Description

The Layers panel provides the capability to group database, grid, and source entities together by assigning them to a layer. The only types of entities that cannot be layered are database boundaries and spacing constraints; these entities always stay in the same layer as their parent entities, but are not included in the entity count.

 

Note: Since new entities will automatically be placed in the current layer, remember to change your current layer as desired prior to creation of new entities.

Select the Layers tab of the Panels to make changes to layer status or to assign entities to a new layer. Visibility of entities is subject to layer status of itself or the entities it supports (child entity). Layers can be likened to having an engineering design drawing of a machine where different portions of the object are drawn on different sheets of transparency. Removing a sheet from the stack of transparencies removes the objects on that sheet from view. Similarly, turning the status of a layer to off will remove from view in the Display window and in the List the grid and/or database entities assigned to that layer.

Layers Panel
Fidelity Pointwise’s Layers panel provides a powerful layering tool for managing entity visibility.

Assign Layer Frame

The Assign Layer frame at the top of the Layers panel allows you to assign selected entities to a new layer by entering a layer number in the Target Layer Number field and clicking Apply. The Include Parents option, only available for solid models and blocks, enables the assignment of the selected model and block's parent entities to the same target layer. For example:

  • With the Include Parents option checked on, the selected solid model(s) and its constituent quilts (parents of the model) will all be assigned to the layer indicated in the Target Layer Number field.
  • With the Include Parents option checked on, the selected block(s) and its constituent domains (parents of the block) will all be assigned to the layer indicated in the Target Layer Number field.

Note that when assigning a group to a new layer, all the entities contained in that group will be assigned to the target layer.

Layer assignment can also be changed using the Attributes command. Once assigned, their parent entities will be visible if the status of the new layer is On. That is, domains and connectors will be visible in a new layer where the block they support is moved.

 

Tip: Note that the Apply button contains a lightning bolt (Do It Icon). This means that you can use the Ctrl+F shortcut to quickly perform this operation.

Layers Frame

The browser area of the Layers frame provides selection of individual or groups of layers to operate on. A scroll bar at the right allows you to scroll up and down in the entire list of layers. Standard meta keys can be used for multiple layer selection. Left-click on a layer, and then Shift-click on a second layer to select the entire range between and including the two layers. Also, left-click on a layer, and then Ctrl-click any number of additional layers for additive selection. Once selected, you can change layer status using the commands found below the Filter frame.

Layers' Browser
The browser portion of the Layers panel provides layer selection, and changing layer status or description.
 

Tip: Fidelity Pointwise will import layer information when included in CAD geometry files. Generally the CAD layers, sometimes referred to as levels, will map directly into the same corresponding layer number in Fidelity Pointwise. If this information is not included, all the database entities will automatically default to layer 0.

Layer status is shown by and can be toggled using the checkboxes located in the browser column labeled On. A click in the checkbox or anywhere in the field containing it will toggle the status of that layer. The browser column labeled Layer simply lists the layer number; there are 1024 layers ranging from layer 0 to layer 1023. A double click in the Layer column field or in the Entities column field will make that layer the current layer. The current layer is the one to which all newly created entities will be assigned. An additional rightward pointing green arrow in the On column indicates the current layer. The Entities column shows the total number of entities in each layer, in the form shown/hidden. Finally, the Description column of the layer browser shows a text description for each layer. Double-click in this field to add a new or edit an existing text description. Note that layers that contain the currently selected entities are indicated using bold type-face.

There are several tools in the Filter frame which allow you to filter the list of layers to show only a subset of layers in the browser. First, the list of layers can be filtered by their description. Enter a text string in the Filter Description field to be matched against the layer descriptions. You can optionally use the asterisk (*) wildcard to match multiple instances of a substring. However, note that wildcards are, by default, implicitly assumed at the beginning and at the end of the text string you entered. Second, the list can be filtered by layer number. Enter a single layer number, a range of layer numbers, or a combination of these separated by commas to reduce the list shown. You must hit Enter on the keyboard for Filter Range to be activated. Finally, you can uncheck the Filter Show Empty Layers option so that layers containing no entities will be removed from the list. All of these filters may be used in combination.

Layers Filter
Filter the list shown in the layer browser by Description, Range, or content.

The layer operation commands are logically grouped based on the number of layers selected. If a single layer is selected, you can use Isolate to make it the current layer and turn all other layers off, or you can use Set Current to simply make it the current layer without changing the status of other layers. If multiple layers are selected, you cannot use either of these first two commands. Add to Selection allows you to add all non-hidden entities in the layer or layers selected in the panel to the current selection in the Display window. Use On, Off and Toggle with one or more layers selected to change their status as indicated. Finally, the last three commands, All On, All Off and Toggle All, all operate on the entire list of layers regardless of layers selected. As noted in the frame title, actions taken within the Layers frame cannot be undone.

Layers Commands
Use the various layer operation commands to change layer status or determine which layer is the current layer.

Layers Sets Frame

The status of all layers and which layer is current can be saved to a layer set for easy recall later. Saved layer sets facilitate switching rapidly back and forth between multiple frequently used layer states. To save a layer set, open the Layer Sets frame if necessary, and click Save to create a new set with your current state. You can change the name of a layer set by double clicking the Name field for a given set. To recall a layer set, either double click the layer set in any field other than Name, or select the layer set by clicking on it and then click Restore. As noted in the frame title, actions taken within the Layer Sets frame cannot be undone.

Layer Sets
Use the Layer Sets frame to Save and Restore preferred layer states.

Move Layers Frame

Entities in a layer or range of layers can be moved to another layer or range of layers using Move Layers. Open the frame if necessary to use this feature. Select a layer or set of layers to move. Enter a layer number to which the entities should be moved in the Target Layer text field. Check on Include Description or Include Visibility, as desired. Click on Combine to move the contents of multiple layers into a single target layer. Click on Relocate to simply move a layer or layers to a new relative location.

Layer Move
Use tools in the Move Layers frame to transfer the contents of a layer or range of layers to another layer or range of layers.

Demonstration