val554•1d ago

Just realized my whole layer system was a mess because of one old project file

I was trying to fix a drawing from 2018 for a client this week, and I could not find anything. The layers were named things like 'Layer1' and 'New Layer'. It was my own file. I had this moment where I saw the guy I was training looking at my screen, totally lost. That was the tip off. I was making it hard for my future self and anyone else. I spent two hours just sorting it out. Now I use a strict naming rule, like 'A-WALL-EXIST' and 'S-ELEC-POWER'. Has anyone else had to clean up their own old mess and found a system that works for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.barbara1d ago

Oh man, that "Layer1" thing hits home. My buddy who does CAD work had the same wake-up call. He opened a file from his old job and the layers were just colors, like "Red" and "Blue". He said it took him a full day just to figure out what was supposed to be a duct versus a pipe. He uses a two-letter code system now for everything, says it saved his sanity.

blake_black471d ago

A full day just to sort out red from blue? That's brutal, @coleman.barbara. I can't imagine opening a file and seeing a layer named "Yellow" with no clue if it's electrical wiring or a gas line. Your buddy's two-letter code system sounds like the only way to go, something like "EL" for electrical and "PL" for plumbing. It turns a guessing game into something you can actually work with.