LAYER

LAYER opens the Layer Properties Manager. A layer is a named group of objects that share a colour, a linetype and a lineweight, and that you can hide, lock or leave off the plot together. In this window you make layers, choose the current one, and change how each layer looks.

How it works

Type LA and press Enter. The Layer Properties Manager opens and the command ends at once. The window can stay open while you draw. Every change you make in it takes effect straight away, so there is no OK button. Close the window when you are done.

Command line

Command: LA
(click New Layer)
Layer "Layer1" added.
(select a layer that has objects on it, then click Delete)
Cannot delete layer 0, the current layer, or a layer with objects.

To change layers by typing at the command line instead, use -LAYER.

The buttons along the top

Part	What it does
New Layer	Adds a layer called Layer1, or the next free number. It starts white, Continuous, 0.25 mm, on and plotting.
Delete	Deletes the layer selected in the table. Layer 0, the current layer and a layer with objects on it cannot be deleted.
Set Current	Makes the selected layer the current layer. Everything you draw from now on goes on it.
Assign Selection	Moves the objects selected in the drawing onto the selected layer. Musa CAD says Moved selection to layer.
Filter list	Shows only some layers: All, All Used Layers, Layers On, Layers Off, Frozen, Thawed, Locked or Unlocked, followed by the drawing’s own filters. All Used Layers shows the layers with objects on them, plus layer 0 and the current layer.
Invert filter	Shows the layers the chosen filter leaves out. It has no effect with All.
New Property Filter	Opens Layer Filter Properties. Give a Filter name:, a Layer name: pattern such as A-* (empty means any name), and choose Any, yes or no for On:, Freeze:, Lock: and Plot:. The filter is kept in the drawing.
New Group Filter	Select some layers in the table first. This asks for a Filter name: and makes a filter that shows just those layers. It is kept in the drawing.
Delete Filter	Deletes the filter chosen in the list. The built-in filters cannot be deleted.
Search for layer	Shows only the layers whose name contains what you type. * and ? work as wild cards.

The columns

Each row is one layer. Click a box or a list in a row to change that layer.

Column	What it does
Name	The layer’s name. The current layer has a dot (•) in front of it. Double-click a name to rename the layer. Layer 0 cannot be renamed.
On	Untick to hide the layer’s objects. They stay in the drawing.
Frozen	Tick to freeze the layer. Its objects are hidden.
Locked	Tick to lock the layer. Its objects still show, but you cannot select or change them.
Color	The coloured square shows the layer’s colour. Click it to pick another in the Layer Colour window.
Linetype	Continuous, Dashed, Center, Hidden, or any linetype loaded into the drawing.
Lineweight	How thick the layer’s lines are, from 0.00 mm to 2.00 mm.
Plot	Untick to leave the layer off every plot, while it still shows on screen.
New VP Freeze	Tick to freeze the layer in every layout viewport you make from now on.
VP Freeze	Freezes the layer in the current layout viewport only. It shows a dash until you go into a viewport with MSPACE.
Description	A note about the layer. Double-click to type it.
Transparency	How see-through the layer’s objects are on screen, from 0 to 90 percent.
Plot Style	Read only. It shows Color_ and a number, because a layer plots as its colour does.

Good to know

• Objects drawn with colour, linetype or lineweight set to ByLayer take them from their layer. Change the layer and they all change together.
• To put layer settings back after a change, use LAYERP. To save and restore all the layer settings by name, use LAYERSTATE.
• Layers that are off or frozen do not plot. Neither do layers with Plot unticked.
• A white layer plots black on white paper.
• The Home tab of the ribbon has quick layer tools such as LAYOFF, LAYISO and LAYFRZ, so you can work by clicking objects instead of opening this window.

Compared with AutoCAD

The Layer Properties Manager has the columns AutoCAD users know, including New VP Freeze and VP Freeze, and the same built-in filters with Invert filter. Plot styles are colour-dependent only, so the Plot Style column shows the greyed Color_ name and cannot be changed.

Next

• Change layers at the command line with -LAYER.
• Change one object’s layer, colour or linetype with PROPERTIES.
• Learn how to plan layers for a drawing in Organising a drawing.