Layers

General

Layers are how you control things.
Don't ever work on Layer 0.
If something isn't printing, make sure something isn't toggled off in the layer manager.

It is ok to use V-NODE-#### layers when creating different COGO point layers.
It is ok to use the default Civil 3D layers for the following items:

• Title block (G-ANNO-TTLB)
• Viewport (G-ANNO-VPORT).

You should use the company convention for the following items:

• XREF (_###-G-XREF)
• Legend (_###-G-ANNO-LGND)
• Symbol (_###-G-ANNO-SYMB)
• Revclouds (_###-G-ANNO-REVC)
• Notes in paper space (_###-G-ANNO-TXNT)
• ...

Properties

If you set a setting in the properties of an object, it will override the layer's properties.
You will usually want to set an object's properties by layer.
 When New VP Freeze is on, the layer will not show up when you create a new viewport.
In order to preserve your layer properties when you close the drawing, set VISRETAIN to 1.

Color

Color is important in two ways:
1. Plotting Styles
2. Organizing what is in the drawing

There should be no color in construction drawings:
1. Regulatory agencies don’t like color.
2. Things get lost in translation in the field.
3. Line type and line weight are the primary way that you distinguish between items in construction drawings.

Feel free to use color in figures.

Commands

Layfrz - Freezes a layer
Laythw - Thaws a layer
Laycur - Sets selected object onto current layer
Layiso - Isolates the selected layers

Naming Layers

0. Company Code - _### (Mandatory)

1. Discipline Code - # (Mandatory)
 
A – Architectural
B – Geotechnical
C – Civil
D – Process
E– Electrical
F – Fire Protection
G – General
H – Hazardous Material
I – Interiors
J – Justice/Detention
K – Food Service
L – Landscape
M – Mechanical
O – Operations
P – Plumbing
Q – Equipment
S – Structural
T – Telecommunication
U – Railway
V – Survey/Mapping
W – Civil Works
X – Other Disciplines
TY – Security
Z – Contractors/Shop Drawings
3D – 3D Software Generated Items

2. Major Group - #### (Mandatory)

ANNO – annotative
BLDG – building
BNDY – political boundary
DTCH – ditch
ELEC – electrical
NODE – indicates COGO points
POWR – power
PRKG – parking lots
RAIL
ROAD
SITE – site features
SSWR – sanitary sewer
STRC - structure
STRM – storm sewer
TEXT
TOPO - topographic
UTIL - utilities
WALL
WATR – water supply
WETL – wetland

3. Minor Group - #### (Optional)

BNDY - boundary
BUSH
CONC – concrete
CULV - culvert
CURB
DECK
DROP
FENC – fence
GATE
MHOL – manhole
MISC – miscellaneous
PIPE
POOL
POST
PUMP
STEP
TANK
TREE
VALV - valve
VEGE – vegetative

4. Status Field - ## or ### or #### (Optional)

RCP – reinforced concrete pipe
CMP – corrugated metal pipe

For more information, visit the United States National CAD standard - version 5: