Is it possible to make a layer ʼNon-Plottableʼ in BricsCAD?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

Yes — in BricsCAD, you can make a layer non-plottable by turning off its Plot property in the layer manager, most commonly through the LAYER command. This is the standard professional method for controlling print output by layer. Limitation: objects on other plottable layers will still print normally.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: A layer set to non-plottable will still display on screen, so it is easy to think it will print unless you check the Plot column carefully. This commonly causes title block guides, construction lines, or viewport notes to be visible in the drawing but missing from plotted PDFs.

How to Make a Layer Non-Plottable in BricsCAD

  • Command: LAYER

  • Shortcut: LA

  • Quick Steps:

    1. Type LA and open the Layer panel/Layer Explorer.
    2. Find the target layer, then locate the Plot column.
    3. Click the printer icon to toggle it Off for that layer, then close Layer Explorer.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: Plot property in Layer Explorer

  • Expert Setting: The Plot toggle controls whether all objects on that layer can be printed or published. A non-plottable layer remains visible and usable for drafting, which makes it ideal for construction geometry, reference notes, and layout aids.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The objects are not actually on the layer you made non-plottable; they may be nested inside blocks or placed on a different layer.

  • Cause 2 (Layers/Locks): The layer state may be overridden by an xref or by objects using layers inside referenced files, so changing the host drawing layer does not affect their plotting.

  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Users often confuse turning a layer Off or Frozen with making it non-plottable; those are different controls and do not serve the same plotting workflow.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Use LAYER and verify the object’s actual layer in the Properties panel before switching the layer’s Plot icon off.

  • Manager’s Verdict: Use non-plottable layers for construction lines, reference information, and internal coordination notes. Avoid using them for critical content unless your team follows a strict layer standard, because missing plotted data is a common production error.

FAQ

Can I make a Defpoints layer non-plottable in BricsCAD?
Defpoints is typically non-plottable by convention, but you should still verify your output settings.

Will a non-plottable layer show in model space?
Yes, it remains visible on screen unless you also turn it off or freeze it.

Can I plot objects on a non-plottable layer by override?
Not directly by layer; you would usually move the objects to a plottable layer or edit the block content.

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