Layer search

[mortenengel]

Working with a lot of layers it can be difficult to find the layer you need.
Could you introduce a search field in the layer tab? This would make it a lot easier to work with layers.

Thanks in advance.

[RIL (Rolf)]

I made a script FLayer, meaning “Find and Set a specified Layer as the CurrentLayer”. You can download it here (FLayer.rvb) :
FLayer.rvb (1.0 KB)

Hint: Full path can be specified, like so:

PARENT::CHILD::CHILD::ASO

To simplify typing long paths the script also translates any comma (“,”) into the std path delimiter “::”, meaning that also the following path would be found:

PARENT,CHILD,CHILD,ASO

If only the end target layer name is specified (i.e. “ASO” above) the first occurence in the layer tree is set to CurrentLayer. If the layer name or path is not found, a message indicates so in the command line.

For instructions how to install the script so it’s always available (with a shortcut name “FL”), see th following post :

How to "install" a .rvb script?

OK, thank you to both @pascal and @clement, you put me on the right track, but it still took me a while to get all the bits in the right order. To be more precise, including ALL the details that needs to be in order : Write the script. And as @pascal says, make sure to leave out the “Call SubName()” (or the “Call Main()” row, which would be in the default code when creating a new script file) Fig 1. §1 & 2 above: [image] 3, Specify the script file to be loaded on Rhino startup (due to the…

Enjoy!

// Rolf

[pascal (Pascal Golay)]

Hi Morten - thanks, I’ve run into exactly this recently on a complex project, but I did not get around to making the official wish…

https://mcneel.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/RH-38523

-Pascal

[mortenengel]

great. Thanks Pascal.

[billhearnc1]

Pascal, Any progress on a search function for layer names & properties? It would be a huge help for complex models and should be fairly easy to implement. BTW there are requests for this function going back many years. Thanks in advance!

[pascal (Pascal Golay)]

@billhearnc1 - let’s see if this python will get you anywhere.

To use the Python script use RunPythonScript, or a macro:

_-RunPythonScript "Full path to py file inside double-quotes"

(the best way in this case)

FindLayer.py (990 Bytes)

So - this is on the crude side but let’s just try it- type some characters from the layer in the box - they do have to be correct and sequential - part of the layer name in other words, there are no smarts in this. If there is only one match that layer will be highlighted, otherwise you get to choose among the matches. It is also easy enough to just highlight all the possible matches - I don’t know which is better - I think I feel an option coming on.

-Pascal

[3Dr]

Would be nice have a search layer tool!!

[encephalon]

+1

guys, pls pls pls, make that a Rhino 8 feature @dale release target is still in future, it has been requested quite a few times and would really improve the layers.

i have so many layers which i have trouble finding, since i remember what i am looking for it would be a great help!

[James_Richters]

Any Plans to implement this? I would find this useful as well. Especially when trying to find a layer that I know the name of, but don’t remember what parent it’s under, and is hidden. I have to resort to unhiding all layers so I could select object layer and find it in the list and see what it’s parents are… doesn’t sound like a big deal but it take over 10 minutes of looking an an hourglass while all the layers get turned on, and then turned off again.

James

[Gijs (Gijs de Zwart)]

layer search is in the WIP