Organizing the drawing with layers

Layers organize geometry. Operations describe how that geometry will be machined; a layer name alone does not create a cutting instruction.

How do I create a layer and make it active?

Click Add layer below the Layers list, type a meaningful name and confirm. Choose it in Active layer, or double-click the layer in the list. New drawing objects and inserted generated shapes use the active layer.

For example, create separate layers for outlines, lettering and reference geometry. Existing objects do not move merely because you change the active layer. Imported files retain their own layer organization, and dimensions use their dimension layer.

How do I move existing objects to another layer?

Select the objects and choose Modify > Change layer. Choose the destination and confirm. Their geometry and machining assignments are retained. The command does not change your active layer.

If the destination layer is hidden, the moved objects will disappear from the view with that layer. Show it again to inspect them. Cancel leaves everything as it was, and Undo can reverse an accepted transfer.

Does hiding a layer stop its objects from being machined?

Use layer visibility to simplify the drawing view. Do not use hiding as a substitute for disabling a machining operation. An existing operation can still reference geometry on a hidden layer.

To exclude a cut from output, disable or remove the corresponding operation and calculate again. Hidden objects are excluded from bulk drawing selections and from initial automatic assignment when opening a DXF, which is a different stage of the workflow.