Layer
| Toolbar | Menu |
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Edit Layers > Edit Layers Window Panels > 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
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
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Click the Layer pane in the status bar.
The layer pop-up gives you access to a shortcut list of layer options. Right-click in the layer pop-up, to show the context menu.
Context menu
Select Objects
Selects all objects on the layer. Objects on the sub-layers are excluded.
Change Object Layer
Moves selected objects to the layer.
Copy Objects to Layer
Copies selected objects to the layer.
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
- Right-click the Layer pane in the status bar.
Or - On the Window > Panels menu, enable Layers.
Layer Properties
Name
Layer name.
See: Naming conventions in Rhino
Current
A check and shading indicates current layer.
On / 
Off
Controls global visibility of a layer in model, layout, and detail views at the same time unless the layer is specifically turned off by the Model On, Layout On, or Detail On settings.
Lock / 
Unlock
Controls the selectable state of the objects on a layer.
State of child layers
- If the parent layer gets turned off or locked, the "half lite" light bulb
or lock 
icon indicates that the child layers will be controlled by the parent layer. - If the light bulb or lock is all grayed out , then the child layer has it own control, and will not change with the parent layer.
- Child layers cannot be turned on or unlocked on their own when their parent layer is turned off or locked.
Color
The default screen display color for objects on this layer.
Material
The material used for rendering.
The circular icon shows the material thumbnail.
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.
Define your own line widths (For Windows version only)
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Add line width values to the printwidths.txt file in Rhino support folder > Localization > [Language] > Support
In the printwidths.txt file:
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Lines begin with ; or // will be ignored.
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Line width values have to be larger than 0.
To change a setting for multiple layers
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Select a layer.
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Use Ctrl(CMD)+click or Shift+click to select more layers.
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Click the light bulb to turn on/off the selected layers all at once.
This action works with other layer settings.
Section Style
Sets how to fill clipping sections of objects on the layer.
None
Do not fill clipping sections with a hatch pattern.
Custom
Fills clipping sections with the hatch pattern selected in the Section Style dialog.
New Detail On
Model On / Layout On / Detail On
Controls visibility of a layer in Model, Layout, and Detail views separately when the global visibility setting is turned on.
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
Click to create a new layer with the color for new layers.
New Layer with random color
Right-click to create a new layer with a random color.
Tab and Insert keys
While editing a layer name, pressing Tab or Insert accepts the name editing and creates a new layer. This makes creating multiple layers more easily.
New Sublayer
Click to create a new layer subordinate to the selected layer with the color for new layers.
New Sublayer with random color
Right-click to create a new layer subordinate to the selected layer with a random color.
- 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.
Change Object Layer
Moves selected objects to the selected layer.
Copy Objects to Layer
Copies selected objects to the selected layer.
Steps
- Select an object.
- Select the target layer.
- Left-click or right-click the button.
See: ChangeLayer.
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
Columns
Shows the column header list to show or hide layer settings.
Right-clicking a column header shows the same list.
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.
- The HighlightObjectLayers command provides the same functionality.
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.
All Layers On
Turn on all hidden layers.
Expand All
Show all child layers.
Collapse All
Hide 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.
SearchLayer list options
To sort the list
-
Click the column heading.
Layer names are sorted in Natural sort order.
Natural sort order: 1, 2, 3, 10 (10 is listed after 3)
Alphabetical sort order: 1, 10, 2, 3 (10 is listed before 2)
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
Layer context menu options
To open the layer context menu
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Right-click on a layer column.
The context menu may display different items when you right-click on different column.
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.
Restore Default
Resets the column being right-clicked to the default setting.
Layer Off in Selected Details Only (Layout On column only)
> This Layout
Turns the layer off in the selected detail view, and on in all other detail views in the current layout.
> All Layouts
Turns the layer off in the selected detail view, and on in all other detail views in all layouts.
Layer On in Selected Details Only (Layout On column only)
> This Layout
Turns the layer on in the selected detail view, and off in all other detail views in the current layout.
> All Layouts
Turns the layer on in the selected detail view, and off in all other detail views in all layouts.
Layer Off in this Detail Only (Detail On column only)
> This Layout
Turns the layer off in the active detail view, and on in all other detail views in the current layout.
> All Layouts
Turns the layer off in the active detail view, and on in all other detail views in all layouts.
