Layer

Toolbar Menu Panel Gear Menu

Layer
Standard

Edit

Layers >

Edit Layers

Panels

Layers

Layers

The Layer command manages layer properties.

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

Layer Properties

Name

Layer name.

See: Naming conventions in Rhino

Current

A check and shading indicates current layer.

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

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

Off

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

Lock/Unlock
Unlock

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

Lock

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

Color

The default screen display color for objects on this layer.

Material

The material used for rendering.

RenderAssignMaterialToLayer

Linetype

The linetype assigned to the layer.

Print Color

The color assigned to the layer for printing only.

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.

To define your own line widths, add line width values to the printwidths.txt file in the Rhino support folder.

In the printwidths.txt file:
  • Lines begin with ; or // will be ignored.
  • Line width values have to be larger than 0.

To change a setting for multiple layers

  1. Select a layer.

  2. Use Ctrl+click or Shift+click to select more layers.

  3. Click the light bulb to turn on/off the selected layers all at once.

    This action works with other layer settings.

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

The color assigned to the layout or detail layer for printing only.

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.

 

Tab key

While editing a layer name, pressing Tab accepts the name editing and creates a new layer. This makes creating multiple layers 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.
  • Layer names on the same level 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:

On

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

On

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 layers of the currently selected objects.

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 layers from being sorted by accident.

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

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.

Layer On in this Detail Only (Active Detail only)

Turns off the selected layers in all the other Detail views.

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.

New Layer

Creates a new layer.

New Sublayer

Creates a new sublayer.

Rename Layer

Renames the current layer.

You can also select a layer and click the layer name or press F2 to rename the layer.

Delete Layer

Deletes the selected layers.

Duplicate Layer

Copies the layer with its attributes.

Duplicate Layer and Objects

Copies the layer with its attributes and all of the objects on the layer.

See: DupLayer.

Select All

Selects all layers currently displayed in the list.

Invert selection

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

Select Objects

Selects objects on the selected layers.

Select Sublayer Objects

Selects objects on the sub-layers of the selected layer.

Change Object Layer

Selects objects in the model to change to selected layer.

Copy Objects to Layer

Selects objects to copy to selected layer.

Collapse Sublayers

Collapses the layer name tree.

Expand Sublayers

Expands the layer name tree for the selected layer.

Layer Keyboard Shortcuts

Standard list control shortcuts

Moves the selection up.

Moves the selection down.

PageUp

Moves the selection a page up.

PageDown

Moves the selection a page down.

Home

Moves the selection to the first item.

End

Moves the selection to the last item.

Ctrl

Adds individual layer to the selection.

Shift

Adds a range of layers to the selection.

Layer-specific shortcuts

The Layer panel must have focus (cursor over the Layer panel) for these shortcuts to work.

F2

Renames the selected layer.

F5

Refresh the layer list.

Insert

Creates a new layer below the selected layer.

Delete

Deletes the selected layers.

+

Expands the selected layer.

Ctrl or 
Shift +
Number pad +

Expands all child layers of the selected layer.

-

Collapses the selected layer.

Ctrl or Shift + 
Number pad -

Collapses all child layers of the selected layer.

Column options

Displays/hides columns in the layer dialog

Name

Current

On

Lock

Color

Material

Linetype

Print Color

Print Width

When Layout views exist, additional options appear:

Layout On

Layout Color

Layout Print Color

Layout Print Width

When Detail views exist, additional options appear:

Detail On

Detail Color

Detail Print Color

Detail Print Width

Related commands

ChangeLayer

Toolbar Menu

Layer

Edit

Layers >

Change Object Layer

The ChangeLayer command changes the layer of selected objects.

Steps

  1. Select the objects.
  2. Select the layer name from the list.

Layer for Objects options

Available layers

Name

Layer names.

Set layer current

Sets the target layer current.

Select

Select an object in the viewport to specify the layer.

New

Creates a new layer.

ChangeToCurrentLayer

Toolbar Menu Panels

Layer

Edit

Layers >

Change Object to Current Layer

Layer

Right-click layer name >

Change Object Layer

The ChangeToCurrentLayer command changes the layer of selected objects to the current layer.

