9 - Organization - Layers, Groups, and Blocks

Rhino offers aids to organize your work. Each method offers a different approach to model organization. These include:

• Layers let you assign a layer designation to objects.
• Groups associate objects so they can be selected as one.
• Blocks let you store and update an association of objects.
• Worksessions let you work on a part of a project while using other models in the project as references.

Layers

Layers are a way of grouping objects and applying certain characteristics to all objects that have that layer assignment.

Layer states include a layer name, the color used to display the objects, and the on/off and locked/unlocked status of all the objects on a layer. Objects are always created on the current layer. This layer assignment can be changed later. Objects on layers that are off are not visible in the model. Objects on locked layers cannot be selected but can be snapped to.

Popup layer list

The popup layer list is a shortcut for the most common tasks related to layers.

In addition, right-click a layer name to perform these actions:

• Select objects on that layer
• Change selected objects to that layer
• Copy objects to that layer

Layers panel

Use the Layers panel for more detailed layer management.

In the Layers panel, in addition to the actions you can perform in the Popup layer list, you can also:

• Create new layers and sublayers
• Delete layers
• Move layers up or down in the layer list
• Elevate a sublayer
• Filter the layer list
• Set the layer render material
• Set the layer linetype
• Set the layer print color
• Set the layer print width

Right-click in the Layers panel to display a menu offering additional layer functions.

Click the Help icon in the toolbar to open the Help topic for the Layer command.

Groups

The Group command creates a virtual container for objects that can be selected as a single object to move, copy, rotate, or apply properties (e.g., object color). A group can include other groups. The Ungroup command destroys the top-level group.

For more information about groups, open the Help topic for the Group command.

Blocks

A block is another way of associating various objects together to form a single object. The Block command creates a block definition in the model's database. Using a block definition uses less memory than using groups.

When you edit the block definition, all instances of the block are changed to match the new definition. Blocks streamline modeling, reduce the model size, and promote standardization of parts and details. Block definitions can be stored outside the model using linked blocks.

Exploding a block instance places the block geometry using the instance location, scale, and rotation.

The Insert command places instances of a block definition in your model. The instance refers to the block definition in the database.

You can scale, copy, rotate, array, and otherwise transform block instances in the model.

To edit geometry in a block definition, double-click a block instance, or use the BlockEdit command.

The BlockManager command displays a dialog box that lists all the block definitions in the model. Use the Block Manager dialog box to view block properties, export a block definition to a file, delete a block definition and all its instances, update a block definition from a file, find out what blocks are nested in other blocks, and count the number of block instances in the model.

Worksessions

The Worksession command lets many users work on a large project by managing many files. Each user can edit a different file in the project and at the same time see the related portions of the project. Only one user can have a file open for editing, but many users can see it. By refreshing as needed, each user can see the current version of the related files in the projects.

Rhino worksessions let you attach external files to your current work environment. Attached geometry cannot be edited (Move, Scale), but it can be used for input to creation commands (Copy, ExtrudeCrv).

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