Layers Panel UI - Functionality Missing (?)

Rhino
1

I’m still getting started with Rhino. I’m used to using Layers extensively. I’m finding some missing functionality in the Layers Panel:

  • As the selected object(s) changes, I expect to see an icon for each Layer that highlights when the object selection changes. Better still would be if this highlight was 3-state: Showing whether NO object on the layer is selected, SOME of the objects on this layer are selected, or EVERY object on this Layer was selected.
  • When that selection-state icon is tapped it selects EVERY object on that layer (if no or some objects on it are selected), or de-selects all the objects on that layer if all are already selected.
  • The Hidden icon (the light bulb) should also be 3-state, indicating whether NONE of the layer’s objects are hidden, SOME of them are, or NONE of them are.
  • Same thing for the Locked icon (padlock).

(If you’re curious what this looks/functions like, check out Moment of Inspiration, which like Rhino was written by Michael Gibson. It implements this functionality for layers AND for objects organized by name. It’s VERY useful and powerful.)

Does this functionality exist in Rhino and I’ve just missed it? :slight_smile:

If not, how does one make feature suggestions to the Rhino team?

Thanks,
Christopher

2

Hi @Christopher_Schardt,

Rhino’s Layers panel is more along the lines of other CAD product, such as AutoCAD and BricsCAD, rather than Moi.

We’ve got several of these types of requests on our to-do list. Performance, especially with large models, is an concern. We’ll see what comes along in future Rhino releases.

In the mean time, you might find commands such as HighlightObjectLayers or clicking Select Object Layers from the panel’s hamburger menu, helpful.

– Dale

3

Thanks for the quick reply Dale! And thanks for telling me that such features are on your to-do list. As a programmer myself, I can imagine how updating these indicators on every selection change could take time with 100,000s of objects. Perhaps it could be an option in the Layers Panel’s menu.

I meant to write that I HAVE seen the commands you mention and they DO perform part of the functionality I’m looking for. The problem is that they don’t have keystrokes. Is there a way to tie keystrokes to them?

4

@Christopher_Schardt - you can create keyboard shortcuts in Rhino. Click Tools > Options > Keyboard. I’m sure there is a button for the command in the Layers toolbar.

— Dale