Steps

CopyToLayer

Toolbar Menu

Layer

Edit

Layers >

Copy Objects to Layer

The CopyToLayer command copies selected objects to a specified layer.

Steps

  1. Select objects.
  2. Select the layer name from the list.

Layer to copy objects

Available layers

Name

Layer names.

Set layer current

Sets the target layer current.

Select

Select an object in the viewport to specify the layer.

New

Creates a new layer.

To access hidden command-line options

  • Type a hyphen in front of the command name: -CopyToLayer.
Command-line options

NewLayer

Create a new layer.

SelectObject

Select an object to specify the layer.

SetCurrent

Yes/No

LayerStateManager

Toolbar Menu Panel Gear Menu

Layer

Edit

Layers >

Layer State Manager...

Panels

Layer States

Layer States

The LayerStateManager command can:

  • Save the current state of layers.

  • Restore the previously saved state of layers.

  • Restore detail view layer states to the active detail view or all selected detail views.

Steps

  1. Set up your layers.
    The Layer State Manager saves the current layer settings.
  2. In the Layer State Manager panel, click Save, and then type a name for the configuration.

Layer States Panel

Panel options

Toolbar buttons

Save

Saves a new layer state.

  • Click the "Name" column head to toggle the list between ascending and descending orders.

See: Naming conventions in Rhino

Restore

Reverts to the specified layer state.

Delete

Deletes the selected layer state.

Import

Imports the layer state list from a .3dm file.

Search box

Enter text to only list the layer states with the text in their names.

Right-click context menu

Restore

Reverts to the specified layer state.

Delete

Deletes the selected layer state.

Rename

Edit the name of the selected layer state.

Layer settings to restore

Restores the state of layers in the model space.

Current
On / Off
Locked / Unlocked
Color
Linetype
Print color
Print width
Material

Layout or Detail Layer setting to restore

Restores the state of layers in layout or detail.

On / Off
Color
Print color
Print width

OneLayerOn

Toolbar Menu

Layer

Edit

Layers >

One Layer On

The OneLayerOn command turns a specified layer on and all other layers off.

Steps

  1. Select the layer to turn on from the list.
  2. Click the Select button to select an object on the target layer.

OneLayerOff

Toolbar Menu

Layer

Edit

Layers >

One Layer Off

The OneLayerOff command turns off a layer designated by selecting an object on the layer.

Steps

  • Select an object on the layer.

RenderAssignMaterialToLayer

Toolbar Menu

Not on toolbars.

Not on menus.

The RenderAssignMaterialToLayer command assigns a material to a layer from the command-line.

Steps

  1. Select a material by entering its name or ID.

  2. Select a layer by entering its name or ID.

See also

RenderAssignMaterialToLayersOfObjects

Assigns a material to the selected object's layer from the command-line.

RenderAssignMaterialToObjects

Assigns a material to the selected objects from the command-line.

RenderAssignMaterialToLayersOfObjects

Toolbar Menu

Not on toolbars.

Not on menus.

The RenderAssignMaterialToLayersOfObjects command assigns a material to the selected object's layer from the command-line.

Steps

  1. Select a material by entering its name or ID.

  2. Select one or more objects.

See also

RenderAssignMaterialToLayer

Assigns a material to a layer from the command-line.

RenderAssignMaterialToObjects

Assigns a material to the selected objects from the command-line.

SetLayerToObject

Toolbar Menu

Layer

Edit

Layers >

Set Current Layer to Object

The SetLayerToObject command makes the layer of a selected object the current layer.

Steps

  • Select an object on the layer you want to be current.

See also

Snapshots

The Snapshots command saves and restores Named Views, Named Positions, Layer States, as well as rendering settings, object settings including locked/hidden state, display mode, material, position, light settings, curve piping, displacement, edge softening, shutlining, and thickness.

Copy and duplicate objects

Use layers

Work with blocks, groups, and worksessions

Scripting layers

McNeel Wiki: Imported and linked block layer names