Layer

Toolbar	Menu	Panel Gear Menu
Layer Standard	Edit Layers > Edit Layers Panels Layers	Layers

Layers are a way of organizing objects so you can manipulate them all at once or keep track of them in some way. When objects are on a layer, you can turn them all off at once, change their wireframe display color, and select them all with one selection.

Layers panel

Panel options

The Layers panel displays the layers in the model.

When a layout view is involved, an extended set of columns displays.

When linked blocks or worksessions are involved, layers from those external files are displayed in a tree format under the block name.

The layer panel gives you tools for managing the layers in your model.

The Layers pop-up menu gives you access to common layer settings: on/off, locked/unlocked, color, and current status.

To display a shortcut window

Click the Layer pane in the status bar.
The Layers pop-up menu gives you access to a shortcut list of layer options.

Note

If no objects are selected, selecting a layer from the status bar layer pop-up window sets the selected layer as the current layer.
If objects are selected, selecting a layer from the status bar layer pop-up window changes the objects to the selected layer. The current layer is not changed.
The status bar Layer pane shows the current layer unless objects are selected. When objects are selected, the status bar Layer pane shows the layer of select objects or "varies" if objects fell on more than one layer.

To open the Layers panel

Right-click the Layer pane in the status bar.
Or
On the Panels menu, click Layers.

Layer Properties

Name

Current

On/Off (Layout On/Off and Detail On/Off)

Lock/Unlock

Color

Material

Linetype

Print Color

Print Width

Opens the Select Print Width dialog. Specify a line width assigned to the layer for printing only or specify No Print if you do not want the layer to print.

Layout On/Off

When on, the layer is visible and you can see objects on this layer in a layout or detail.

Layout / Detail Color

The default screen display color for objects on this layer in a layout or detail.

Layout / Detail Print Color

Layout / Detail Print Width

The line width assigned to the layer for printing only. Specify a line width assigned to the layer for printing only or specify No Print if you do not want the layer or detail to print. Change the properties of individual objects with the Properties command.

Layer Toolbar options

New Layer

Layer names are created with incremented numbers. Edit the layer to change its name. In addition to using the context menu, you can select the layer and click the layer name or press F2. Both of these actions will highlight the layer name so you can type a new one.

Layer names on the same level must be unique.

Tab key

Tab

While editing a layer name, press Tab to save the layer and create a new layer. This lets you create multiple layer names more easily.

New Sublayer

Creates a new layer subordinate to the selected layer.

Layers can be dragged under other layers to make them sub-layers.

Sublayer names under a parent layer must be unique.

Delete

If a layer you want to delete has objects on it, a warning dialog appears.

Move Up

Move the selected layers up in the list.

Move Down

Move the selected layers down in the list.

Move Up One Parent

Moves the selected layer up one level in the layer tree structure.

Filters

When a model has a large number of layers, the list of layers may be difficult to manage. Layer filters let you adjust the visibility of the layers in the panel.

Layer Filter Options

All Layers

On Layers

Off Layers

Locked Layers

Unlocked Layers

Layers with Objects

Empty Layers

Selected Layers

Filtered Layers

Opens the Show Filtered Layers dialog box to set a custom filter.

Show Filtered Layers options

Match:

Type a string of characters to match the layer name to. You can include wildcard characters:

* = match zero or more characters
? = exactly one character
# = exactly one numeric (0-9) character
& = exactly one alpha (a-z, A-Z) character

Set the layer attributes to match (on, off, or locked, and whether or not there are objects on the layer).

And are:

Off

Locked

Unlocked

And have:

Objects

No objects

View (Layout viewports only)

When a layout view is active, allows restricting the layers to layout layers only.

View all layer settings

Displays model and layout layer settings columns.

View model layer settings

Displays model layer settings columns:

Current

Lock

Color

Linetype

Print Color

Print Width

View layout layer settings

Displays layout settings columns:

Layout On

Layout Color

Layout Print Color

Layout Print Width

Tools

Layer State Manager

Opens the Layer States panel.

Select All

Select all layers currently displayed in the list.

Select Object Layer

Selects the layer of the currently selected object.

Invert Selection

Inverts the selection state. All selected layers are unselected and all unselected layers are selected.

Select Objects

Select objects for on the currently selected layer.

Select Sublayer Objects

Selects object on the currently selected layer and its sub-layers.

Change Object Layer

Change selected objects to selected layer.

See: ChangeLayer.

Copy Objects to Layer

Copy selected objects to selected layer.

Collapse All

Hide all child layers.

Expand All

Show all child layers.

Columns

Select which columns to display in the Layer panel.

Column Sort

Allows layers to be sorted by columns. Clear the check to prevent accidental sorting by name.

Layer list options

To sort the list

Click the column heading.

To hide or show columns

Right-click the column heading, and check or clear the column name.

To change a column width

Drag the column heading dividers.

To edit a layer's properties

Right-click the layer name and select an option from the context menu, or select an option from the Layer Toolbar.

To select layers

Click and drag the cursor over a list of layers to select them.
Hold Shift to select a group of adjacent layer names.
Hold Ctrl to select multiple individual layer names.
To quickly select all but a few layers, Select all layers, de-select a smaller set of layers.

Layer context menu options

To open the layer context menu

Right-click a layer name.

Worksession Reference (Worksession layers only)

For more information, see Worksession.

Set Active Model

The selected model is open for editing.

The current model closes and becomes an attached model. You are prompted to save changes in the currently active model.

Detach Model

Removes the external file from the worksession list.

Update Model

Refreshes the selected attached files.

Attach Model

Attaches an external file to the worksession list.

Set Current

Makes the selected layer current.

Set Properties

On

The layer is visible and you can see objects on this layer.

Off

The layer is not visible and you cannot see objects on this layer.

Lock

The layer is visible, but you cannot edit objects on this layer.

Unlock

The layer is visible and you can edit objects on this layer.

Color

Sets the default screen display color for objects on this layer.

Material

Sets the material used for rendering.

Linetype

Sets the linetype assigned to the layer.

Print Color

Sets the color assigned to the layer for printing only.

Print Width

Sets the line width assigned to the layer for printing only.

One Layer On

Sets the selected layer on and turns all others off.

See: OneLayerOn.

Match Properties

Select a layer to match.

See: MatchProperties.

Remove Material (Material column only)

Restores the layer material to the default material.

Reset Print Color (Print color column only)

Resets the print color to the layer color.