.. index:: single: Layers single: Linetypes single: Text Styles Layers, Linetypes and Text Styles ================================== Open the **Layer Manager** from **Format › Layers…** (**Ctrl+Shift+L**) or the **Layers** button on the *Format* ribbon tab. Linetypes, drawing variables and text styles have their own dialogs under the same menu; they are described below and in :doc:`11_format`. .. index:: single: Layer Manager Layer Manager ------------- Every object belongs to a layer. Layers control the default colour, linetype, linewidth and transparency of the objects assigned to them, and whether those objects are drawn, selectable and printed. The Layer Manager is a modeless window: it stays open while you draw and follows the active drawing tab. The toolbar holds **New**, **Delete**, **Set Current** and a **Filter** box; typing in the box shows only the layers whose name contains the text. Layer ``0`` cannot be deleted. The grid has twelve columns. The state columns toggle with a single click. .. list-table:: :header-rows: 1 :widths: 20 80 * - Column - Description * - **Cur** - Marks the current layer, the one new objects are placed on. Click the cell (or press **Set Current**) to make a layer current. A frozen layer cannot be made current. * - **Layer Name** - Layer name. Double-click the cell to rename. * - **On** - On / Off. A layer that is off is not drawn and its objects cannot be selected, but they still take part in object snap. * - **Frz** - Frozen / thawed. A frozen layer is excluded from display, object snap and selection altogether. The current layer cannot be frozen. * - **Lck** - Locked / unlocked. Objects on a locked layer stay visible but cannot be selected or moved. * - **Color** - Click the swatch to change the layer's default colour. * - **Linetype** - Click to pick a linetype from the loaded set. * - **LW** - Default linewidth for objects on the layer. * - **Transp** - Transparency, 0 (opaque) to 90. Stored and written to DXF/DWG; on-screen blending is not applied yet. * - **Plot Style** - Named plot style used when printing and exporting (``Normal`` by default). See :doc:`13_layouts_printing`. * - **Plot** - Whether the layer is included in PDF and DXF/DWG plot output. * - **Description** - Free text. .. index:: single: Layer Dropdown single: Ribbon; Layer dropdown Ribbon Layer Dropdown --------------------- The **Layer** dropdown on the *Home* ribbon tab shows the current layer with its colour swatch; choosing another entry makes that layer current. Every row of the open list also carries three state icons in front of the name, in the style of the AutoCAD layer control: - a **bulb** for On / Off, - a **sun / snowflake** for thawed / frozen, - a **padlock** for unlocked / locked. Click an icon to toggle that state. The list stays open, so several layers can be switched in one visit. Freezing the current layer is refused and the reason is shown in the status bar. Changes take effect on the canvas at once and are mirrored in the Layer Manager if it is open. .. index:: single: Linetype Manager Linetype Manager ---------------- **Format › Linetypes…** (or the **Linetypes** ribbon button) opens the modeless Linetype Manager. It lists every linetype loaded in the drawing in five columns: **Name**, **Description**, a **Preview** strip of the pattern, **Source** (built-in, library or file) and **Complex** (patterns that embed text or shapes). .. list-table:: :header-rows: 1 :widths: 30 70 * - Button - Action * - **Load from File** - Opens a file browser to load a standard AutoCAD ``.LIN`` linetype definition file. All linetype entries in the file are added to the library. * - **Assign to Current Layer** - Assigns the selected linetype to the currently active layer. * - **Library** - Adds every linetype of the program's linetype library that the drawing does not have yet. Custom linetype names can also be set per-object in the Object Inspector (*LineType* field). Built-in linetypes: **Solid**, **Dashed**, **Dotted**, **DashDot**, **DashDotDot**, **LongDash**, **ShortDash**, **Divide**, **Center**. .. index:: single: Drawing Variables Drawing Variables ----------------- **Format › Variables Editor…** (or the **Draw Vars** button on the *Format* ribbon tab) opens the Drawing Variables form, which shows and edits global settings that apply to the whole file. Units and precision also have their own dialog under **Format › Units…** (**Ctrl+Shift+U**). .. list-table:: :header-rows: 1 :widths: 25 75 * - Variable - Description * - **LtScale** - Global linetype scale factor. Increase to stretch dash patterns; decrease to compress them. Command: ``LTSCALE``. * - **LUnits** - Linear unit type (Decimal, Engineering, Architectural, …). * - **LUprec** - Linear precision (decimal places). * - **AUnits** - Angular unit type (Degrees, Radians, Grads, …). * - **AUprec** - Angular precision. * - **CurrentTextStyleName** - The active text style used for new Text and Multileader objects. .. index:: single: Text Styles Text Styles ----------- **Format › Text Style…** (**Ctrl+Shift+T**) lists all named text styles with eight columns: **Name**, **Font**, **Height**, **Width Factor**, **Oblique**, **Bold**, **Italic**, **Description**. Five built-in styles are always present: .. list-table:: :header-rows: 1 :widths: 20 20 10 10 10 10 10 10 * - Name - Font - Height - WFactor - Oblique - Bold - Italic - Notes * - Standard - Arial - 0 - 1.0 - 0° - No - No - Default for all new text * - Title - Arial - 0 - 1.0 - 0° - Yes - No - Headings * - Subtitle - Arial - 0 - 1.0 - 0° - No - Yes - Captions * - Annotative - Arial - 0 - 1.0 - 0° - No - No - Scale-aware annotation * - Mono - Courier New - 0 - 1.0 - 0° - No - No - Fixed-width labels Height = 0 means the height is set individually per text object. To edit or add styles use **Format › Text Style…** (see :doc:`11_format`). .. index:: single: Colour and Linetype Inheritance single: Colour single: Linetype Inheritance Colour and Linetype Inheritance -------------------------------- An object's colour and linetype can be set to **ByLayer** or to an explicit value: .. list-table:: :header-rows: 1 :widths: 20 80 * - Value - Meaning * - **ByLayer** - The object inherits the colour / linetype of its layer. This is the recommended default. * - Explicit value - The object always draws in that colour / linetype regardless of the layer setting.