Creating and Modifying Scene Layers

Creating Scene Layers

You can either add a blank layer to the scene, or select some scene elements and create a new layer to which they are automatically added.

New layers are automatically named Layer, Layer1, Layer2, and so on, but you can rename them to something more meaningful as described in Renaming Scene Layers.

To create a blank scene layer

Do one of the following:

In the scene layer manager, click the Create Layer icon (next to the View menu).
In the scene layer manager, choose Layers New Layer.
In the scene layer manager, right-click on any name and choose New Layer.
In the Layers scope of an explorer, right-click on any of the listed layers and choose Create Layer.

To create a new scene layer from selected scene elements

Select the elements that you wish to add to the new layer.
In the scene layer manager, do one of the following:
- Choose Layers New Layer From Selection.
  
  or
- Right-click on any name and choose New Layer From Selection.

Renaming Scene Layers

You can rename a scene layer using the scene layer manager or the explorer.

To rename a scene layer using the scene layer manager

In the scene layer manager, double-click the name of the layer that you wish to rename.
Type the new name and press enter.

To rename a scene layer using the explorer

You can rename layers in the same way as other elements in the explorer. See Renaming Scene Elements in the Explorer [Interface and Tools]. Press L to set the explorer's scope to Layers.

Setting the Current Scene Layer

When you create new objects, they are automatically added to the current layer.

To set the current scene layer from the scene layer manager

Click the row heading for the layer that you wish to set as the current layer.

To set the current scene layer from the explorer

In the Layers scope of an explorer, right-click on any of the listed layers and choose Set as Current Layer.

Moving Objects to a Scene Layer

You can move objects from one scene layer to another using the scene layer manager or an explorer.

NoteEach object in your scene can belong to only one layer at a time. It is possible for different objects within a given hierarchy or group to be assigned to different layers.

To move objects to a scene layer using the scene layer manager

Make the layer current.
Select the objects that you wish to move to the layer.
Choose Layers Move Selection to Current Layer.

To move objects to a scene layer using the explorer

In the Layers scope of an explorer, expand the layer that contains the objects to be moved.
Select the objects that you want to move, and then drag and drop them onto a different layer.

Nesting Scene Layers

Scene layers can be nested under another scene layer. This allows you to use the parent layer to control multiple child layers.

When one of the parent layer's options is set to No effect on members, you can control the child layers' option independently.
When the parent layer's option is set to another value, it overrides the child layers' options. However, the child layers remember their settings and return to their original state when the parent is set back to No effect on members.

Scene layers can be nested only one level deep.

NoteScene layer groups from earlier versions are no longer supported. However if you open a scene with scene layer groups, the name of the scene layer group that it used to belong to is preserved in its LegacyLayerGroupName which is accessible through scripting and the object model. You can use this information to re-create nested layers based on the previously existing layer groups.

To create a nested scene layer

Make the parent layer current.
If desired, select one or more objects to put in the new nested layer.
Choose one of the following:
- Layers New Layer under Current Layer
- Layers New Layer from Selection under Current Layer

To nest an existing scene layer

Do one of the following:

In the scene layer manager:
1. Make the parent layer current.
2. Right-click on the child layer and choose Move under Current Layer.
In an explorer, drag and drop a layer onto the desired parent layer.

To un-nest a scene layer

Do one of the following:

In the scene layer manager, right-click on the child and choose Cut from Layer Parent.
Select the child layer in an explorer and click Cut on the Constrain panel of the MCP.

Selecting Scene Layers

To select a layer, set the scope of an explorer to Layers and click the layer's name. When you select a layer, its members are branch-selected as well. Note that selecting a layer does not make it the current layer.

Selecting the Objects in a Scene Layer

You can use the scene layer manager to select all of the objects in any layer, whether it is the current layer or not.

To select all objects in the current layer

In the scene layer manager, choose Layers Select Objects in Layer.

To select all of the objects in a specific scene layer

In the scene layer manager, right-click the name of the layer whose objects you wish to select and choose Select Objects in Layer.

To select all of the objects in all of a scene layer's children

In the scene layer manager, right-click the row of the parent and choose Select Objects in Child Layers.

Locking Scene Layers

Locking a layer prevents further modifications to the layer by locking all of its parameters. However, the lock applies only to the layer itself, and not the objects that belong to it.

Locking a layer using the scene layer manager locks it at all levels (node lock, animation lock, and value lock).
Locking a layer using the explorer allows you to select a specific lock level.

For more information about locks and lock levels, see Locking and Tagging Scene Elements [Data Management].

To lock the current scene layer using the scene layer manager

In the scene layer manager, choose Layers Lock.

To lock a specific scene layer using the scene layer manager

In the scene layer manager, right-click the name of the layer that you wish to lock and choose Lock.

To lock a scene layer using the explorer

In the Layers scope of an explorer, right-click on a layer, choose Locks, and activate the desired lock level option.

Deleting Scene Layers

You can delete a scene layer at any time without deleting any of the objects it contains. Objects in the deleted layer are moved to the current layer, or if you delete the current layer they are moved to the default layer (for more about the default layer, see The Default Scene Layer).

Note

You cannot delete a scene layer when it's the only layer in the scene.
If you delete the current scene layer, the default layer becomes the new current layer.
If you delete the default scene layer, the oldest (least recently created) layer in the scene becomes the new default layer.

To delete the current scene layer using the scene layer manager

In the scene layer manager, choose Layers Delete Layer.

To delete a specific scene layer using the scene layer manager

In the scene layer manager, right-click the name of the layer that you wish to delete and choose Delete Layer.

To delete all nested scene layers using the scene layer manager

In the scene layer manager, right-click the name of the parent layer and choose Delete Layer and Child Layers.

To delete all empty scene layers using the scene layer manager

In the scene layer manager, click Layers or right-click the name of any layer and choose Delete Empty Layers.

To delete a scene layer from the explorer

In the Layers scope of an explorer, click any layer to select it and then press Delete.