Visibility States panel
To open the Visibility States panel, run the VISIBILITYSTATESPANELOPEN command or right-click a ribbon panel/toolbar and choose Visibility States from the Panels list.
Visibility states parameters allow you to create blocks where just selecting one or more parameters change the appearance of the block by showing or hiding various entities inside the block. Each visibility states parameter can have one or more states.
The Visibility States panel displays the visibility parameters found in the drawing and their corresponding visibility states.
- Add parameter
- Parameter's name
- List of parameter's visibility states
- Add state
- Add parameter
- Adds a new parameter to the block.
- Parameter's name
- Double-click to edit the parameter's name.
- List of parameter visibility states
- Lists all the parameter's visibility states. Double-click a state name or click the right-side arrow to access its entities.
- Add state
- Adds a new visibility state to the parameter. If the parameter already has states with entities assigned, all these entities will, by default, be invisible for the new state.
State entities
After selecting a visibility state, the panel shows the list of entities assigned to that state.
- Add entities
- Remove entities
- List of entities
- Back button
- Add entities
- Allows you to select entities in the drawing and add them to this parameter.
Entities that are not in the parameter are added and made visible only for the selected state, and invisible for all other states. Entities that are already in the parameter are made not affected.
- Remove entities
- Allows you to select entities in the drawing and remove them from this parameter and all its states.Note: If entities are already selected before adding or removing them, the actions apply on the already selected entities.
- List of entities
- Lists all the entities that belong to the selected visibility state, along with an icon that indicates the visibility of each of these entities.Note: One entity can be assigned to multiple parameters at the same time. In this case, the entities will only be visible if they are set to be visible for the current states of both parameters.
If you select one or more entities, then click one entity's 'eye' icon, its visibility is switched (from visible to invisible or vice versa). The new visibility also applies to all other selected entities.
Note: If multiple entities were selected and the eye icon was clicked for one entity that is currently invisible, all selected entities will become visible.Whenever there are entities that are (in)visible for all states of a parameter, a message label will appear at the bottom of the main view of the panel, together with two link buttons. Show will highlight these entities in red and, if they are invisible, make them visible and semi-transparent. Remove from Parameter will remove these entities from the appropriate parameters, making them visible but no longer linked to the parameter.
The selection of entities in the panel changes the selection in the drawing, and vice versa. This allows you to easily check which entities are visible or invisible in the current state.
- Back button
- Takes you back to the main view of the panel.
Context menu options
- Show invisible
- This option can be toggled on and off. When on, any entities that are currently made invisible by the selected state are highlighted in blue and are semi-transparent.Note: This enables you to perform any actions for which you might need to select both visible and invisible entities at the same time (move, align, remove from parameter).Note: This option stays active until you close the panel, switch to a new document or enter block edit mode.
- Options for Parameter
-
- Remove
- Removes the parameter and its states. Any entities that were made invisible by this parameter will become visible again.
- Rename
-
Allows you to type a new name to replace the existing one.
Note: As for parameters and constraints, there are limitations on which characters are allowed in a parameter.
- Remove entities from parameter
- Removes the selected entities from the parameter.
- Options for State
-
- Clone
- Creates a copy of the state.
- Remove
-
Removes the state from the parameter.
Note: This option does not affect the other states of the parameters.
- Rename
-
Type a new name to replace the existing one.
Note: There are no limitations on which characters are allowed.
- Make entities visible
-
Makes the selected entities visible.
Note: Entities that are not in the parameter are added and made visible only for the selected states. Entities that are already in the parameter are made visible for the selected state, without affecting the other states.
- Make entities invisible
-
Makes the selected entities invisible.
Note: Entities that are not in the parameter are added and made invisible only for the selected states and visible for the others. Entities that are already in the parameter are made invisible for the selected state, without affecting the other states.