Showing and hiding layers

Setting the layer visibility in drawing files + Setting the layer visibility in layouts

You can use this tool to define which layers are visible on screen and which ones are hidden. You can also select a print set so that the layers it contains are visible.

A print set is a compilation of layers which can be selected during design and when placing layer elements in a layout. Only those layers contained in the selected print set are then printed.

Note: The default layer is always set to Modifiable.

The DEFAULT layer is a layer that is always available to all users. Its status is always Modifiable. You cannot assign format properties to the DEFAULT layer and elements cannot assume their properties from the DEFAULT layer, either.

To select the visible layers

1. Click Select, Set Layers(How) and select the Select Layer/Visibility tab.
   

   Activate Select, Set Layers in one of the following ways

   • Menu bar: Format

   • Keyboard: Ctrl+4

   • Toolbar: Format

   Or:

   Open the Layers palette.

2. Select the visible and hidden layers in one of the following ways:
   • If you have already defined a print set and want to use the setting of this print set, click with the right mouse button in the window, select Match visibility from print set on the shortcut menu and click the relevant print set.
   • Select the layers you want to assign a common property, click the selection with the right mouse button and, on the shortcut menu, click Modifiable or Visible, frozen or Hidden, frozen.
     Or:
     Click one of the icons in the Modify status area.
     Or:
     Press the space bar.
     

     Before you can assign a properties to layers, you need to select them in the tree view.

     To select layers

     • To select a single layer, click it.
     • To select all the layers in a level, click the level.
     • To select a series of non-adjacent layers, press and hold down the CTRL key and click the layers.
     • To select several adjacent layers, click the first layer, press and hold down the SHIFT key and click the last layer.

     Note: You can save these settings as a favorite file in the Layer dialog box so that you can quickly access the relevant setting. Click an element with the right mouse button and, on the shortcut menu, select Modify Layer Status and then Isolate layer - set all other layers to hidden to hide all the layers except the layer of the element clicked.