AutoCAD 2011 introduces the ability to hide objects in a drawing without turning layers on or off, or partial loading a drawing.  You can select objects to hide (HIDEOBJECTS command) or select the objects you want to remain displayed (ISOLATEOBJECTS command).  Both HIDEOBJECTS and ISOLATEOBJECTS are very useful when working in a busy drawing.

The following image shows the results of using the HIDEOBJECTS command on several room and door markers, along with some dimensions.  Using the UNISOLATEOBJECTS command redisplays the hidden objects.

 

You can access these three commands by doing one of the following:

• Type the command at the Command prompt
• Right-click and choose an option from the Isolate sub-menu
• Click or right-click the Light Bulb icon in the Drawing status bar icon tray

When a drawing contains isolated or hidden objects, the light bulb appears as a red-ish color (see the following illustration).  Click the Light Bulb icon and choose End Object Isolation to return the light bulb to its normal yellow-ish color and to unhide or unisolate all the objects in the drawing.

 

Note: Objects that are hidden or isolated using the HIDEOBJECTS or ISOLATEOBJECTS commands are not displayed when you plot the drawing.

You can isolate all objects on a given layer by using the LAYISO and LAYUNISON commands. For information on all of the commands mentioned in this article, see the Commands Reference section of the AutoCAD Online Help system.

Sincerely,
  Lee