Creating and using layers
Layers can be used to easily organize a collection of similar shapes that can be hidden or formatted in bulk. For example, if you draw a keyboard, you may want to put each key into the same layer, so that they can be selected easily.
Displaying the layers dialog
To show the layers dialog:
- Click on View menu, then on Show properties.
The default layer
By default, all shapes will be created on the default layer, unless moved to another layer.
The default layer cannot be removed nor hidden.
Creating new layers
To create a new layer:
- Click on the + icon in the Layers dialog
- Or right click on a shape, select Assign to layer, then on New layer
Creating non printable, hidden or comment layers
On occasions you may want to create layers that is not printable nor included in your export, for example, a layer for comments or notes on your drawings.
To create a non printable layer:
- Select a layer, then click on the dot menu on the right of the layer
- Then click on Show in print/publish
A check mark will denote if the layer is included in print / publish / export.
If a layer is NOT included in print/publish, they will also be removed during export, therefore is suitable for usage as a comment or notes layer that will not affect the final export.
Renaming layers
To rename a layer:
- Double click on the layer name in the Layers dialog
- Or click on the dot menu at the right of your layer, and select Rename layer
Selecting an active layer
To select an active layer:
- Click on a layer in the Layers dialog
Once an active layer is selected, all shapes being added to the drawing will automatically be added to the active layer.
Assigning shapes to layers
To assign a shape to a layer:
- Right click on a shape, select Assign to layer, then the layer to be assigned
Inheriting layers
When copying or duplicating shapes, all shapes will automatically inherit their previously assigned layer.
For example, if a shape is assigned to My custom layer, when duplicated, the shape will be automatically be assigned to My custom layer.
To reassign a shape to another layer, use Assigning shapes to layers.
Deleting layers
To delete a layer:
- Click on the dot menu to the right of the layer in the Layers dialog
- Then select Delete layer
If a layer to be deleted contains shapes, you will be prompted to move all shapes to Default layer, or choose to delete the shapes.
Selecting all shapes in a layer
To select all shapes in a layer:
- Click on the layer's Pointer icon
Showing or hiding shapes in a layer
To show or hide shapes in a layer:
- Click on the layer's View icon
Changing the z-order of layers
To change the layer's z-order
- Drag the layer and drop at the position you want
Add custom data
Custom data can be added to the layer.
- Click on the menu at the right of your layer, and select Custom JSON and add your data there.
