Assigning library objects to different layers en masse

[Maple]

I find the fact that all decorative items in the core and bonus libraries are automatically assigned to the 'furniture, interiors' layer to be highly inconvenient and illogical.

In what world is a plate of fruit or a coffee maker the same as a dining table? But I digress.

It often happens that I would like to not show all of the decorative items in a floor plan but would like to show the actual furniture items as they can affect traffic patterns, scale and even room size. If I simply turn off the 'furniture, interiors' layer it takes away too many things I would like to have remain. What I have done in the past is make a new layer, label it 'accessories', but I then have to laboriously assign each decorative item to the new layer before I can turn it on and off at will. In a complex design I may have many, many items to re-assign.

So my question is this. Can I change layers of many items at once? Or, even better, is there a way to set up all these decorative items once and for all - globally - so they are in and will always be in, my 'accessories' layer? Obviously I can do it within one plan file, would love for it to carry over everywhere, every time. Am I missing some basic tenet that allows this to be done? (I am self-taught so it wouldn't surprise me).

Maybe I should have put this over in the wish list section.

[dshall]

Such a great question and yet a very easy answer. Put all the accessories in a WAREHOUSE PLAN. Put them on the accessories layer. Now copy your accessory from the WAREHOUSE PLAN and put in active plan. It will go on the accessories layer...... Even if the new plan does not have that layer.

I rarely get things from library, I copy from existing plan or WAREHOUSE PLAN.

And you know what? It is easier finding an item in a WAREHOUSE PLAN instead of thumbing thru library..... Think about it, you can select multiple items from the W.H. PLAN.

thank you, thank you very much.

[lbuttery]

it would be nice to be able to group select items from the library and assign to a new layer without having to move/copy them

Lew

[ccrane]

Important thread to me. Thanks for the question and responses.

[Maple]

Using Scott's 'Warehouse Method' would be a good solution if I used the same items over and over - but alas, I do not. Every plan I do has lots of different objects, customized to that plan. But I suppose it's a start. Interesting though, that the layer will carry over from the warehouse plan to a new plan without having to add it (the new layer).

The Chief libraries have so many items that are not furniture that are lumped into the 'furniture, interiors' category that I am surprised that they haven't already made a new basic layer for all of them.
And they could call it 'accessories' (hint hint)