Step 1 -Lesson 1.4

Layers - Object Properties

Layers

In this chapter we will discuss the following:

1. Organize Information with Layers
2. Create and Delete Layers
3. Assign color to Layers
4. Assign Linetypes to Layers
5. Assign Layers to objects
6. Object Properties
7. Project house99 - step 2

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1.4.1 - Organize Information with Layers

Layers work as overlays on which you keep various types of information. Use layers to group drawn geometry in distinct and separate categories according to similar features or a common theme.

For example, in your drawing "floor plan" you can create three different layers with the names Walls, Door and Notes (Fig.2.1.1). All the walls of the drawing will exist on the layer "Walls", all the doors on the "Door", all the text on the "Notes" layer, and so on. If you want to appear on your drawing only the walls, you will make visible the layer "Walls" and all the others invisible.

With Layers you can control the following:

• Whether objects on a layer are visible or dimmed
• Whether and how objects are plotted
• What color is assigned to all objects on a layer
• What default linetype and lineweight are assigned to all objects on a layer
• Whether objects on a layer can be modified
• Whether objects display with different layer properties in individual layout viewports

Every drawing includes a layer named 0. Layer 0 cannot be deleted or renamed.

It has two purposes:

• Ensure that every drawing has at least one layer
• Provide a special layer that relates to controlling colors in blocks

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1.4.2 - Create and delete Layers

You will use the Layers Properties Manager palette, to create a new layer, give to your layer a name and assigning it a color.

To create a new Layer:

1. In the Layer Properties Manager, you will notice the default layer with name 0 (Fig.1.4.2.1).

1. In the Layer Properties Manager (Fig.1.4.2.2), click the New Layer button.
   A layer name, such as LAYER1, is automatically added to the layer list. Notice that the name is highlighted, this means that, by typing you can change the default name to something better suited to your needs.

1. Enter a new layer name by typing over the highlighted layer name. For this example type the name 'A-Walls'

The name of the layer changed from Layer1 to A-Walls (Fig.1.4.2.4).
To Delete a layer, select the layer you want to delete and click on 'delete layer' icon (Fig.1.4.2.2).
You can't delete layer 0 and the current layer.

To Set Current a layer, select the layer you want to set as current and click on 'set current layer' icon (Fig.1.4.2.2).

To Turn a layer On or OFF: Click Home ➤ tab Layers panel ➤ Layer tab, where is displayed the current layer, click the arrow (Fig.1.5.2.5).

A drop-down window will open, with all the layers of the drawing (Fig.1.4.2.6). At the first column you see a bubble (yellow or grey) beside each layer. If the bubble is yellow , means that the layer is ON, and if it is grey means it is OFF  . If you click on the bubble it's color changes and also changes the layer condition between On and OFF.

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 1.4.3 - Assign color to Layers

• To change the properties of a Layer, click on the Layer panel the icon to open the Layer Properties Manager panel . On the Layer Properties Manager, when you click Color, Linetype, Lineweight, or Plot Style, a dialog box is displayed.
• Click the Color icon in the new layer listing to display a dialog box (Fig.1.4.3.1) in which you can assign a color to the new layer. You will find the Color icon under the Color column; it currently shows white as its value. Select the Red color from the dialog box and press OK. Notice that the color of the layer 'A-Walls' changed to red (Fig.1.4.3.2).

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1.4.4 - Assign Linetypes to Layers

Linetypes are the different lines that come with AutoCAD. Just as in hand drafting, where you create Continuous, Dashed, Dash dot, Hidden, Fantom, and other line types to show different objects, in AutoCAD you load the lines and use them as necessary. By default when you create a new layer the Linetype is set to 'Continuous'.

You will use the Layers Properties Manager palette to change the default linetype 'Continuous' assigned to Layer 'A-Walls'.

To change the Linetype of the Layer:

1. Click Home tab ➤ Layers panel ➤ click on Layer Properties icon , to open the Layer Properties Manager panel.

1. In the Layer Properties Manager, select the default line type Continuous of the Layer 'A-Walls' you want to change.

1. In the Select Linetype dialog box, which will open, if the Linetype you need is not displayed, click Load (Fig.1.4.4.1).

1. In the Load or Reload dialog box that will open (Fig.1.4.4.2), select one or more linetypes to load. For your example select the linetypes 'ISO dash' and 'ISO dash dot' and click OK to return to the Select Linetype dialog box.

1. In the Layer Properties Manager, you will notice that the Linetype of layer A-Walls has change to 'ACAD_ISO 10W100 (is the linetype with description 'ISO dash dot' you just selected before) (Fig.1.4.4.3).
   From now, if you draw a line using the layer A-Walls, the line will be a 'dash dot' line.

1. Click on close (X) icon at the upper left corner of the Layer Properties Manager, to dismiss it.

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1.4.5 - Assign Layers to objects

When you create an object, that object is assigned to the current layer. If you have not created new layers in your drawing, only one layer has existed—the default layer 0—and it contains all the objects you’ve drawn so far. Now that you’ve created some new layers, you can reassign objects to them by using the Properties palette:
1. Select the four lines that represent the bathroom walls. If you have trouble singling out the wall to the left, use a window to select the wall line.
2. With the cursor in the drawing area, right-click and choose Properties from the context menu to open the Properties palette. This palette lets you modify the properties of an object or a set of objects. (See the upcoming sidebar “Understanding Object Properties.”)
3. Click the Layer option on the list in the Properties palette. Notice that an arrow appears in the layer name to the right of the Layer option.
4. Click the down-pointing arrow to the far right of the Layer option to display a list of all the available layers.

6. Select the Wall layer from the list. Notice that the wall lines you selected change to a green color. This tells you that the objects have been assigned to the Wall layer. (Remember that you assigned a green color to the Wall layer.)
   6. Close the Properties palette by clicking the X at the top of its title bar.
   7. Press the Esc key to clear your selection.
   The bathroom walls are now on the new layer called Wall and are green. Layers are more easily distinguished from one another when you use colors to set them apart.

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1.4.6 - Object Properties

Next, you’ll practice the commands you learned in this section and try some new ones by creating new layers and changing the layer assignments of the rest of the objects in your bathroom:
1. Click the Layer Properties tool in the Home tab’s Layers panel to open the Layer Properties Manager. Create a new layer called Fixture, and give it the color blue.
You can change the name of a layer in the Layer Properties Manager. Select the layer name that you want to change and click it again so that the name is highlighted, or press
the F2 key. You can then rename the layer. This works in the same way as renaming a file or folder in Windows.
2. Press the Esc key to clear any selections and then click the Tub and Toilet blocks.
3. Right-click and choose Properties from the context menu to open the Properties palette.
4. Click Layer in the list of properties, and then select Fixture from the drop-down list to the right of the layer listing.
5. Click the X at the top of the title bar of the Properties palette to dismiss it, and then press the Esc key to clear your selection.
6. Create a new layer for the door, name the layer Door, and make it red.
7. Just as you’ve done with the walls and fixtures, use the Properties palette to assign the door to the Door layer.
8. Use the Layer Properties Manager to create three more layers, one for the ceiling, one for the doorjambs, and one for the floor.
Create these layers, and set their colors as indicated (remember that you can open the Select Color dialog box by clicking the color swatch of the layer listing):

Ceiling Magenta (6)
Jamb Green (3)
Floor Cyan (4)

Completing this stage, you will have drawn your project as it is shown in Fig.1.1.2 (house The AutoCAD Environment