Export and Import Saved Layer States

You can export and import saved layer states to use the same layer settings in other drawings. Use the ExportLayerState method to export a saved layer state to an LAS file; use the ImportLayerState method to import a LAS file into a drawing.

NoteImporting layer states does not restore them; you must use the RestoreLayerState method to restore the layer state after it is imported.

The ExportLayerState method accepts two parameters. The first parameter is a string identifying the saved layer state to export. The second parameter is the name of the file you are exporting the layer state to. If you do not specify a path for the file, it is saved in the same directory in which the drawing was opened from. If the file name you specified already exists, the existing file is overwritten. Use a .las extension when naming files; this is the extension AutoCAD recognizes for exported layer state files.

The ImportLayerState method accepts one parameter: a string naming the file that contains the layer states you are importing. If the layer state you want to import does not exist in a LAS file, but a drawing file. You can open the drawing file and then use the ImportLayerStateFromDb method to import a layer state from the Database object of the other drawing.

When you import layer states, an error condition is raised if any properties referenced in the saved settings are not available in the drawing you are importing to. The import is completed, however, and default properties are used. For example, if an exported layer is set to a linetype that is not loaded in the drawing it is being imported into, an error condition is raised and the drawing's default linetype is substituted. Your code should account for this error condition and continue processing if it is raised.

If the imported file defines settings for layers that do not exist in the current drawing, those layers are created in the current drawing. When you use the RestoreLayerState method, the properties specified when the settings were saved are assigned to the new layers; all other properties of the new layers are assigned default settings.

Export saved layer settings

The following example exports a saved layer state to a file named ColorLinetype.las.

VB.NET

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices

<CommandMethod("ExportLayerState")> _

Public Sub ExportLayerState()

  '' Get the current document

  Dim acDoc As Document = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument

  Dim acLyrStMan As LayerStateManager

  acLyrStMan = acDoc.Database.LayerStateManager

  Dim sLyrStName As String = "ColorLinetype"

  If acLyrStMan.HasLayerState(sLyrStName) = True Then

      acLyrStMan.ExportLayerState(sLyrStName, "c:\my documents\" & _

                                              sLyrStName & ".las")

  End If

End Sub

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;

[CommandMethod("ExportLayerState")]

public static void ExportLayerState()

  // Get the current document

  Document acDoc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;

  LayerStateManager acLyrStMan;

  acLyrStMan = acDoc.Database.LayerStateManager;

  string sLyrStName = "ColorLinetype";

  if (acLyrStMan.HasLayerState(sLyrStName) == true)

      acLyrStMan.ExportLayerState(sLyrStName, "c:\\my documents\\" +

                                              sLyrStName + ".las");

VBA/ActiveX Code Reference

Import saved layer settings

The following example imports the layer state from a file named ColorLinetype.las.

VB.NET

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices

<CommandMethod("ImportLayerState")> _

Public Sub ImportLayerState()

  '' Get the current document

  Dim acDoc As Document = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument

  Dim acLyrStMan As LayerStateManager

  acLyrStMan = acDoc.Database.LayerStateManager

  Dim sLyrStFileName As String = "c:\my documents\ColorLinetype.las"

  If System.IO.File.Exists(sLyrStFileName) Then

Try

          acLyrStMan.ImportLayerState(sLyrStFileName)

      Catch ex As Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Exception

          Application.ShowAlertDialog(ex.Message)

      End Try

  End If

End Sub

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;

[CommandMethod("ImportLayerState")]

public static void ImportLayerState()

  // Get the current document

  Document acDoc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;

  LayerStateManager acLyrStMan;

  acLyrStMan = acDoc.Database.LayerStateManager;

  string sLyrStFileName = "c:\\my documents\\ColorLinetype.las";

  if (System.IO.File.Exists(sLyrStFileName))

try

          acLyrStMan.ImportLayerState(sLyrStFileName);

      catch (Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Exception ex)

          Application.ShowAlertDialog(ex.Message);

VBA/ActiveX Code Reference