Layer Edit All ( Drawing Editor )

Tool summary :

• Opens a window that lets you hide, show, add or delete layers in your current drawing.
• The window can also be used to rename layers, or to reset the drawing order of layers.
• The " Show " / hide state of layers is retained when you Save . Hidden layers are not plotted.
• See (on this page):
  • Special types of layers:
    • Comment layers
    • Revision layer
  • Step-by-step instructions:
    • Introduction
    • Step 1: Invoke Layer Edit All
    • Step 2: Make entries to the Edit Layers window
    • Step 3: Close the Edit Layers window

Also see :

• Drawing Editor (where Layer Edit All is a tool)
• Layer selection tool (shows selected layer and order of layers)
• Push Up (alternative to Layer Edit All for ordering layers)
• Push Down (alternative to Layer Edit All )
• Hide (alternative to Layer Edit All for hiding layers)
• Hide Others (alternative to Layer Edit All for hiding layers)
• Show All (alternative to Layer Edit All for showing layers)
• Ctrl + up/down arrow (special keys for Edit Layers window)
• Plotting (hidden layers are not plotted)
• Undo (undoes drawing layer changes)

page 1 | contents | objects > layers > | objects -- layers

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   Comment layers :

• The type of layer that users of an SDS2 Basic edition can add graphic objects to is called a comment layer.
• SDS2 Basic edition users cannot add graphics to non-comment layers -- a feature that preserves the integrity of the drawing and maintains the detailer's control of the drawing. All layers added in an SDS2 Basic edition are comment layers.
• If " Freeze drawing " is checked ( ) for a member detail, you are also limited to adding graphics to comment layers while in that drawing. See " Add Comment " layer.
• Users of SDS2 programs can Erase comment layers, or Add objects to them or etc.
• Comment layers that are on sheet items (details) that have been placed on sheets can optionally be printed or not printed. See " Plot comment layers ."
• When you Home > Export > 2D > Export PDF Drawing , you also have an option to " Plot comment layers ." If you File > Print PDF an individual drawing from inside the Drawing Editor , comment layers will be shown in the PDF if they are shown on the drawing.
• To create a new comment layer for your current Drawing Editor drawing, choose Objects > Layers > Edit All , then press the " Add Comment " button found on the window that opens. Alternatively, you can choose Objects > Layers > Add , then check the box for " As comment layer "
• You cannot change a comment layer to a non-comment layer or vice-versa. To move objects from a comment layer to a non-comment layer, select the objects that are on the comment layer, right-click then choose " Edit " on the context menu , then -- on the " Layer " entry field shown on edit window that opens -- select the non-comment layer to which you want to move the objects.
• The " Reference Dimension " layer that auto detailing creates for member details, submaterial details and erection drawings is a comment layer. Consequently, when the user of an SDS2 Basic edition adds object to one of these types of drawings, those objects are, by default, added to the " Reference Dimension " layer.

page 1 | contents | objects > layers > | objects -- layers | top

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   Revision layer :

• The ' Revision ' layer is the layer that auto detailing clouds changes on.

Example of a cloud and pointer and delta symbol that might be found on a revision layer.

• Changes to details are clouded on this layer per Home > Project Settings > Fabricator > Sheet Revisions > " Method to be used for clouding changes on details ." The clouds are drawn around differences between the base drawing and the new drawing.
• Detail Members automatically generates a layer with this name for selected members when " Detail with revisions " is checked. Such a layer is also created when " Detail with revisions " is checked for submaterial and when " Detail with revisions " is selected for Detail Erection Views .
• A ' Revision ' layer can optionally be printed or not printed. See " Plot revision layers ."
• The various layer tools such as Erase , Hide , etc. work on the ' Revision ' layer just like they do on other types of layers.

page 1 | contents | objects > layers > | objects -- layers | top

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   Step-by-step instructions :

The " Show " / hide state of layers is retained when you Save . Also, hidden layers are not plotted, and you can Undo drawing layer changes. You can use Navigate tools while the Edit Layers window is open.

1 . In the Drawing Editor , invoke Layer Edit All using any one (1) of the following methods:

Method 1 : Click the Layer Edit All icon. The icon can be taken from the group named ' Objects -- Layers ' and placed on a toolbar (classic) or the ribbon (lightning).

Method 2 : If " Drawing Editor layout style " is ' Classic ', you can use the menu system to choose Objects > Layers > Edit All .

Method 3, 4 or 5 : Layer Edit All can also be invoked using a keyboard shortcut , the context menu , or a mode . For the ' Lightning ' layout style, configuration of the interface is done using Customize Interface .

