Layers (Use & Misuse)

[prohammy]

Right...before I start this thread, I am not looking for a fight

, just a broad spectrum view of an issue I have with layers...


I have worked with a number of companies in the last few years using ProE. A lot of these companies are machine maufacturers, so the top level assemblies tend to rather large (both size and number of components).


So here's what bugs me (

). I like to use layer controlin my assemblies (planes, axes and points). I like a nice clean assembly, whereby access to any datum feature that I require can be achieved by turning on/off an individual part layer. (I tend to work with skeletons, so I have the layers for these almost permanently on and try to reference to these datum features as much as possible). This approach saves me searching thru a mass of datums displayed on screen and having to resort to Ctrl-F etc.


So am I being a little bit retentive (as some of my present co-workers seem to think) or am I (as I see it) making life easier?


Kev

 

[csusie]

I think a good clean layer scheme is really important when working with larger assemblies, unless you like working with the search tool a lot.


Layers definetly make life easier


C

 

[dojo]

Perhaps, we're old school, but I like to open a assembly as well whereall datum points, planes, axis, curves, construction surfaces are put on a layer and status saved as hidden. Since introduction of the hide cmd, it looks like all the new trained people are indoctrinated to use this over layers. Ex collegues who just got the pro-training said they barely touched the 'layers chapter' and where surprised what you could do with it...


Oh well for what is it worth i think you're working in a correct & decent manner Prohammy


Nick

 

[AHA-D]

Layers are old school, that's for sure. They date from the time that CAD was merely an electronic drawing board and served to separate items in a way like you could overlay one drawing with another.


Layers can be a real PITA when you have to work with stuff other people designed and where each follows his (or her) own standard. Then you can't see things you think you should see while other things won't hide, and you have to dig in the individual files to see what is where.


New school is object-oriented. Models have datums as part of their structure, datums have properties like "visible" that can be set, globally or individually.


Unfortunately ProE started old school and is trying to evolve to new school without having all tools in place and/or struggling to combine both worlds. So you still need layers to make life comfortable. It is often the only way to see clear when dealing with complex situations.


Alex

 

[ddrichards]

I totally agree with prohammy, there really isn't any other way to control references and work effectively in assemblies and many parts. I've run into a lot of users that haven't learned how to use layers properly or effectively, and those who ignore, or dismiss layers as being "old school" remind me of the three monkeys that are deaf dumb and blind. They are almost always the users that still believe Pro-E is simply a modeling tool and not the Design Tool it actually is.
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For example, there are several slightly higher level modeling techniques which require the removal of construction geometry using layers. The proper use of layers is required to obtain proper display in different views with more complex models than the basic 3 to 5 feature models.

When I started my first job using Pro-E, I had previously completed an internship where layers were not used, I was required to use layers because we had to have everything blanked off when we returned our work to the customer. I did find it difficult at first and a bit of a pain, especially controlling them independently in views in order to show everything properly in all views, but I

 

[verge]

I started in CAD with Unigraphics, and I was taught to think about layers at all times. Every feature, sketchor datum created was assigned a layer, and it was very easy to remember where things were as long as one was organized. As a result, it was simple to control exactly what was being displayed, and easy to see what was connected to what. I think it gives you a more intimate knowledge of what you're building, really, visually showing you how things are put together.


There is definitely a vast difference between being able to turn off datums and knowing exactly what you want to see and being able to see it at any time. I'm still learning how to do this within Pro-E, and I can't wait until I've really mastered it. I have found that there is no emphasis on this in Pro-E training in general, and that's a real pity. It should be a core function for all Pro-E users, and I for one am still struggling with it.


I'm on your "side", Prohammy, and I believe I'll be even more on your side once I'm better with layer control.

 

[mjcole_ptc]

I have started looking into the new
Layers and Rules functionality and I wonder what the PTC developers
must have been smoking when they designed the UI.

There are
some useful options with the Rules such as having features of
specific types get automatically created. I have also used UG
for a number of years and think that it handles
Hide/Unhide or Blank Unblank a lot better than Pro/E does
because you can swap between showing either all the hidden features
or all the unhidden features which can be a great help. Pro/E
definitely missed the boat with Hide/Unhide because while your
redefining or defining a feature you have no access to the Hide or
Unhide Right Click options. The work around to unhide a feature you
want to see is to go to the layer tree and select the object from the
hidden items layer and selecting to remove it.

One thing that
I prefer to do is never Hide datums that I might use later because
they are scattered throughout the model tree where as if you have a
datums layer you can access all the datums by name and feature number
by clicking the + sign and selecting the datums to show or hide.

I
get sick of all the datums as well so I usually hide them by default
like dojo suggested and select to save status. By doing so the
datums will be hidden in all parts unless you decide to show the
layer while working on the assembly.

Another useful option is
to create a Layer for solid Geometry which makes it easier to hide
components without having to use the Find tool or the Hide
functionality.

I've worked places where some people had a
different start part because there was not a standardized
Installation script. There are some good tools for getting layers and
layer rules to trickle down from an assembly with the layers defined.
The option I'm talking about is the Extend Layer tool which will
create a solid layer for assembled components that don't have the
same layers defined. You can even take an assembly assemble to the
file with layers defined and extend the rules and save it to save
time standardizing layers.

The biggest thing I hate is getting
Pro/E to keep items like Axes from being hidden by Layers defined for
thread surfaces and what I see as the loss of the Isolate Layer
functionality that seems to be hiding from me.

Michael