Layers

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Layers

Layers allow to structure the drawing. They group objects, allowing to manage their common properties. For any object on the layer the value of a general property can be specified separately. In this case it won't depend on the value on the layer. For a better organization and and quick editing of drawings it is recommended to add own layers. Such a structuring allows

to change the visibility of the elements on the layer;

to change the color of the layer objects, which have the color value By layer;

to set the lineweight of the layer objects, which have the lineweight value By layer;

to print the layer objects or to hide them while printing;

to allow or forbid editing the layer objects.

 

Quick Access Panel:

Ribbon: Viewer -> CAD Image -> Layers

Editor -> Properties -> Layers

Menu: CAD Files -> Layers

The layers button shows the list of layers and allows to manage them. The command is available when a CAD format file is loaded. The list of layers appears in a separate window. By default a new layer is created with the name "0". It can't be deleted or renamed, but its parameters can be changed.

The property Layer in the Properties panel contains the list of all the layers of the current drawing in the alphabet order. This property is used to set the layer current when no entity is selected or to move a selected entity to an other layer.

The dialog box Layers has the following commands:

Icon

Descriptiom

 New Layer ( [Alt +N])

adds a new layer. By default the name of the new layer is Layer1, it can be modified after creation. All the values of the layer are default.

 Delete Layer([Alt +D])

deletes the selected layer. You can delete only unused in the drawing layers. It is impossible to delete the layer 0, DEFPOINTS and the current layer. You can undo the deletion of a layer. To do that close the dialog box Layers and press Ctrl+Z.

Unfreeze All Layers

unfreezes all the earlier frozen layers. By default the added layer is unfrozen.

Freeze All Layers

makes the layer invisible in the drawing, while its data is still stored in the drawing. The frozen layers will not be plotted.

 Switch All Layers on

switches all the earlier switched off layers. By default the added layer is switched on.

Switch All Layers off

make the layer invisible in the drawing, while its data is still stored in the drawing, the layer isn't plotted.

Set the Current Layer

sets the selected in the list layer current. All the created entities are automatically added to i.

 

Difference between the Switch off and Freeze features:

If the layer you've switched off uses a block containing other layers, the block will stay visible, whereas if you used Freeze feature this block would be frozen together with all elements it uses, thus it would become invisible.

"Search for layer" edit box allows quick search of the necessary layer. Just click inside the field and enter the layer name.

There is a line of layers filter in the left bottom corner of the dialog box. While a sequence of symbols is entered fetching of the layers by the value Name is carried out. Layers names of which coincide with the sequence of the entered symbols starting with the first letter are shown in the result of filtration. Letter case is not taken into account while entering them. The option Invert Filter enables the user to invert the results of filtration and shows layers names of which don't coincide with the sequence of the entered symbols.

 

Layer Parameters


 

Every layer has a set of parameters. When a new layer is added all the values are set as default ones. To change these parameters you must click with the left mouse button on its icon opposite to the layer name. After that it will change or you will be offered to select a value from the list.

Name. Sets the name of the layer. Can contain up to 255 characters, including letters, numbers, spaces,break characters, hyphens, dollar signs. The symbols: <>/":\?*,=|'/ can't be used. It can be changed at any stage of work. To edit the name of a layer double click on it with the left mouse button.

On. Turns on/off the visibility of the objects on this layer. By default the layer is switched on.

Frozen. Freezes or unfreezes the selected layer. By default the layer is unfrozen.

Color. Sets the color applied to all the objects of the selected layer which have the color value By Layer.

Lineweight. Sets the lineweight to all the objects of the selected layer which have the lineweight value By layer.

Plot. Defines whether the objects on the selected layer will be plotted. The parameter is applied to all the objects of the layer and can't be changed for one entity.

Lock. Forbids editing, deleting and selecting entities on the layer, but doesn't switch the visibility off. Snap is active.

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