I find its far to easy to inadvertently change the current layer when working in the layers dialog adjusting layer parameters, or even just scrolling the layer list.
This is a problem in V7 also, but its much worse and very annoying in V8.
I’d like a right click option on the current layer to “hold” it from changing, without specifically releasing it by right clicking the option again (or something similar).
cheers
rabbit
Hi rabbit - how it is it worse in V8? Just curious… should be the same. But, do you get this unwanted change via double-click or by clicking in the Current layer column by accident? I find if the current layer column is to the right of the names, then in a deep layer structure especially, there is no indication of where the name column ends and where the current layer column starts so I set a layer current just be mssing the name column slightly with my click - is that what’s happening?
-Pascal
Hi Pascal
Well, its like a mix of things…
1] Firstly, I’m left handed, so I prefer the current column to be on the left, then the names, then on, lock, colour - the rest I don’t usually care about, and on V7, where its possible, I turn those columns off.
2] For some reason there is no visual dividing line in either V7 or V8, - the headings have a faint divider, but the actual columns don’t. What this means is there is always white space in the “current” column - the other columns are always filled with a name, or icons on, off and a colour swatch.
So in a long layer list, there is no “guard rail” to keep you out of the “current” column. Its like a painted line on a road is missing, so you tend to wander more…
3] Its pointless having the name of the current column actually written at the head of the column, because the name “Current” is wider than the Tick mark indicating which column is current.
So I tend to close that column width down, so I see “Cur” - I can close it further so the heading goes away, but then the column is really too narrow and there is even less indication its there.
Why not dump the tick icon, and the column heading and just make the indication of current layer a colour - perhaps the colour set for selection for example?
Further, make the whole column a colour, with a contrasting one being the actual current layer - then there is a solid indication that that column is used up. If this kind of colour information was exposed, I’d change it like that.
I’d go further - the current column is obviously tied to the layer name - you want to see that relationship. So why not just dump the present “current” layer column, and instead just make the current layer background highlighted?
Or leave it like it is in bold type, but change the colour of the text to the selection colour or whatever the user wants…?
My layer structure is often bigger than the screen allows, so it always has a scroll bar which I’m navigating up and down, so I’d make more mistakes than in a less dense one page structure.
I’ll try moving the current layer column off to the right after “color”, so that actual names are the first entry, and the “current” column is off out of the way.
But – a “hold” option that prevented the current layer being altered till specifically allowed via a right click would I think be an improvement……
cheers
rabbit
Hi rabbit - you can turn off the current layer column altogether and rely on the Bold for the current layer, and double-click to make current - I may just do that myself and see how it goes, because of your # 2, which is what I find confusing especially when there are a lot of layers and ai am pretty deep in in my current view…
(I am not super enthused, yet, about the ‘hold’ idea, myself, to be honest. It seems like it could cause confusion pretty easily, if I understand it.)
-Pascal
Well there you go - I wasn’t aware you could turn off the current layer column, so now I’ve done that and the current layer text being in bold is fine.
And in V8, it turns out if you right click on a column heading, you get to be able to turn off columns also ( who knew?).
So for now that seems much better, and I’ll see how it all goes…
Thanks Pascal.