Layer Utilities

Quick answer: BricsCAD’s layer utility commands let you change a layer’s On/Off, Thaw/Freeze, or Unlocked/Locked state by selecting entities, rather than picking layers directly in a dialog. The result can then be saved as a Layer State. They live on the Layers toolbar and the Home/Layers ribbon panel in the Drafting and Modeling workspaces.

The Eight Layer Utility Commands

Command	What it does
`LAYON`	Turns on every layer that’s currently turned off
`LAYOFF`	Turns off the layers of whatever entities you select
`LAYFRZ`	Freezes the layers of whatever entities you select
`LAYTHW`	Thaws every currently frozen layer
`LAYLCK`	Locks the layers of whatever entities you select
`LAYULK`	Unlocks the layers of whatever entities you select
`LAYISO`	Isolates the layers of whatever entities you select, hiding every other layer
`LAYUNISO`	Restores whatever `LAYISO` isolated

A Note on LAYISO’s Current Layer Behavior

LAYISO has a specific behaviour worth knowing: if you don’t select any entity on the current layer, the layer of whichever entity you select first temporarily becomes the current layer, and stays that way until you run LAYUNISO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these commands work by picking layers, or by selecting entities? By selecting entities. Each command applies its layer-state change based on whichever entities you select, rather than requiring you to pick layers directly in a dialog.

What’s the difference between LAYOFF and LAYFRZ? LAYOFF turns off the layers of selected entities; LAYFRZ freezes them instead. Both hide the entities, but freezing also excludes them from regeneration calculations.

What happens to my current layer if I use LAYISO without selecting anything on it? The layer of whichever entity you select first becomes the current layer temporarily, until you run LAYUNISO to restore things.

Can I save the result of these commands for later use? Yes, the resulting layer configuration can be saved as a Layer State.