Class: Sketchup::Layer

Inherits:
Entity
  • Object
show all
Includes:
Comparable

Overview

The Layer class contains methods modifying and extracting information for a layer.

By default, a SketchUp model has one layer, Layer 0 (zero), which is the base layer. You can't delete or rename Layer 0. Unlike certain other CAD software packages, entities associated with different layers in SketchUp still intersect with each other. (If you want collections of entities to not intersect, place them in Groups instead.)

Layers are commonly used to organize your model and control the visibility of related groups and components. For example, you could make all of your wall and roof entities different groups, associate layers with those groups, and then hide those layers so as to display just the floor plan in the model.

You can programatically create a new layer by calling the Layers.add method.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
new_layer = layers.add "test layer"

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

Instance Method Summary # collapse

Methods inherited from Entity

#add_observer, #attribute_dictionaries, #attribute_dictionary, #delete_attribute, #deleted?, #entityID, #get_attribute, #inspect, #model, #parent, #persistent_id, #remove_observer, #set_attribute, #to_s, #typename, #valid?

Instance Method Details

↑ #<=>(layer2) ⇒ Object

The <=> method is used to compare two layers based on their names. You could use this for sorting if you're building a list of layer names.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
new_layer = layers.add "test layer"
layer1 = layers[0]
layer2 = layers[1]
status = layer1 <=> layer2

Returns status - -1 if layer1 is less than layer2. 1 if layer2 is less than layer1. 0 if layer1 and layer2 are equal.

Parameters:

  • layer2 —

    A Layer object.

Returns:

  • status - -1 if layer1 is less than layer2. 1 if layer2 is less than layer1. 0 if layer1 and layer2 are equal.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

↑ #==(layer2) ⇒ Object

The == method is used to determine if two layers are the same.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
layer1 = layers.add "test layer 1"
layer2 = layers.add "test layer 2"
status = layer1 == layer2

Returns status - true if layer1 and layer2 are equal. false if layer1 and layer2 are not equal.

Parameters:

  • layer2 —

    A Layer object.

Returns:

  • status - true if layer1 and layer2 are equal. false if layer1 and layer2 are not equal.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

↑ #color ⇒ Object

The color method is used to retrieve the color of the layer.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
new_layer = layers.add('Test layer')
color = new_layer.color

Returns:

  • color - the color of the Layer object

Version:

  • SketchUp 2014

↑ #color=(color) ⇒ Object

The color= method is used to set the name of a layer.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
new_layer = layers.add('Test layer')
new_layer.color = Sketchup::Color.new(192, 0, 0)

Returns color

Parameters:

  • color —

    The new color for the Layer object.

Returns:

  • color

Version:

  • SketchUp 2014

↑ #line_style ⇒ Sketchup::LineStyle?

The #line_style method retrieves the line style on this layer.

Examples:

line_style = Sketchup.active_model.layers[0].line_style

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2019

↑ #line_style=(line_style) ⇒ Sketchup::Layer

The #line_style= method lets you set a specific line style to a layer

Examples:

line_style = Sketchup.active_model.line_styles["Dot"]
Sketchup.active_model.layers[0].line_style = line_style

Parameters:

Returns:

Version:

  • SketchUp 2019

↑ #name ⇒ Object

The name method is used to retrieve the name of the layer.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
new_layer = layers.add "test layer"
name = new_layer.name

Returns:

  • name - the name of the Layer object

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

↑ #name=(name) ⇒ Object

The name= method is used to set the name of a layer.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
new_layer = layers.add "test layer"
name = new_layer.name = "new test layer"

Returns name - the newly set name

Parameters:

  • name —

    The new name for the Layer object.

Returns:

  • name - the newly set name

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

↑ #page_behavior ⇒ Object

The page_behavior method is used to retrieve the visibility behavior of the layer for new pages and existing pages. For example, you may want your layer to be visible or hidden by default in any new pages (aka Scenes) created by the user.

A page keeps a list of layers that do not have their default behavior. If a layer is not in that list, then it is set to its default visibility determined by one of these values:

The behaviour is composed of a combination of these flags:

- LAYER_VISIBLE_BY_DEFAULT: 0x0000
- LAYER_HIDDEN_BY_DEFAULT: 0x0001
- LAYER_USES_DEFAULT_VISIBILITY_ON_NEW_PAGES: 0x0000
- LAYER_IS_VISIBLE_ON_NEW_PAGES: 0x0010
- LAYER_IS_HIDDEN_ON_NEW_PAGES: 0x0020

The default visibility for a layer is set by either LAYER_VISIBLE_BY_DEFAULT or LAYER_HIDDEN_BY_DEFAULT. This is what will be used when a page does not contain the visibility state of a layer.

The remaining flags control the visibility of the layer for new pages.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
layer = layers.add('Test Layer')
hidden_by_default = (layer.page_behavior & LAYER_HIDDEN_BY_DEFAULT) ==
                    LAYER_HIDDEN_BY_DEFAULT

Returns:

  • pagebehavior - an integer representing the current behavior of the layer.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

↑ #page_behavior=(page_behavior) ⇒ Integer

Note:

Prior to SketchUp 2014 the LAYER_HIDDEN_BY_DEFAULT flag would trigger the validation check in SketchUp that would reset the #page_behavior of the layer.

The #page_behavior= method is used to control the layer's visibility behavior on existing and new pages.

When you Update a page (as opposed to creating a new page) the current visibility of the layer is used.

The behavior is composed of a combination of these flags:

LAYER_VISIBLE_BY_DEFAULT: 0x0000
LAYER_HIDDEN_BY_DEFAULT: 0x0001
LAYER_USES_DEFAULT_VISIBILITY_ON_NEW_PAGES: 0x0000
LAYER_IS_VISIBLE_ON_NEW_PAGES: 0x0010
LAYER_IS_HIDDEN_ON_NEW_PAGES: 0x0020

Examples:

layers = Sketchup.active_model.layers
layer = layers.add('Test Layer')
behavior = LAYER_HIDDEN_BY_DEFAULT | LAYER_IS_HIDDEN_ON_NEW_PAGES
layer.page_behavior = behavior

Parameters:

  • page_behavior (Integer)

Returns:

  • (Integer)

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

↑ #visible=(is_visible) ⇒ Object

The visible= method is used to set if the layer is visible.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
new_layer = layers.add "test layer"

# Hide the layer.
new_layer.visible = false

Parameters:

  • is_visible —

    The new visibility setting.

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0

↑ #visible? ⇒ Boolean

The visible? method is used to determine if the layer is visible.

Examples:

model = Sketchup.active_model
layers = model.layers
new_layer = layers.add "test layer"
UI.messagebox(new_layer.visible?)

Returns:

  • (Boolean) —

    true if the layer is visible

Version:

  • SketchUp 6.0