Layer Translator

Translate From

Specifies the layers to be translated in the current drawing. You can specify layers by selecting layers in the Translate From list or by supplying a selection filter.

The color of the icon preceding the layer name indicates whether or not the layer is referenced in the drawing. A dark icon indicates that the layer is referenced; a white icon indicates the layer is unreferenced. Unreferenced layers can be deleted from the drawing by right-clicking in the Translate From list and choosing Purge Layers.

Selection Filter

Specifies layers to be selected in the Translate From list, using a naming pattern that can include wild-cards. The layers identified by the selection filter are selected in addition to any layers previously selected.

For information on wild-card searches, see Wild-Card Characters Reference.

Select

Selects the layers specified in Selection Filter.

Map

Maps the layers selected in Translate From to the layer selected in Translate To.

Map Same

Maps all layers that have the same name in both lists.

Translate To

Lists the layers you can translate the current drawing's layers to.

Load

Loads layers in the Translate To list using a drawing, drawing template, or standards file that you specify. If the specified file contains saved layer mappings, those mappings are applied to the layers in the Translate From list and are displayed in Layer Translation Mappings.

You can load layers from more than one file. If you load a file that contains layers of the same name as layers already loaded, the original layers are retained and the duplicate layers are ignored. Similarly, if you load a file containing mappings that duplicate mappings already loaded, the original mappings are retained and the duplicates are ignored.

New

Defines a new layer to be shown in the Translate To list for translation. If you select a Translate To layer before choosing New, the selected layer's properties are used as defaults for the new layer. You cannot create a new layer with the same name as an existing layer.

Layer Translation Mappings

Lists each layer to be translated and the properties to which the layer will be converted. You can select layers in this list and edit their properties using Edit.

Edit

Opens the Edit Layer dialog box, where you can edit the selected translation mapping. You can change the layer's color, linetype, lineweight, and transparency. If all drawings involved in translation use plot styles, you can also change the plot style for the mapping.

Remove

Removes the selected translation mapping from the Layer Translation Mappings list.

Save

Saves the current layer translation mappings to a file for later use.

Layer mappings are saved in the DWG or DWS file format. You can replace an existing file or create a new file. The Layer Translator creates the referenced layers in the file and stores the layer mappings in each layer. All linetypes used by those layers are also copied into the file.

Settings

Opens the Settings dialog box, where you can customize the process of layer translation.

Translate

Starts layer translation of the layers you have mapped.

If you have not saved the current layer translation mappings, you are prompted to save the mappings before translation begins.