SETBYLAYER: Quickly change all object properties to ByLayer

Too often, we find anomalies in our drawings that can cause us tons of grief.  A particular nuisance is dealing with drawing objects with linetype and color properties not ByLayer.  

While MATCHPROP will fix some objects, it cannot correct blocks with hard-coded color and line types.

There is a powerful AutoCAD command that allows us to modify object properties: SETBYLAYER.

SETBYLAYER allows us to change overrides for color, linetype, lineweight, material, and plot style to ByLayer.  It even works for objects inside blocks!  The command is located in the MODIFY Panel, Home Tab of the AutoCAD Ribbon.

SETBYLAYER has a settings box where you assign which object properties are set to ByLayer.  You can access it by  typing S (or clicking Settings) at the command prompt after invoking the command.  AutoCAD also saves and lists current settings at the command prompt.

  

Once you have set which properties you want applied, you select the objects you want to have modified.  You can use any normal selection method here.

You will then be asked two questions:

Change ByBlock to ByLayer? [Yes/No]  :

and

Include Blocks? [Yes/No]  :

After the prompts, AutoCAD will run the command and report how many objects were modified, and how many of the selection set that were not changed.

SETBYLAYER also can change object color in a block from ByBlock to ByLayer, too!