My model has hundreds of layers. I do not know the actual count because I cannot find out how many layers there are. Verify/Object Counts does not say how many layers there are.
In one file I am looking at (reviewing past work to clean up the file for re-use), I can see:
Arcs/Circles 72
Groups 7
Lines 2257
Pictures 4
Splines 38
Solids 26
Surfaces 545
Text 86
All the others are empty.
I have a layer I named Proxy Geometry. It has 2452 items on it.
Things in Proxy Geometry are things like generators, panels, desks, and more. They have patterned shapes, meaning, all desks have the same shape, but labels indicating number or location.
Now, I want to color code them to make them uniform by type. Some are easy enough to grab visually. Some I have to deal with in the Select Mask. Some I have to hunt down and turn on or off in the Concept Explorer because so much geometry is on multiple elevations (Z axis positions) making it difficult to cherry-pick.
If I could search for and mask just for all geometry and text associated with "AC Plant", I could quickly change colors.
If I could add flags, I could make a flag for all AC Plants regardless of what LAYER they reside on. In fact, it is not always good, useful, smart, or friendly to myself to assign one generator to one zone (no way to flag zones) or one compartment (no way to flag compartments, except by naming the layer, which consigns the similar objects to deep and long names across/down tree), no way to search by mass/size.
I guess I COULD generate a BOM, then export it, then clean it up, then import it into Lotus Approach (easier to use than Access or even than spreadsheets), then find what I need, then scour up and down the CE, SM, and Inspector, but that is downright tedious in big models.
I am loath to chop up the model because then things sprawl over multiple files, making searching and syncing and tracking even more nightmarish.
I think Shark needs a major, major, MAJOR overhaul so that a meta-management layer tracks zones/areas/masses/geometry from a managers POV. Then, drawing view can be assigned or not, according to user needs.
The model space could have a concept of "zones" and "model limits", not unlike the aready-primitive "boundary box". But, boundary box has no "logic" that says what's not part of its contents. The layer tool would need to keep track of inside-and-outside-of-boundary-box geometry and text, too.
The CE, SM, and Inspector need to be overhauled so that the press of a hotkey or button on the panels can auto-scroll up, or at least pop up a meta dialog so that deeply-nested layers can be dealt with, managed, or just looked at. Right now, Inspector is non-resizable. With long layer names, I am always being forced to rename layers to accommodate Inspector. I know there is a pop-up scrolling list, but with all the layers I have, the navigate button is not enough. A scrollbar/elevator is needed.
Some sort of "Task" and "Intent" based meta layer labeling accomodation is needed so that users like me can work faster and not be interrupted by the realization that for 20 minutes we've been putting multiple pieces of geometry on the wrong, same layer. Sometimes, it is expedient to do so, when things are not overlapping in plan, profile, and even ortho view, and when things can be quickly selected and hidden or masked.
Overall, working in Shark is usually great, but sometimes I hit walls that can be programmatically redesigned. I bet half the registered users can benefit from some of the changes I have asked in this posting alone.
