FAQ

In the FAQ you can find answers for frequently asked questions working with the LayerManager. These questions are listed in topics.

Topic Question
Questions about versions  

Which Windows®-Versions are supported by LayerManager ?
And which AutoCAD®-Versions are supported ?
What does "Test/Viewer-Version" means ?
How to install / update with a new LayerManager version ?
What about LayerManager's compatibility with older / newer versions ?
Is "LayerManager Professional" available or working with "AutoCAD® LT xxx" ?
  

Questions about the LayerManager   Online-Help will not open or will open with error messages ?
Layers may not be purged ?
LayerManager's window is disappeared ?
Some program windows are disappeared !?
LayerManager windows remains disappeared !?
Dialog windows are damaged or incomplete ?
  

  
Questions about versions
Which Windows®-Versions are supported by LayerManager ?
 
    Thats simple: all Windows® versions since Windows® 95

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Which AutoCAD®-Versions are
supported ?

 
    Also simple: all Windows®-based AutoCAD®- and LT-Versions from including R14.0 Zum Seitenanfang
What does "Test/Viewer-Version" means ?   the normal Update/Demo-Version that is available from the <Download> area, may be used as a perfect viewer version - on LayerManager-CD this is also  pointed separately.
 
Assume this scenario: you are using LayerManager to structurize your drawings;
if you want to give your drawings to you customers or related, they will not see these LayerManager structures nor they can use them.
 
Solution: You may give them this Test/Demo/Viewer-Version, so they can see the LayerManager structures and they can also use them; but the LayerManager structures can not be changed by the viewer version ...
  
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How to install / update with a new LayerManager version  ?    Installing a new version is really simple: unzip the downloaded files, the setup program (*.exe) is given. Close all AutoCAD® sessions and run the setup program. You only need to define the LayerManager's program path (simply install the new version ontop of your existing version). When overwriting existing LayerManager, all user data are untouched !

There is a simple principle: DEMO remains DEMO, LICENCE remains LICENCE.
You can't make anything wrong ...
   
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What about LayerManager's compatibility with older / newer versions?     LayerManager has now been developed for more than 6 years - LayerManager Professional based on a windows explorer design has been developed for more than 1.5 years ! The development is going on for the next years. During all these years, LayerManager has never (!) lost compatibility to older versions - compatibility is one of the most important design rules ! The compatibility aspect is related to LayerManagers own data structures, of course. LayerManager Professional is downward and upward compatible even with earliest versions running AutoCAD® R12 DOS; older versions are able to recognise all LayerManager data from current versions (if the drawing is saved in older AutoCAD dwg format).There is no problem to use drawings with LayerManager data strucutres made by LayerManager versions before version v4.0 (i.e. drawings from AutoCAD® R13 DOS/WIN) without loosing LayerManager data. This also applies in reverse direction: you may save your AutoCAD® 2000i drawing with R14 dwg format, and LayerManager running AutoCAD® R14 will recognise these LayerManager data structures. Based on the internal design of stored LayerManager data structures, LayerManager is able to ensure complete compatibility for future versions – this is guaranteed !
  
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Is "LayerManager Professional" available or working with "AutoCAD® LT xxx" ?    YES - since version v4.1a (August 2001) LayerManager completely works with AutoCAD LT versions 97/98/2000(i)/2002 in exactly the same way as with AutoCAD in these versions. The standard  installation of LayerManager for AutoCAD R14 works with AutoCAD LT 97/98, and the standard  installation of LayerManager for AutoCAD 2000(i)/2002 works with the same AutoCAD LT versions.
    
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Questions about the LayerManager
Online-Help will not open or will open with error messages ?    The Online-Help (Layman.chm) is also available from LayerManager's start menu program group - and should also open from there - chm helpfiles are directly displayed by Windows. If you see an error message, so Window® is not able to open the helpfile. Only Windows® 98 and Windows® 2000 (or newer) are able to open CHM-helpfiles. Additionally, when installing Microsoft® IE 4.01 (or higher) the CHM-helpfile-viewer is installed or updated.
 
