ProFantasy Community Forum

Standard and Merge Layers

BeZurKurBeZurKur
in Mapping with ProFantasy's Software
I've used for CC for small projects, but never really got into it. I'm know set on really getting to understand it and have been impressed with all the stuff it can do when you try to wrap your head around it.

Anyhow, I think I understand Sheets and Layers, but I'm a bit confused about the Standard and Merge layer. I'm not sure what to do with them. The Template and Symbol Definition layers are also a mystery to me. I'd appreciate insight on how to use them. Any tips?
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Comments

  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    The symbol definition layer is where the definition of each symbol is stored. For example, when you add a new symbol to your drawing, the actual definition of the symbol is stored in the symbol definition layer, and a pointer to that definition is stored wherever you use the symbol in the map. Therefore, it doesn't matter for file size if you add one symbol, or a thousand copies of it, as the definition is only included once in either case, and the pointers are quite small. Normally, you don't wish to manipulate this layer at all. If you hide it, all symbols in your map are also hidden, no matter what layer they are on

    I believe the Template layer are there to enable the default sheets to exists. It has 16 single point entities on it, each on a separate sheet. By default, sheets without any entities on them are not saved with a drawing, so this is necessary to keep the sheets.

    Not sure about the other two. I don't think they have any useful function you can utilize to do something special though. I usually just leave them alone.
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  • BeZurKurBeZurKur
    Ah, the symbol definition now makes sense to me. I made a dungeon with a layer just for doors and portals, among some other distinguishers for different symbols. When I tried to view just them by hiding everything else, they disappeared. Now I see why. If the pro CCers ignore those layers, then I don't feel like I'm missing something.

    Thanks.
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  • ENolanderENolander
    Hi,

    I believe the Merge layer is used by CC3 to handle the effects in a map. I'm not sure of the exact workings of it, but if you hide the Merge layer, your effects won't work, so I think it's best to leave it visible and without any entities on it.

    Hope this helps,
    Erik N
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  • sdavies2720sdavies2720 Traveler
    I've often wondered why the "Hide All" button in the layers dialog hides the Symbols, Merge, and Standard layers... I do sometimes want to hide the Symbols layer, but more often I'm going back and Showing it after a "Hide All"

    Steve
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  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    Posted By: sdavies2720I've often wondered why the "Hide All" button in the layers dialog hides the Symbols, Merge, and Standard layers... I do sometimes want to hide the Symbols layer, but more often I'm going back and Showing it after a "Hide All"
    Basically because Hide all means hide all.
    In most cases when I use hide all, I do want to hide the symbols layer, because I rarely feel the need to see just symbols, nothing else. This just shows that people have have different needs, so it is better that a feature does what it says, rather than try to guess what layers the user might not usually want to hide.
    In any case, the basic principle of the function is to enable you to hide all layers, because it is easier to just turn back on a few, than checking the hide box in 20+ layers.
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