Quick Tip 002 - Remember your layers

Most mappers know they need to take care to use the appropriate sheets. It is here taht effects are defined, and sheets specify ordering in the drawing.

But, it is also very helpful to keep your layers in mind. Layers are great for organization. You can use them as selection criteria, and content on one layer can span many sheets. For example, you can have a 'Secrets' layer, and when you hide this, all secrets in your map can be hidden, no matter what sheet they are on. This allows for easy management, since you often need to divide thing among multiple sheets to get the effects and ordering right.

Also, layers can be frozen, which is great, since you can still see what is on them, but most tools won't affect them. Makes it easier to work in an entity-dense section of the map when only certain entities are selectable in the first place.

Comments

  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    I use mine to freeze things that I don't want to accidentally select when I 'm working on complex maps :)
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    Yea, the freezing is very nice. I sometimes us it when I prepare atlas maps, because I've made sure my changes go to a separate layer, and then I can freeze the original map to make sure I don't accidentally touch that.
  • Freezing and hiding layers can also be helpful in selecting one item in a crowded map. Its helped me several times.
  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    I admit that I generally don't even think about layers, but the freezing and hiding options are very nice and I do take advantage of those from time to time.
  • Josh.P.Josh.P. Traveler
    Is there a trick to Freezing? I often find the Grid becomes unfrozen without making any changes to it.
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    Do you activate the grid layer? If a layer becomes the active layer, it will be unhidden and unfrozen.
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited March 2018
    Posted By: Josh.P.Is there a trick to Freezing? I often find the Grid becomes unfrozen without making any changes to it.
    If you don't accidentally activate the layer, there's a good chance that the Grid layer doesn't actually become unfrozen and yet you can still effect the grid. That's because because most grids (most square ones at least) are grouped entities. Basically, the grid is a grouped bunch of horizontal and vertical lines. Groups cannot be frozen (because they can include entities on multiple layers). The trick to ensuring you freeze the grid properly is to use Tools>Groups>Ungroup on the grid before you freeze the Grid layer.
  • Josh.P.Josh.P. Traveler
    I rarely play with the Layers box at all to be honest. This entire topic is aimed squarely at me ;)

    Good to know more about how it works though as that will help me isolate the cause.
  • Posted By: Josh.P.Is there a trick to Freezing? I often find the Grid becomes unfrozen without making any changes to it.
    Just make sure the grid layer isn't selected in the layer popup. And you should be able to freeze and/or hide it.

    Sometimes a building placement can go wonky when the gride is visible. Apparently the symbol dynamic setting sees the grid as a road.
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