Edit position of all items on a layer?
Edit position of all items on a layer?
(OP)
OK, so I figured out how to move certain items to a specific layer (in WF2) which makes hiding/unhiding very easy, helpful, useful, etc., but what I really need to do is move all of the items on the layer together. When I attempt to use the Explode/Edit Position function to move them, it acts like I'm speaking a foreign language. When I select the layer, all of the items on that layer highlight as if they were selected, but the Explode function doesn't acknowledge that anything has been selected. Clicking "OK" on the Explode function's Selection box, or clicking on additional items to add to the current selection (with the crtl key down) rejects anything previously selected and starts the selection process all over again.
Am I missing a simple step here, or is this yet another one of WF's multitude of seemingly simple yet illegal chess moves that I am trying to make?
Thanks for any advice,
Chris
Am I missing a simple step here, or is this yet another one of WF's multitude of seemingly simple yet illegal chess moves that I am trying to make?
Thanks for any advice,
Chris





RE: Edit position of all items on a layer?
Although this doesn't seem to have been much of an issue for anyone (judging by the number of responses to this thread), I have been pulling my hair out searching for a way to do this for WEEKS, and felt the need to post the answer in case someone does need this info in the future.
Chris
RE: Edit position of all items on a layer?
-Hora
RE: Edit position of all items on a layer?
One of the things that I need to do on a regular basis is take groups of items (say a mounting bracket and all of it’s attaching hardware) and explode them out along a specific plane together. The best way that I have been able to figure out how to do that at this point (other than clicking on hundreds of parts individually each time I need to move them – not very practical) is to group certain items on a different layer, and then select the items on that layer to move all of them together.
I’m not really sure what “simplify reps” are (as you have stated here), but if there is a better way to accomplish what I'm trying to do, I’m all ears!!
- Chris
RE: Edit position of all items on a layer?
Organize the components into sub assemblies that satisfy your needs, can be manipulated as a unit.
Try exporting to another software to perform the manipulations. Rhino comes to mind; sorta like Acad on steroids.
RE: Edit position of all items on a layer?
Take a look into simplified representations aka "simplify reps" or visualisation tools and you'll discover that it will be easier to manipulate components with these tools than layers.
-Hora
RE: Edit position of all items on a layer?
A good way to do what you described is to use the "Copy Pos", and "Move with Children" option when creating the exploded view.
For example, if you have a bracket and all of its hardware, move it to its final position. Press the "Preferences" button, and select Move Many as the motion preference. Then, under the Motion Type option, select "Copy Pos", and select the bracket. Then, you will be able to select all of the hardware (while holding control, or even based on a layer as you have found). It will then apply the same motion to the parts that you have selected as you did to the bracket.
You can also choose "Move with Children" in the preferences dialog. Selecting the bracket will also move anything which has been assembled to it as well.
Both of these methods should make your life a little easier. I do work similar to what you described sometimes, and those are the techniques which I find to be fastest for making exploded views.
Hope it helps