(See also Using the Area Layer)
Layers are used within CAD applications to categorize the different geometric entities within a drawing. Some of these may be annotations only that do not require processing, others may be text that is to be marked on the part, and still others may be paths to be cut with an appropriate tool.
When you are working with layers you will find that the most useful button is the last one mentioned in this section - Select the Items on the Selected Layers, because it will allow you to select all of the geometry within that layer and apply processing or sequencing as desired.
When a part is imported you have the option of automatically modifying the layer names and default behaviours using the User Settings: Layers Tab dialog. The dialog allows you to specify certain layer names that PrimeCut will look for when a part is imported, and will then rename, discard, hide, or make non-processable as you have instructed.
Once a part has been imported you can work with the layers using the Layers dialog as shown below. To display the Layers dialog just RIGHT CLICK in the Geometry editor window, and select Show Layers from the context menu. Alternatively you can go to the Window menu and select Show Layers, or you can press CTRL+L on the keyboard.
▪The first two layers "0" and "Dimensions" are default layers, and they cannot be renamed or removed.
▪Show Thumbnails can be turned on or off - it simply determines whether a sketch of the layer is included. This can make it easier to identify the different layers in the part. The layer thumbnails are always shown "as CAD", ie in the colors as drawn, without direction arrows and unfilled. The exception to this is the Area Layer, which is always shown filled.
▪Set Layer Color Each layer can have its own color. The entities in those layer will display in tghe layer color only if their entity color is set to BYLAYER. You can click through the first 8 colors clicking on the color icons to the right of the layer picture
▪Set Layer Visibility. Just to the right of the thumbnail image is a lightbulb icon. If the bulb is on then that layer will be visible, if the bulb is off the layer is hidden. To change the visible/hidden state of the layer just click on the lightbulb.
▪Set Layer Processability. To the right of the lightbulb is a snowflake/sun icon, which actually means frozen/unfrozen. If the layer is frozen then it will be visible in the Geometry editor, but not in the Processing or Sequencing editors. You cannot process a frozen layer. You will notice that the Dimensions layer is always non-processable, and this state cannot be changed.
▪Set the Current Layer. To the right of the snowflake/sun icon is a check box. This controls which layer newly drawn geometry will be assigned to.
At the bottom of the dialog are a number of controls, these are described below running from left to right (if you pass your mouse pointer over the button a hint will be displayed):
▪Add a New Layer, as you would expect, will add a new layer. Once the new layer has been added you can change its name as desired.
▪Create Area Layer, Creates an area layer if one does not exist, or recreates one if it does.
▪Quick Edit Layer, This allows you to quickly make changes to the geometry within the selected layer. It temporarily makes all other layers invisible, and sets the the selected layer to be the Active Layer, so that any new geometry is added to it. When you have finished editing the layer, simply click this button again, or close the layer window; the visibility state of the layers will be restored, as will the previously Active layer.
▪Rename the Selected Layer will be enabled after a layer has been selected, and will allow you to re-name the selected layer as desired. You cannot rename the "0" or "Dimensions" layers.
▪Delete will delete the currently selected layer. You will be prompted to confirm the selection before the deletion occurs. You cannot delete the "0" or "Dimensions" layers.
▪Duplicate the Selected Layer will copy the currently selected layer and all entities within it. The new layer will appear at the bottom of the list and will be given the same name as the original, but with '(1)' placed after it or (2), (3) etc... depending on the number of copies made. This feature might be used in cases where only one set of holes has been drawn but you want to apply processing more than once. For example you may want to drill and countersink the holes. Take care when duplicating layers - if care is not taken you could duplicate processing which could cause damage to tooling on the machine, or excessive consumable wear.
▪Merge the Selected Layers will be enabled when two or more layers are selected at once; to do this you can hold down the CTRL key and then click on the desired layers. When layers are merged all of the entities will still exist, even if they are duplicates, and the name of the layer highest in the list will be used as the name for the new merged layer.
▪Move the Selected Items to the Selected Layer will be enabled after you have selected one or more items of geometry, and have selected a layer in the Layers dialog. It will move the selected geometry from whatever layer they are currently in, to the newly selected layer. This can only be done in the Geometry editor.
▪Copy the Selected Items to the Selected Layer will also only be enabled after you have selected one or more items of geometry, and have selected a layer in the Layers dialog. It will copy the selected geometry from whatever layer they are currently in, to the newly selected layer. The selected geometry will then exist in duplicate, so take care. This can only be done in the Geometry editor.
▪Set the Current Layer by the Selection will be enabled after at least one item of geometry has been selected. It will set the Current Layer radio button (see details above) to the layer of the selected geometry.
▪Select the Items on the Selected Layers will be enabled after one or more layers have been selected in the Layers dialog. It will then select all entities included within those layers. This button will probably be the most useful one especially when you want to process a certain layer in a certain way, and later when you want to perform sequencing based on layers.