OTB Idea #11: Layers
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Chuck: Every time I move an element, it seems that it loses it's layer orientation. If I take an element that has been sent to back and move a copy, the copy is always place on the front and I have to again change it to send to back. This is another time waster that adds up over the course of dealing with multiple pages of changes.
Barry: Correct, a copy is the newest thing created, so it goes on top. I like your request and I'll file it. My only worry is that novice users who don't understand drawing order and layers might get confused: I just copied this thing and why is it hiding behind other things.
Chuck: I am really having problems with the arrangement feature. Why are the model instances always on top? I am constantly losing Layout elements behind a model instance. I can see them but I can't select them without either dragging right to left and then deselecting the model instance, or moving the model over a known number of arrow strokes, grabbing the element and moving it, and then moving the model back. Neither of these is very quick and require too many calisthenics, in my opinion. I end up using layers for almost everything, but it still extra key strokes to accomplish something that should be easy. I need to be able to send the model instance to the back and keep it there. I can see the concern about novices, but, frankly, anyone who is using Layout already is a pro SU user and is motivated to get out of the Auto CAD world, so they are not exactly novices.
Barry: If your models are always on top and you put them all on the same layer, it's because you have your models layer on top. The layer that's on the bottom of the list in the LayOut Layers panel will be drawn furthest back, while successive layers will be drawn on top / in front of layers further back.
It sounds like you want your models at the bottom (other things in front of it). If so, move it to the bottom of the list.
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Well, great news on this! I had always operated on the assumption that the layers acted like illustrator layers, where layer hierarchy had no bearing on where objects in the drawing were in the stack.
Now that i know that the layer position reflects the location on the page, I am quite liking how it is set up.
Thanks Barry for clarifying that for me. The more I learn, the more I appreciate how slick Layout works.
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