Layers are commonly defined as “overlapping sheets of glossy paper on which to arrange the entities that make up your drawing or project”. Generally, the use of layers is aimed at subdividing design entities on different “sheets”, taking advantage of the ability to “turn on” and “turn off” their visualization according to one's needs. One hypothesis might be to group all textual notes and dimensions on one layer, so that prints can then be easily produced with or without such entities. In alternative, one can group the sanitary ware of a certain collection on one layer and on another layer the sanitary ware of another collection, so that two possible alternative solutions can be proposed within the same project.
Another reason to use layers is also to encourage better structured organization of the project, especially when it takes on significant dimensions in terms of detailed elements.
Each new project contains not only the default layer (layer “0”), but also other layers such as CAD, Dimensions, Texts, Lights and Views3D. In this way, if the active layer is layer “0”, each entity will be inserted within its own reference layer.
To access the command Click on the Layer Management button from Ribbon – CAD
Layer Management in version 2024
Make Active: allows you to set one of the listed layers as the current/active layer. To make it active, click on the appropriate layer box below in the Active column. The current active layer is marked with a white check mark on a light blue background.
Add Layer: clicking on this icon adds the new layer whose name is automatically associated by the system: Layer + sequential number. You can change that name with a double click.
Delete Layer: in case a layer is no longer needed, you can remove it from the list using this button. This operation cannot be performed in case the layer is the current one, if it contains design elements or if it is layer “0”.
On/ Off: The light bulb icon shows whether the layer is on or off. The on/off mode affects only the visibility of objects on a layer. Deactivated objects are not displayed in the drawing and are also not visible when printing, rendering and calculating the estimate, while remaining in the project for all other purposes.
Unlock / Lock layer: left-clicking on the icon to change the setting, does not affect the visibility of objects, but it affects the ability to make changes on them. When a layer is locked, all objects belonging to that layer are not editable and can be recognized in the floorplan by the blue fill (this color is editable in the options).
You can change the style, color and thickness of CAD elements that are within a layer. If the check box at the bottom of the mask is activated, the changes will also be applied to the elements already inside the layer. If this box is not flagged, the changes are applied only to future elements that will be created inside that layer. If the CAD element is moved from one layer to another, it retains its own properties and does not take on those of the layer. If you want to merge properties within the same layer, open the layer management mask, select the check box at the bottom of the mask and click ok.
- It is possible to select more than one item in the list of layers, so you can delete more than one at the same time. Multi-selection can be done by pressing the ctrl key and clicking the affected layers, or you can use the “select all” or “reverse select” keys at the bottom of the mask.
- It is possible to filter layers by different layer characteristics. This can come in hand, for example, if we want to eliminate all layers that do not contain any elements.
Layer Management in previous versions
To access the command, click on the Layer Management button from Ribbon - CAD
Make current: sets the current layer. To set the current layer, select a layer from the list and then select this command or double click under status. The current layer will be indicated in green with a white arrow.
Add layer: this button will add a new layer with the default name “Layer” + successive number. You can change the name by double clicking it.
Delete layer: if a layer is non longer necessary, you can delete it using this button. You cannot delete the current layer or a layer that contains any elements in the project.
/
Turn on/off: the light bulb icon shows whether a layer is on or off. Turning on/off a layer only changes whether the objects in the layer are visible in the project. Objects in a layer that is turned off will not be displayed in your design and will be ignored in any prints, renderings, or estimates, even though they are still part of the project.
/
Lock/Unlock: locking or unlocking a layer affects the ability to make changes to these objects within your project. When a layer is locked, the objects assigned to this layer cannot be changed within the project.
This article is valid for the 2024 version and later.