Layers Dialog

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# 2.9.5 Layers Dialog

Each object is contained in a layer - which is a custom group of objects that do not have a particular visual order, but can be treated as a set for certain commands. Objects which are created independently of other objects (such as straight tracks (Section 2.1.6) or text (Section 2.3.9)) are created in the current layer. Objects which are associated with other objects (such as tracks created by the Modify (Section 2.2.8) or Join (Section 2.2.7) commands) are created in the same layer as the associated object(s).

The Layers dialog allows you to change various attributes of each of the 99 possible layers.

Attributes associated with a layout are stored within the associated layout file and apply only to the layout that's open at the time of a change. It is possible to apply attributes from one layout file to another using the Load and Save buttons.

The drop down list at the top of the dialog selects the Layer you are interested in. Frozen layers are preceeded by a `*`, Module layers are proceeded by a `m`, non-empty layers are preceded by a `+` and empty layers by a `-`.

The Name edit box contains the name of the Layer. This name is listed in the Current Layer drop down list on the Tool-bar (Section 3.1). Also the Name is displayed as the balloon help for the corresponding Layer Button.

The Color button specifies the color of tracks if either of the two Color Layers (Section 2.10.3) radio buttons on the Display dialog is checked and the Use Color button for this layer is checked.

The Visible check-box controls whether the Layer is drawn on the Main (Section 3.1) window.

The Frozen check-box indicates that tracks in that Layer can not be modified or deleted.

The On Map check-box controls whether the Layer is drawn on the Map (Section 3.2.2) window.

The Module check-box controls whether the Layer is selected/deselected and so moved or rotated as a group - this can be used to denote a track module in a modular layout - allowing the modules to be positioned as units. Objects in a Module Layer can not be individually modified. One way of getting a modules in is to build a library with Export and then Import As Module - this creates one layer per module, names it and sets the Module check-box.

The No Button check-box selects if the Layer has a button to hide/show it. You may choose not to have a button if the layer is empty or if it is a sub-layer controlled by another layer.

The Linked Layers text box can contain a semi-colon-delimited set of layer numbers that will be shown and hidden along with this layer when its show/hidden state is changed. A blank means no layers are linked. The layers can have buttons or not.

You cannot uncheck Visible or check Frozen for the Current Layer.

The Load Settings specifies a settings (.xset) filename in the XTrackCAD working directory that is loaded when this layer is made current. Only the values contained in the file will be set. If this name is blank the default values (all those in use when any layer that has no Load Settings file value was last used) will be reloaded (or retained). The dropbox contains all the names of files in that directory.

The Count field displays the number of objects in the selected Layer.

The Save button stores layer attributes in the `xtrkcad.ini` file so they may be loaded into an existing or new file. Once saved and unless reset to XTrackCAD Default, modified layer information is applied to each new file.

The Load button reads layer attributes from the `xtrkcad.ini` file then applies it to each layer of the current layout file.

The Defaults button restores layer attributes to default XTrackCAD settings.

The bottom of the dialog contains the Number of Layer Buttons integer edit box. This controls the number of Layer Buttons displayed on the Tool-bar (Section 3.1). These buttons make it easy to switch between layers. The maximum number of Layer Buttons that can be displayed is 99. Layers with "no-button" set do not count towards the Number of Layer Buttons.

The Layer Buttons on the Tool-bar (Section 3.1) control which layer is the current Layer and which Layers are displayed on the Main Canvas. These buttons are a short cut for the Visible check-box on the Layers dialog for the corresponding layer.

The current layer is selected by picking a value from the drop down layer list. If the Layer you've selected was not visible, it will be shown.

You can hide (or show if not visible) the different layers by pushing one of the Layer Buttons on the Toolbar (if you have configured the toolbar (Section 2.12.3) to show the Layer buttons). If a layer is not visible then the corresponding layer button will be raised. The active or current layer cannot be hidden.

The color of each layer button shows the color that will be used to draw tracks or draw objects in that layer, if you have selected the Color Layers (Section 2.10.3) on the Display dialog. The Use Color button allows this layer to opt in or out - which can be usefu if you want to color other layers but a layer contains pre-colored objects (like Structures or Scenery).

Any selected objects are unselected when the Layer is set to not visible. If a layer is not visible, you cannot select objects in the Layer. It is as if the objects do not exist until you show the layer again.

The Move To Current Layer command on Edit menu (Section 2.4) will move all selected (Section 2.2.16) tracks to the current Layer.

Objects are drawn on the map window, if the Layer they are on has On Map checked.