Layers

Layer parameters can be created, deleted and modified using the command Configure Layers:

When using the textual interface, the command is available in the System toolbar.

Layer is a parameter of each drawing element that determines its belonging to a group of drawing elements. The layer is given by the name. Layers allow you to control the properties of item groups. It is possible to draw them in one color, make them invisible or inaccessible for selection.

If a layer name is not specified, the element is assigned a system layer, also called the default layer.

The Layers command allows you to manage the layers of the drawing.

After calling the command from the Edit tab of the ribbon, from textual menu or via the <QL> hotkey sequence, a dialog box appears on the screen:

The list can be sorted according to various parameters of layers. Clicking an icon can modify layer parameter without leaving the current command. The list has item «New» which allows you to create a new layer without exiting the command and to make it active. In the window of the given dialog box the list of the layers existing in the given document and their parameters are shown. Under this list there are fields for assigning parameters of the layer and buttons for performing different actions with the fields.

The button New creates the new layer in the document. After pressing this button the system asks to give a name to the created layer.

The button Delete removes unused layer (it becomes available only upon selecting from the list the layer marked with the sign ?).

The button Rename allows assigning the new name for the layer selected from the layers list.

The Information button allows to display the list of objects located on the selected layer.

 

When you call a command from the system toolbar, from the Style group of the ribbon, from the list of tool windows, or via the <Shift>+<F5> hotkey combination, it will not open a dialog box, but a tool window.

The functionality is completely the same as the dialog box. Unlike the dialog box, the tool window doesn't block other commands.

The following attributes can be set for the layer selected in the list:

•Hidden;

•Frozen;

•Screen only;

•Hidden when model is used as a Fragment;

•Visible only when model is used as a Fragment;

•Monochrome;

•Same line thickness;

•Not used;

•Group

In the Layers command, you can create a new layer, rename or delete an existing one, sort the list of layers. To do this, left-click on the name of the Name column. The specified order of layers is taken into account in all dialogs of the system that allow you to select a layer.

To set the parameters of a layer, select a layer in the list and set the necessary flag for it in the lower part of the window or click in the corresponding cell of the table. You can change the parameters of several layers at the same time - multiple selection is carried out using standard keyboard shortcuts.

•Elements of the hidden layer are not displayed on the screen. You can control the visibility of a layer using a variable. The variable can have two values: 0 - visible layer and 1 - invisible layer.

Variable values different from 0 and 1, are processed by the system as follows: negative sign and fractional part are dropped, and resulting number is matched with 0. If matching, layer will be visible, otherwise – invisible.

•Drawing elements located on a frozen layer are not available for selection.

•If you want all elements belonging to a layer to be drawn in the drawing with the monochrome, set the checkbox and select the required color.

•It is possible to control the visibility of elements belonging to the same layer when inserting a document as a fragment into an assembly drawing (options Visible/Hidden when model is used as a Fragment).

•Elements belonging to the screen layer are not printed.

•The Line thickness checkbox allows you to set the value of the thickness of the image lines belonging to the current layer.

•The Not used parameter shows whether the objects are assigned this layer.

•Group. Layers can be grouped together.

The Delete button deletes the layer. The function of removing a layer can be performed both for unused layers (marked with a ?), and for used ones. In the case of deleting used layers, the user is offered two options for behavior - either delete the layer along with all the elements placed on it, or transfer these elements to another layer.

The Information button calls a window with a list of all the elements lying on the selected layer.

Using layers, just like using levels, you can control the visibility of construction elements and other drawing elements. To do this, place them on a layer, and then in the Layers command make it invisible.

Topics in this section:

•Layer of Current Element