Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
The Plot Style column's contents depend on whether the drawing uses named plot
styles or the traditional color-based plotting. Drawings set up to use color-based
plotting display an unchangeable plot style name based on the layer's color prop-
erty. The grayed-out style name changes only when the layer color changes. If, on
the other hand, your drawing uses named plot styles, you can assign a named plot
style to the layer in this column. (Chapter 16 explains why you might not want to.)
The setting in the Plot column controls whether the layer's objects appear on plots.
Click the little printer icon to toggle this setting off (the little printer gets a red bar
through it) for any layer whose objects you want to see on the screen but hide on
plots.
11. (Optional) If you want to add a description to the layer, scroll the layer list to
the right to see the Description column, click in the Description box corresponding
to your new layer, and type a description.
My advice is to name your layers so you can tell what's on them. If you
do choose to use layer descriptions, stretch the Layer Properties Manager palette
to the right so that you can see the descriptions without having to scroll the layer
list.
12. Repeat Steps 1 through 11 to create any other layers that you want.
13. Select the new layer that you want to make current and click the Set Current
button (the green check mark).
Changes you make in the Layer Properties Manager palette are instantaneous, un-
like a dialog box in which you have to click OK to close the dialog box and apply
the change.
Don't forget to toggle on the Lineweight and Transparency buttons on
the status bar to see the effect of assigning these properties. Unlike color and line-
type, lineweight and transparency can be switched off and on.
The Layer Control drop-down list now displays your new layer as the current layer
— the one on which AutoCAD places new objects that you draw.
After you create layers, you can set any one of them to be the current layer: Make sure
that no objects are selected, and then choose the layer name from the Layer Control
drop-down list on the Layers panel in the Ribbon or the Layers toolbar.
A load of linetypes
