layers

[walterz54]

Layers to me means one layer sets atop another layer, meaning that if I put a red ciclce on layer 1 and a blue square on layer 2 the red circle should be atop the blue square. But thats not the case in Draw. Unless edited the last item created is the topmost one irregardless of the layer it is drawn on. Is this the way the application is designed to work? Or are there any settings to adjust?

[bryancole]

Yup, layers are ... wierd in OO-Draw. The stacking order for drwaing objects is total independent of the object layer. Layers are simply a logical grouping which allow you to control editing, visability or print-visibility. Thats all.

I'm a heavy Draw user but I've rarely found much use for the layers functionality. It's too limited ... changing layer attributes or the active layer is too fiddly.

BC

[keme]

Layers are a nice way to group objects, allowing for different views. Like in a complex block schematic, you can group different connectors (like physical vs. logical connections) by keeping them on different layers. They will stay connected even if you move objects when the connectors are not shown.

Many other uses exist, but it is really only useful if you have complex drawings and you need to simplify viewing without actually removing drawing objects.

New drawing objects are put on the active layer (white tab). Click on a layer tab to activate a layer. To show/hide layers, you can shift-click on the tab (layer title is blue when the layer is hidden). To switch on/off printing of layers several clicks are needed, which is probably the "too fiddly" procedure mentioned by bryancole. I think, like he seems to think, that a layer toolbox for show/print/lock toggles (like the one in The GIMP and other graphic packages) would be useful.

The help system has some flaws:

• To move objects to a different layer, you can't simply drag them to a layer tab. Rather, select the target layer, select objects (you can select objects on all visible layers, not only the active one), then cut and paste (ctrl-x, ctrl-v). You can even paste to a hidden layer, but then you won't see much of what you're doing...
  
• The entry about "layers, arranging" is not about layers but stacking order (which is what the OP was confused about).
  

I have searched for a way to rearrange the order of the tabs. There don't seem to be a way (...short of adding a layer where you want it, moving all objects to that layer and removing the old layer). Not a major issue, but sometimes it would be nice to group the tabs differently.

[keme]

[marwerno]

I use Layers quite frequently. I. e. when rearranging my room, office, restaurating my old house:
But the basic layout in one layer (things you can't change). Lock this layer so you don't accidently move things.
Now create another layer, putting "moveable things" in it.
Now create another layer, putting the moveable things in another position (and hidding the original layout of the moveable things)
Voila: You can play trough a number of different layout possibillities, all nicely in one documents. Make 2 layers visible at the same time for easy comparision.

Or on renovating my house: Have layers for the differnet floors: You can nicely see what is below the toilet on the first floor on ground level (or something like that

However I REALLY would llike to see a DXF or DWG export/ import function for draw: That would be THE BIGGEST!

[Warrick Nelson]

The layers work quite well for on-screen use - but creating a pdf seems to put all layers into the pdf, even those marked non-visible and non-printing.

I can print only one layer, but not export the same thing to pdf. However, using pdfcreator, it works as for physical printing.

Am I doing something wrong in the settings?

[OOuser]

[crashkahuna]

I must be missing something. If I create more that 1 layer and insert a picture it appears in all layers. How do you use layers? Thanks

[OOuser]

[roadbike]

marwerno...................You can open a dxf into DRAW. I haven't found a way to preserve the layers though.

If it is a large file (2 MB) it will have slight errors, and some shapes will be deformed when comparing the DRAW drawing to the origional dxf.

Does anyone know of a way to preserve the layer info in the dfx when opening with draw?

[essdeeay]