LMAN Layer State Conversion Issues

In AutoCAD 2008, the Layer States Manager was updated to automatically convert existing Express Tools LMAN layer states and Architectural Desktop Snapshots into AutoCAD layer states. This conversion happens automatically when the Layer States Manager is opened in a drawing containing these legacy types of layer states. After conversion, the old layer states are deleted from the drawing.

Occasionally, we receive a report from a customer that the Express Tools LMAN layer states are being converted every time the Layer States Manager is run, resulting in a new set of converted layer states being created every time. The only time we’ve seen this problem is when customers have a very large quantity of LMAN layer states.

LMAN data was stored on individual layers as xdata and there is a limit to how large the xdata can be. After each layer state is converted, the Layer States Manager deletes each layer state from the blob of xdata and then reapplies that truncated xdata back to the layer.  However, when that xdata exceeds the size limits, the truncated data is rejected and the original xdata is restored (LMAN was an AutoLISP routine so it seems that xdata limit did not apply as strictly to AutoLISP as it does to the ObjectARX app doing the converting).  This is why it keeps converting the LMAN layer states - because it can't successfully delete them.  If you have less than about 100 layer states  this conversion process should work without issue but when you have large numbers of LMAN layer states it's just too much xdata.

If you've experienced this problem with duplicate conversion of LMAN layer states, the workaround is a two-step process:

1. Start the Layer State Manager and let it do the conversion.
2. Run the following AutoLISP routine (LMANKILL) immediately after the conversion.

Download LMANKILL.LSP

LMANKILL.LSP will remove all Express Tools LMAN layer states from the current drawing.  It is quick and complete.  In fact, if you don't want any of those LMAN layer states to be converted, you could run this first and be done with them for good.

Again, this problem should only present itself when there is a large number of LMAN layer states being converted.

Comments

[JGA]

Thanks, I've noticed this problem, but thought it was just one of those things!