automatic in SW for creating Layers and placing items on a layer, but if you have layers setup in SW already you can export those settings out to SW to DWG using a Map file.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[rocheey]

And of couse you can have the layers set up automatically by *importing* an acad dwg...