Layer On in this Detail Only (Detail On column only)
> This Layout
Turns the layer on in the active detail view, and off in all other detail views in the current layout.
> All Layouts
Turns the layer on in the active detail view, and off in all other detail views in all layouts.
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.
New Layer
Creates a new layer.
New Sublayer
Creates a new sublayer.
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.
One Layer On
Sets the selected layer on and turns all others off.
See: OneLayerOn.
Match Properties
Select a layer to match.
See: MatchProperties.
Delete
Deletes the selected layers.
Rename
Edits the name of the selected layer.
Expand Sublayers
Expands the layer tree of the selected parent layer.
Collapse Sublayers
Collapses the layer tree of the selected parent layer.
Layer Keyboard Shortcuts
Standard list control shortcuts
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▲ |
Moves the selection up. |
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▼ |
Moves the selection down. |
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PageUp |
Moves the selection a page up. |
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PageDown |
Moves the selection a page down. |
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Home |
Moves the selection to the first item. |
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End |
Moves the selection to the last item. |
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Adds individual layer to the selection. |
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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.
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F2 |
Renames the selected layer. |
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F5 |
Refresh the layer list. |
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Insert |
Creates a new layer below the selected layer. |
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+ |
Expands the selected layer. |
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Expands all child layers of the selected layer. |
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- |
Collapses the selected layer. |
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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
| Toolbar | Menu |
|---|---|
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Edit Layers > Change Object Layer |
The ChangeLayer command changes the layer of selected objects.
Steps
- Select the objects.
- Select the layer name from the list.
Layer for Objects options
Available layers
Name
Layer names.
- Double-click a layer name to set the target layer and close the dialog box.
Set layer current
Sets the target layer current.
Select an object in the viewport to specify the layer.
Creates a new layer.
ChangeToCurrentLayer
| Toolbar | Menu | Panels |
|---|---|---|
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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
- Select objects.
| Toolbar | Menu |
|---|---|
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Edit Layers > Copy Objects to Layer |
The CopyToLayer command copies selected objects to a specified layer.
Steps
- Select objects.
- Select the layer name from the list.
Layer to copy objects
Available layers
Name
Layer names.
- Double-click a layer name to set the target layer and close the dialog box.
Set layer current
Sets the target layer current.
Select an object in the viewport to specify the layer.
Creates a new layer.
To access hidden command-line options
- Type a hyphen in front of the command name: -CopyToLayer.
| Command-line options | |
|---|---|
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NewLayer |
Create a new layer. |
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SelectObject |
Select an object to specify the layer. |
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SetCurrent |
Yes/No |
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Toolbar |
Menu |
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New in V8 |
Edit Layers > Highlight Object Layers |
The HighlightObjectLayers command selects the layers of selected objects when the Layer panel is visible.
- The same functionality can be accessed from Layers panel > Tools
> Select Object Layer.
| Toolbar | Menu |
|---|---|
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Edit Layers > Layer State Manager Window Panels > Layer States |
The LayerStateManager command can:
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Save the current state of layers.
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Restore the previously saved state of layers.
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Restore detail view layer states to the active detail view or all selected detail views.
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Import the layer state list from a .3dm file.
Steps
- Set up your layers.
The Layer State Manager saves the current layer settings. - In the Layer State Manager panel, click Save, and then type a name for the configuration.
Layer States Panel
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 boxRight-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.
Save
Saves a new layer state.
Update
Overwrites the selected layer state with the current layer setup.
Layer settings to restore
Restores the state of layers in the model space.
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Layout or Detail Layer setting to restore
Restores the state of layers in layout or detail.
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| Toolbar | Menu |
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Edit Layers > One Layer On |
The OneLayerOn command turns a specified layer on and all other layers off.
Steps
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Make a model viewport active.
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Select the layer to turn on from the list.
Or click the button to select an object on the target layer.
| Toolbar | Menu |
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Edit Layers > One Layer Off |
The OneLayerOff command turns off the selected object's layer.
Steps
- Select an object on the layer in a model viewport.
| Toolbar | Menu |
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The RenderAssignMaterialToLayer command assigns a material to a layer from the command-line.
Steps
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Select a material by entering its name or ID.
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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.
| Toolbar | Menu |
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The RenderAssignMaterialToLayersOfObjects command assigns a material to the selected object's layer from the command-line.
Steps
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Select a material by entering its name or ID.
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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.
| Toolbar | Menu |
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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 thickening.