Problem: When I attempt to open a CAD drawing or run a Design Master command, I get an error message saying, “Design Master attempted to modify an object that is on a locked layer. Unlock any layers used by Design Master.”

Solution: If you are able, run the CAD LAYER command in the affected drawing and unlock any layers that Design Master may use. Default Design Master layers begin with “DM-“, “E-“, “EE-“, “EN-“, “M-“, “ME-“, or “MN-“. If you aren’t sure whether DM is using a particular layer, unlock it.

If the error message pops up repeatedly when you open the drawing and you cannot run the LAYER command, you may need to open the drawing in a CAD version that does not have Design Master loaded to unlock the layers, or have another person open the drawing and unlock the layers for you.

Cause: Typically, if Design Master inserts or modifies an entity on the drawing that is on a frozen or locked layer, it will automatically thaw or unlock the layer. This error message appears in situations where the software is unable to unlock the layer.