DraftSight: Become a Layer Slayer!

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As I progress in my DraftSight journey, I’ve noticed that features revolving around organization and precision are becoming increasingly valuable components of my designing process. The more complex my drawings become, the more I worry about accidentally ruining certain parts as I edit others.

Thankfully, I recently started incorporating different layers into my drafts to separate various elements of my illustrations. For example, I might make my first layer exterior entities, the second layer interior entities, and the third layer dimensions. This way, I can edit each tier individually and focus on one section of my design at a time.

To create a new layer, simply select the Layers Manager in the Layers section of the Home tab in the ribbon. Then press New, name your layer, and choose its line color.

I’ve found the line color to be a crucial aspect, because it easily signifies which layer an entity belongs to in the drawing window.

Once a new layer is made, it’s activated by clicking on its name in the layers drop-down menu, located below the Layers Manager. Likewise, if you want to change the layer of an entity you’ve already drawn, highlight your entity and select the layer you want to use.

Lastly, while editing, DraftSight gives you the option to Hide, Freeze, and Lock your layers.

The Hide icon makes your layers invisible in the drawing window and the Lock icon turns off your layers’ editing abilities. The Freeze option combines the two, hiding and locking your layers.

However, hidden Layers still go through screen regeneration each time the system regenerates your drawing, whereas Frozen Layers are not considered during screen regeneration.

Pro tip: if you want to change the default layer of your drafts, select the Layers Manager, highlight your layer of choice, and press Activate!

I hope this post encourages you to take advantage of DraftSight’s layer features in your designs!

(0:00 Make new layer, 0:13 Change layer, 0:23 Freeze, 0:28 Hide, 0:30 Lock)

 

Learn more at DraftSight.com!

 

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