Trouble with Layers, priority, etc.--help?
Hi everyone,
I'm still figuring out CC3+, and, though I like it, I'm really struggling with one issue in particular. I feel like this is a bit of an RTFM question, but I'm still pretty stuck...
Short version, I can't figure out layers. I'm coming from Adobe Creative Suite, so I'm familiar with the concept of a layer, but CC is throwing me for a real loop. The various bits of my drawings seem like they always end up in the wrong layers, and I can't figure out how to make changes in a way that will "stick."
I can post an example image if that would be helpful, but let me see if I can describe it...
On the current map I'm working on, I have a lake that sits on the COAST layer, with an island in the middle. I want to draw a dotted line from the shore to the island to show the ferry line. I've drawn the lake and the line just fine, but, for reasons I'm struggling to understand, the line is drawn under/behind the lake, on, say, the MINERALS layer. When I select the line and click the "move to front" button, it doesn't appear to do anything; when I use the "Change Properties" tool and change the line's layer to, say, NAVIGATION LINES, it'll appear properly for a second, but, as soon as I redraw the image, it goes right back to MINERALS.
I have a number of similar issues, but they're all similar to the above.
Anyone have an idea what's going on here? Why would an item get "Stuck" in the wrong layer like this? And how can I make a permanent change?
Thanks!
Answers
In fairness, it's an awfully long manual. It's great for reference, but I struggled when I tried to learn the software with just the manual. For me, the video tutorials were very helpful.
One of the things I struggled with, and this may be the same for you, was understanding how layers and sheets differ, and how layers differ from the other art design and desktop publishing software I was more experienced with.
In CC3, layers help with organizing similar things so that you can hide, reveal, or freeze them, but they have no impact on the order in which things are shown. You'll notice that the layers are all listed alphabetically because the order they appear in the list doesn't affect anything.
Sheets have the big impact here. The software renders things in order they appear on the list. In this screenshot, the BACKGROUND would render, then BACKGROUND HILL, then OUTSIDE SHADOW, etc.
This allows you to control in how your symbols and drawn polygons sort, so that your floor will always be below your furniture, for example.
The Move to Front command only affects things on the same sheet (regardless of layer). If you have two symbols on the SYMBOLS LOW sheet, then the Move to Front command could force that symbol to be on top of the other one. Both symbols, however, will be above any other symbols on the SYMBOLS FLAT sheet (because the SYMBOLS FLAT sheet would render first, and then the SYMBOLS LOW). And both symbols would be below the regular SYMBOLS sheet, because it will render after the SYMBOLS LOW sheet.
Screen captures are always helpful, but I hope this gets you on the right track.
CC2 was only layers.
I think CC3 they added sheets. Sheets added effects. Almost eliminating Layers, but layers really serve a purpose now.
Like @Royal Scribe said, which I say a ton is "In CC3, layers help with organizing similar things"
This is great for things like political or geographic boundaries, map overlays. Groupings of simliar objects ( say ships, water wells and especially HIDING Dungeon Master goodies)
It is so usefull because you can lock them, so editing the map is easier, by not grabbing stuff. And just plain getting them off the map (overlays) because they are so distracting. So handy when doing district maps when you can essentially toggle stuff on and off. (adding layers and seperating them to wards of a city is pretty handy.
I'm relatively new, so I never knew that history with CC2. Must have been so different before sheet effects revolutionized everything.
As Don said, since layers can be frozen (but sheets cannot), it's handy to be able to freeze things that you don't want to accidentally be grabbing when trying to select something else. For example, I usually freeze the HEX/SQUARE GRID layer first thing so I don't keep grabbing the grid by accident.
But I also use them to group things that I want to hide/unhide simultaneously (like city wards or neighborhoods in Don's example). For example, one of my maps was a Sea Elves Outpost. It has underwater caverns and rooms built within the underwater part of an island, but I also wanted to be able to show the entire above-water island and then "lift the lid off" to show the outpost below. By putting all of the rock/earth/grass terrain, rock symbols, and tree symbols on the same layer (called "Cover - Island Top"), I could then switch back and forth between showing the full island to showing the caves beneath by simply hiding or unhiding a single layer.