Method 6 : With Layer Mode mouse bindings active, left-click ( Edit ).

2 . The Edit Layers window opens. On it are options for positioning, renaming and hiding/showing drawing layers. To change the focus from one layer to another, click a layer or press the Tab key or Shift + Tab .

Name ( ref 1 ) : Any string of up to 31 characters .

Every drawing layer has a name. When you Edit a graphic object, the name of the object's layer is shown on that object's edit window. Layer names are also listed on the layer selection tool . Default names are given to layers during automatic detailing and when you Add a layer. To rename a layer, simply type over its old name.

Comment ( ref11a ) : Yes or No .

Yes indicates that the layer in that same row is a comment layer .

No means that the layer is not a comment layer.

You cannot change a comment layer to a non-comment layer or vice-versa.

Color ( ref 1b ) :

VIDEO An introduction to layer colors.

When this box is checked ( ) and " Show " is checked for a particular drawing layer, all graphic objects on that layer are displayed in the color that is specified here so long as User and Site Options > Drawings > " Show layer colors in Drawing Editor " is checked. If you File > Print PDF , the resulting .pdf file will also show the objects that are on the layer in the specified color so long as User and Site Options > Output > " Show layer colors on PDFs " is checked. Tip: You can click the color swatch next to the check box to define a red - green - blue color mix using your operating system's color picker.

When the box is not checked ( ) for a particular drawing layer, the graphic objects are displayed in their normal pen colors.

Also see: The Drawing Presentation > " Colors " tab has options for applying colors to layers during auto detailing or when a new comment layer or new non-comment layer is created.

Show ( ref 2 ): or . The hidden/shown state of layers is retained when you Save . Also, hidden layers are not plotted. In earlier versions of SDS2 programs, all layers were automatically shown at the time of File > Open of that drawing.

When the box is checked ( ) for a particular drawing layer, all graphic objects on that layer will be visible. You can Cut or Copy or Delete or edit objects that are on shown layers. Also, various Locate options operate on shown layers, and the layers may be Plotted ( special cases: revision layers and comment layers that are shown can optionally be not plotted).

When the box is not checked ( ) for a particular drawing layer, then all graphic objects on that layer will be hidden (invisible). Edit, erase and Locate options do not operate on hidden layers. Hidden layers are not Plotted .

"Move Up" ( ref 3 ) : Moves up the layer that has focus so that it is drawn on top of layers that are below it. After you press " OK ," the layer's position also changes in the layer selection tool .

"Move Down" ( ref 4 ) : Moves down the layer that has focus so that the layer is drawn below layers that are above it. After you press " OK ," the layer's position will also change in the layer selection tool .

Select ( ref 5 ) : Selects the layer that has focus so that it becomes the layer that will be written to (by default) when you Add graphical objects to your current drawing. The selected layer is also shown as selected on the layer selection tool . Note: If you close this drawing and open it again, the selected layer becomes the " User Annotation " layer.

"Add " ( ref 6 ) : Creates a new layer, which is placed at the top of the list of layers. You can change its " Name " or " Select " it for adding objects to it, set it to " Show ," or set its " Color " for display of objects on it.

"Add Comment" ( ref 7 ) : Creates a new comment layer (for writing comments on). The new layer will be named "Comment Layer ..." and placed at the top of the list of layers. You can change its " Name " or " Select " it for adding objects to it, set it to " Show ," or set its " Color " for display of objects on it. Comment layers are normally not printed (although they can be).

"Delete" ( ref 8 ) : Erases the layer that has focus . All graphic objects on that layer are deleted along with the layer. If the layer that is deleted is the selected layer (see the illustration ), a different layer will become the selected layer.

"Preview" ( ref 9 ) : Redraws your current drawing per the settings on this window. Example: If you have hidden or erased layers since opening this window, " Preview " makes all graphics on those layers disappear.

3 . Press one (1) of the following buttons:

   

" OK" (or the Enter key) closes this window and applies the changes you have made to the layers of your current drawing..

Note: At this point you can still undo your changes by using Revert or Undo . If you Save to make your changes permanent, you can no longer Revert , but you can still Undo .

" Cancel" (or the Esc key or the button) closes this window without applying any of the changes that you have made to it.

The mouse bindings that were active before you invoked Layer Edit All become active again.

" Reset" undoes all changes made to this window since the you first opened it. The window remains open. See step 2 .

page 1 | contents | objects > layers > | objects -- layers | top