Kean Walmsley & Scott Sheppard announced a free plugin that most AutoCAD users working with layers could really use and that is to DrawOrder By Layer.
To explain the plugin simply, it places the layers in their top to bottom order based on their layer and the order you select. This is perfect for easily setting what object to plot or display on top of other layers.
Brief install instructions
Download the plugin, install per readme on AutoCAD 2007 and later releases and based applications including 64 bit versions from:
http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/ADN_plugins/catalog/
Extract the downloaded Zip file. I use a Download directory and organize downloads there personally. After extracting read the text file for all the details on the plugin.
Copy the file ADNPlugin-DrawOrderByLayer.dll to a directory support path for AutoCAD or just under the AutoCAD root directory. A nice organized yet optional be to create a directory under the AutoCAD folder named plugins. Now make sure in AutoCAD the path to plugins is now added so AutoCAD can find it easily.
Launch AutoCAD and run the NETSTAT command to load the .Net based plugin. 
Now use the magic command DOBYLAY.
I have a drawing of circles each assigned to a separate layer for the purpose of a simple example of moving layers in the draw order.
Now I run the DOBYLAY command and get the DrawOrder by Layer dialog of the plugin.
Select by check box the layer/s you want to move up or down the draw order. In this example I want to move the layer named Red to the top. I check the layer named Red then using the button all the way to the left with an arrow icon up and select it and repeat until the layer is at the draw order I want.
I can repeat with the red layer to the top.
Or perhaps the green if I have a hard time making up my mind. I could also move other layers down as well or even by Ascending so they flow down in draw order by alphanumerical order.
When using this plugin you should thank longtime AutoCAD 3rd party developer Terry Dotson of Dotsoft for donating the plugin, and the source.
ADN plugins for Autodesk products are available each month, check them out! on Autodesk Labs http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/adn_plugins/. There is also a QR codes plugin from last month if you want to generate those techie QR code images. In November there was the long awaited ScriptPro 2.0 posted for batch processing commands.
As with all Autodesk Labs provided plugins, utilities, and applications please provide your feedback on them. Some may never make it into a final shipping product without your feedback.
Cheers,
Shaan
Glad to see this option since this was my “wish list” submission from a few years ago that got voted into the top 10.
Yes, definitly been requested several times by AutoCAD users. Make sure to submit feedback to the Autodesk Labs team asking for it to be in core AutoCAD. labs.plugins@autodesk.com
Best Regards,
Shaan
Nice tool, thanks!
Thanks for the cool tool – works great, and will save me a lot of time. One thing – I had to use “netload” command, not “netstat” to install it.
I’ve waited so long for this tool. Thanks to Terry!
Please integrate this functionality into core AutoCAD.
Maybe some number as a layer-proberty, which is set in the layer dialog. 1 means always top and 900 means behind layers with 1,2,3,11,35,777 but in front of layer with 901.
And some value for “not affected in any way”. But not zero, because layers with draw-order-value “1” should be top of the list, when sorting the layer list by draw-order-value.
Maybe Terry can also offer his cool word3cad software to adsk for integrating into core AutoCAD. This would also be helpful.
Isn’t it a shame that we had to wait 25 years for this?