If you can not open the chm-helpfile "Layman.chm" you may do these solutions:
  1. Install the "Update for Windows CHM-Help-System" at our download area
    (recommended !)

    or
      
  2. Install the Microsoft® Internet-Explorer 4.01 or higher (recommended: 5.0/5.5)
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Layers may not be purged ?    Sometimes, LayerManager can prevent AutoCAD® from purging unused layers. This will always occure if such layers are a part of layergroups and/or these layers have been extended by LayerManagers layer description. In generally, there are 2 methods to enable AutoCAD® to purge/erase such layers:  
  1. You may manually remove that layers to be purged from any layergroup and also erase the layer description. Then save all LayerManager's data using function "Menu/File/Save" ! AutoCAD® should now be able again to purge these layers.
      
  2. the better way: simply remove/erase that layers directly inside LayerManager. Selected layers will automatically removed from any layergroup, their layer descriptions are removed, all entities located on those layers will also be erased - at last, selected layers are removed from the drawing.

Notice: If erased layers still remain, simply retry to erase that layers within LayerManager. Sometimes 2 passes are needed, before AutoCAD® recognises that layers as unused ones.
  

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LayerManager's window is disappeared?   
  1. LayerManager window does not appear after program start. For safety, please enter the LayerManager command "lmpro" – this will restore all LayerManager windows that could be hidden or behind AutoCAD®'s window and will take them into windows foreground.If no LayerManager window will appear again, the window could possibly reside "out of screen" – this situation can be caused by AutoCAD®/LayerManager crashes or by copying LayerManagers program folder to another machine (i.e. notebooks)
     
    Solution: Exit AutoCAD® and delete the files "Layman.Wpx" and "Layman.ini" from LayerManager folder (or search for all these files and delete allexisting files).
    At the next AutoCAD®/LayerManager start internal defaults will be used and both configuration files are recreated. Please check LayerManagers options too.
     
  2. LayerManager window is disappeared during AutoCAD® session. This may happen, if the "Minimize" button way pressed to have LayerManager as an icon on desktop or on the taskbar – on the desktop the icon can be hidden by any other foreground window.
     
    Solution: Please enter the LayerManager command "lmpro" – this will restore all LayerManager windows that could be hidden or behind AutoCAD®'s window and will take them into windows foreground.
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Some program windows are disappeared ?   Normally, all saved window positions are checked wether these positions are valid. But in very seldom cases it may happen, that LayerManagers window positions file "Layman.wpx" is not completely saved, or is damaged during save (e.g. when AutoCAD® crashes).
 
Solution: Close AutoCAD® and delete the file "Layman.wpx" - at next start, LayerManager will use default positions for all dialogs.
 
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LayerManager windows remains disappeared ?   At the AutoCAD® prompt, enter "lmpro". All hidden, minimized or somehow else invisible LayerManager windows are restored and placed into the foreground. This may happen, if you use "Minimize" icon, that places LayerManager into minimized state (as icon on the desktop, or as button on the taskbar). On the desktop, it may be hidden by any other window....
 
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Dialog windows are damaged or incomplete ?   Sometimes (very rare indeed) it may happen, that program dialogs or program windows appear incomplete – you will recognise this behaviour by missing dialog buttons and/or too large resp. too small dialog windows.
 
There are several reasons for :
  1. Improper program shutdowns of AutoCAD or LayerManager
     
  2. LayerManager installations, that were manually transferred between different computers
     

Solution for that problem:

  1. Use function "Menu/Extras/Repair Dialogs": this will reset all dialog windows to their original size and position.
     
    - or –
     
  2. Close LayerManager and AutoCAD, then delete file "…\Ini\<User>\Layman.wpx" located in your LayerManager's installation path (<User> ist Ihr Login-Name). If you can't find that file, simply delete all files "Layman.wpx" below your LayerManager's installation path. This file "Layman.wpx" stores all program window and dialog sizes and positions, and may be corrupted if this behaviour is given. At the next LayerManager start this file is re-created and all dialogs and windows will appear at their original position with original size.
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