Dialog Layer management - <Project name>

In this dialog you can view and edit the properties of the standard EPLAN layers in a project. In addition to this, you can create or delete your own layers and export or import the layer management configuration. The name of the currently selected project is displayed in the title bar of the dialog.

Note:

Prior to changing the layer management settings for a project, you should first export a configuration file. In this way you have saved the default settings and can restore them for those layers by importing them at a later date.

The following dialog elements are available:

Tree:

In the tree view, the layers are displayed in a hierarchical structure. This structure is formed from the layer descriptions.

Table:

All layers selected in the tree are displayed in the table. To sort the layers either ascending or descending, double-click each column header.

Multiple selection of layers is possible in the tree and table views. Depending on the type of layer, the table contains the following properties:

Layer:

The EPLAN layer name is displayed here. The names of the standard layers cannot be changed.

When you create your own layers, EPLAN automatically creates a name for each new layer (NEW_LAYER_1, NEW_LAYER_2, etc.). You can change these names later. The layer name must uniquely identify each layer. Layer names may be up to 255 characters long. They are thus compatible with various CAD programs.

Description:

The EPLAN layer description is displayed here. Layer descriptions may be duplicated. The tree view on the left side of the dialog is created from the layer description. Text after a period within the layer description is treated as a substructure. The descriptions of the EPLAN standard layers cannot be changed.

When creating your own layers, the description of the selected layer or – if a node is selected – from the first layer below the node will be applied. You can change these layer descriptions later. It is also possible to translate the descriptions of user-defined layers using the popup menu.

Line type:

The line type used for displaying elements of the layer is displayed here. Choose one of the possible line types from the drop-down list.

Pattern length:

For broken lines, you can enter the repetition length for the line pattern here. Select a value from the drop-down list or manually enter a decimal value.

Line thickness:

Here you enter the thickness of the lines used for elements in the layer. Select a value from the drop-down list or manually enter a decimal value.

Color:

The color used for displaying elements of the layer is displayed here. Use [...] to open the Color selection dialog and select a different color.

Transparency:

Enter a degree of transparency for 3D layers here. With a value of 100% the component is completely transparent.

Font size:

Here you define the size of the text used for displaying properties in the layer. Select a value from the drop-down list or manually enter a decimal value.

Alignment:

Here you define the alignment of the text used for displaying properties in the layer. Select an entry from the drop-down list.

Angle:

Here you define the angle of the text used for displaying properties in the layer. Select a value from the drop-down list or manually enter a decimal value.

Row spacing:

Enter the vertical distance between text lines in this field, meaning, the distance from the lower edge of a text line to the next lower text line edge. The row spacing will depend on the font chosen. Select an entry from the drop-down list or enter a value manually. Value "1" corresponds to single line spacing, value "2" to double spacing, etc. Single spacing is 1.9 times the font size (height of the upper-case letter "M").

Paragraph spacing:

Enter the vertical distance between two docked properties that are part of the same common display group here. Select a value from the drop-down list or manually enter a decimal value.

Note:

Keep in mind that for docked texts the specified line spacing is added to the paragraph spacing.

Text box:

From this drop-down list, select whether text or device tags on the layer concerned are to be surrounded with a border, and whether this should be rectangular, elliptical or oval. The size of the border is based on the text. If you select No, no text boxes are displayed for the text or device tags on this layer.

Visible:

Select this check box when elements in this layer are to be visible in the graphical editor. If this check box is deselected, then these elements are hidden.

Note:

In EPLAN you can make hidden elements visible again on the screen. To perform this, select the Show invisible elements check box in the settings (Options > Settings > User > Graphical editing > 2D). In these user settings you can also specify a special color setting for invisible elements.

Printing:

Select this check box when elements in this layer are to be visible when printing. If this check box is deselected, then these elements will not be printed.

Locked:

This check box is only relevant for DXF / DWG imports and exports. In AutoCAD, particular layers can be locked against being edited. When a locked layer is imported, this check box is automatically selected, but the layer can still be edited in EPLAN. When layers are exported, you use this check box to define whether the assigned layer is locked against editing in AutoCAD.

Background:

Select this check box when elements in this layer are to be moved to the background. Elements on such a layer are always right at the bottom, i.e. also behind the autoconnect lines. This way, an inserted image file or an imported DXF / DWG file can, e.g., be determined as background graphic. The elements can only be edited if the Edit background option is active.

Concerning the EPLAN705, Graphic.Wallpaper layer, the check box is activated per default.

Scalable:

Activate this check box if the elements on this layer are to be scaled, too, in the case of scaling. Such a scaling can, for example, occur if you change the page scale or insert a macro on a page which has another page scale than the one used during macro creation. Lines, texts, and dimensions are scaled and line thickness, pattern length, and font size adjusted.

3D layer:

Activate this check box if this layer is to be selected and used in layout spaces. For layers below the "3D graphics" node, this check box is activated per default.

Toolbar:

The following buttons are available on the toolbar above the table:

Button	Meaning
(New)	Generates a new layer.
(Delete)	Deletes the selected layer(s). The layers used in a project, as well as the EPLAN default layers, cannot be deleted.
(Import)	Opens the Layer import dialog. Enables the import of a layer configuration file.
(Export)	Opens the Layer export dialog. Enables the export of a layer configuration file.

Popup menu:

The popup menu provides - depending on the field type (date, integer, multilingual, etc.) - the following menu items:

In addition, the following dialog-specific popup menu items are available:

Menu item	Meaning
New layer	Generates a new layer.
Delete layer	Deletes the selected layer(s).
Import	Opens the Layer import dialog. Enables the import of a layer configuration file.
Export	Opens the Layer export dialog. Enables the export of a layer configuration file.