Bug or feature? Active Layer Behavior
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I have been using SketchUp for a long time now, but never saw (or never took notice) of a behavior I saw this morning which seems strange to me. Let me describe the setup.
- Make three non-overlapping shapes; e.g. circle, rectangle and hexagon with Layer0 the active layer.
- Extrude each into a volume and make each a component (use the default component names such as Component1 etc.).
- Create four layers: again use the default layer names of layer1 through layer4.
- Place the circle on layer1, cube on layer2, hexagon on layer3.
- With the Select tool select all three components, and with the Move/Copy tool (Move with Ctrl key) copy them to another place in the drawing.
- While the components are still selected use the Layers drop down box to place them on layer4.
Here is the behavior I have never noticed before and seems strange to me. The components are not moved to layer4, but rather stay on their original layers but layer4 becomes the active layer. There is a hint that something is amiss with the Layers drop down box white and not yellow. But it seem to me that the active layer should never be changed unless specifically done by the user with the radio buttons. Further it seems to me that the components should have been placed on layer4.
Is this a known bug or a SketchUp "feature"?
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Use the Entity Info window to change the layer entities lie on.
(I see people at the office do this - I'm guessing it's how you do it AutoCAD?)
I never change the active layer from Layer0 because it's all to easy to forget which one is active and place geometry on the wrong layers. (I always put faces and edges on Layer0 and only place groups and components on layers)
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@thomthom said:
Use the Entity Info window to change the layer entities lie on.
(I see people at the office do this - I'm guessing it's how you do it AutoCAD?)
I never change the active layer from Layer0 because it's all to easy to forget which one is active and place geometry on the wrong layers. (I always put faces and edges on Layer0 and only place groups and components on layers)
thomthom,
Same here. I always leave layer0 active and like you leave primitives on layer0 but components on other layers. That is why I am not happy when it is changed on me without my intending it. As you indicated, it does work correctly when using the Entity Info box. I think there ought to be an option to lock layer0 active. I see no reason to ever change it.
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hmmm... so when you use thet Layer Drop downbox it change the active layer? The Layers Toolbar? (I never use that) or the Entity Info?
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@thomthom said:
hmmm... so when you use thet Layer Drop downbox it change the active layer? The Layers Toolbar? (I never use that) or the Entity Info?
Yes. But only after I made copies of the components and moved them. Then, while they were still selected I used the Layer Dropdown box to place them on a different layer and got this strange behavior.
If I select the original three components and use the Layers Dropdown box to place them on a different layer it works fine.
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