3.7. 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 Format Settings.

3.7.1. 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.

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 Layouts, Viewports and Printing.
Plot	Whether the layer is included in PDF and DXF/DWG plot output.
Description	Free text.

3.7.2. 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.

3.7.3. 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).

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.

3.7.4. 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).

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.

3.7.5. 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:

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 Format Settings).

3.7.6. Colour and Linetype Inheritance

An object’s colour and linetype can be set to ByLayer or to an explicit value:

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.