In V8 one can now select an object an then use the “Highlight Object Layer” Button or “Select Object Layer” in the layer list. This reveals the objects layer. This is very useful in files with many layer.
Is there an option/ script that constantly shows the object layer a soon as one selects an object WITHOUT clicking on the tool erverytime? This would be very useful (could be set to on/off)…
Thanks.
Hi @matthias,
The status bar layer pane shows you the layer on which a selected object resides.
– Dale
Dear Dale
Thanks. Is this the stauts bar layer pane:
Still, if the layers are not in alphabetical order on has to search for it in the sometimes long list it would be very useful to have a “live” indicator.
Would something like this be possible with a script or macro? At the moment I always select the object and then run an alias/shortcut for each object separately…
Thanks.
Still, is there a way for us to get live-layer-indication (as it was in an earlier Rhino 8 Beta)? Thanks.
Hi @matthias,
The status bar layer pane is “live”. When you select an object, it changes to indicate the layer on which the selected object sits.
We did play with some kind of indicator in the Layers panel during the Rhino 8 WIP. But it never felt right, so we shelved the work, to be reconsidered for Rhino 9.
– Dale
Hi Dale
Thanks. Still, do you see any scripting option for us to get the indicator directly in the layer list?
Sorry for the hassle…
No hassle at all.
Rhino 8 has a new HighlightObjectLayers command you might find useful.
Here is a script that does similar.
HighlightObjectLayers.py (1.8 KB)
– Dale
Dale
Thanks. I think I was unclear. My intention was the following:
As soon as there is an objected selected, its associated layer gets highlighted without another command/script. This was offered in some earlier Rhino 8 WIP version.
This functionality could be optional (to switch on/off).
This is the third thread in quite a short interval I’ve seen asking for this…
Maybe in another decade?
Hi @matthias,
I understand what you are asking. There is no option in the Layers panel, at this time, to behave in this way. I’ve offered some alternatives (see above).
Thanks,
– Dale
I know this isn’t the built-in functionality you are after but in the mean time you can use an event handler subscription in @dale’s script so that it works in “real-time”
In the example below I am running an alias called “EnableLayerHighlight” that runs the python script, in that script it’s basically Dales code but listening for changes to Selected Objects so anytime you select a new object it fires the script function, highlight said layer in real-time.
Currently when you want to use, select an object and run the alias or script via script editor and then you don’t need to run it again it should continue to work until Rhino is closed/reopened.
Presumably this could easily be extended as a command with a “toggle” functionality to turn this on and off but I’m a newbie with event handling so I’m not going to take that on right now.
Quick video example:
Modified code:
"""
HighlightObjectLayers.py -- February 2024
If this code works, it was written by Dale Fugier.
If not, I don't know who wrote it.
Works with Rhino 7.
Modified on 03.11.2024
If it works, it was modified by Michael Vollrath.
If not, it was ChatGPT.
Works with Rhino 7 & 8.
"""
import Rhino
import System
import scriptcontext as sc
def _GetSelectedObjectLayers():
# Enumerate normal, active, reference, and selected objects
settings = Rhino.DocObjects.ObjectEnumeratorSettings()
settings.ActiveObjects = True
settings.ReferenceObjects = True
settings.NormalObjects = True
settings.HiddenObjects = False
settings.LockedObjects = False
settings.DeletedObjects = False
settings.SelectedObjectsFilter = True
rh_objects = sc.doc.Objects.FindByFilter(settings)
# Return the layer indices
if rh_objects:
layers_indices = set()
for rh_obj in rh_objects:
layers_indices.add(rh_obj.Attributes.LayerIndex)
return layers_indices
return None
def HighlightObjectLayers():
# Get layer indices of pre-selected objects
layers_indices = _GetSelectedObjectLayers()
if not layers_indices:
print("No objects selected.")
return
# Process each layer index
for layer_index in layers_indices:
layer = sc.doc.Layers[layer_index]
if not layer: continue
# If a child layer, expand parents if needed
parent_id = layer.ParentLayerId
while parent_id != System.Guid.Empty:
parent = sc.doc.Layers.FindId(parent_id)
if parent:
if not parent.IsExpanded:
parent.IsExpanded = True
parent_id = parent.ParentLayerId
else:
parent_id = System.Guid.Empty
# Select layers in the UI
sc.doc.Layers.Select(layers_indices, True)
def OnSelectObjects(sender, e):
HighlightObjectLayers()
# Main
if __name__ =="__main__":
# Register event handler for selection change
Rhino.RhinoDoc.SelectObjects += OnSelectObjects
# To manually run the script for the initially selected objects
HighlightObjectLayers()
Alias example:
EnableLayerHighlight
NoEcho !_-RunPythonScript “path where your script is saved\20240311_Highlight_Object_Layer_Real_Time_01a.py”
Also it should unhighlight when objects are deselected/unselected but I didn’t implement that in this go around. Maybe I’ll come back to it if I find the time.
Perhaps this helps for now @matthias ?
Don’t mean to hammer all the threads on this topic, but this is a good user experience feature and Photoshop does it well. They automatically highlight the selected object associated layer when the “auto-select” toggle is activated.
But since Rhino works a little differently, I think the object layer should be highlighted by default and the option to disable it exist in Rhino options or advanced settings.
This is great! But how can we turn it off?
Hi @declan ,
You need to unsubscribe to the Selection event aka “Select Objects” and replace this:
# Main
if __name__ =="__main__":
# Register event handler for selection change
Rhino.RhinoDoc.SelectObjects += OnSelectObjects
# To manually run the script for the initially selected objects
HighlightObjectLayers()
with something along these lines (where “enabled” is a boolean variable you set somewhere):
# something like...
if __name__ == "__main__":
# Subscribe to SelectObjects event and call Highlight function
if enabled:
Rhino.RhinoDoc.SelectObjects += OnSelectObjects
# To manually run the script for the initially selected objects
HighlightObjectLayers()
else:
# Unsubscribe from SelectObjects and call nothing else
Rhino.RhinoDoc.SelectObjects -= OnSelectObjects
return
I can’t test or properly code that right now but along those lines should work.
Very cool. This is a handy technique - thank you for sharing!