AUTOCAD - Why won't my inserted block change to the color of the layer I've put it in?

November 11, 2011 1:04 PM

I inserted a product block into an AutoCAD drawing that I downloaded from the manufacturer's website. I moved it to the layer I want, but it won't 'take' the color of that layer. What gives?

Hoping this has a relatively simple answer that I'm just missing as an AutoCAD beginner. I'm doing a residential layout for a school project, and instead of just putting a box in where the range would go in the kitchen, I wanted to get fancy-schmancy and get the actual CAD block from a manufacturer's website (I used a Wolf range). I inserted the block with no problem. I selected it, then went to the LAYER pull-down bar to pick the layer I wanted to put it on, which I designated as an orange color. Now when I click on the object, it shows up as being on the correct layer but the object is still white, not orange. I ran into something like this before, and was able to fix it by going into the Block Editor and setting the layer in there. Is there a solution here, or is this just an issue with downloading CAD blocks from vendor websites? I can provide clarification on the issue if need be.

posted by lovableiago to computers & internet (5 answers total)

The actual objects inside the block are colored white, not just colored "BYLAYER" and on a layer that's white. I usually go into the block editor and change all objects to BYLAYER color. Of course, if that block is made up of subsequent blocks with objects...you'll have to open those blocks and change 'em.
posted by notsnot at 1:15 PM on November 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

In addition to the problem notsnot describes, the block components could be on a non-0 layer.

Generally, manufacturers are pretty good about keeping their block drawings for their products "clean" - nothing forced to a color or on some goofy layer, but sometimes it happens. A clean block should almost always be composed of things that are on layer 0, and set to bylayer for color; blocks that are drawn that way will display as if they're on whatever layer you place them on. If you have something that's not, you can either blockedit it or just explode it and redefine it once you've corrected it.
posted by LionIndex at 1:40 PM on November 11, 2011

I just downloaded the CAD file from Wolf's website. notsnot is right, the objects in the block are set to the color white, not BYLAYER. Blockedit-ing it should take care of your problem.
posted by daniel striped tiger at 6:52 PM on November 11, 2011

This is not totally uncommon, by the way. I was designing a theatre for a school project and the block drawings for seats were all forced green on a layer called "TEATRO". Very weird. If you're having a problem with a block from a manufacturer, it's probably their fault.
posted by daniel striped tiger at 6:55 PM on November 11, 2011

Super common. The setbylayer command should do the trick.
posted by beandip at 6:30 AM on November 12, 2011