Rhino 8 Feature: Layers Panel

The latest Rhino 8 WIP has a new, cross-platform Layers panel. The goal is to provide equal capability and an equal experience on both Mac and Windows.

Windows
image

Mac

One of the first things you might notice is there are new Clip and Section Style columns, allowing for the assignment clipping plane and section styles per layer.

The panel is not complete. There are several features left to work on, including filtering. Plus, the wish list is long. But it should be stable enough to work with.

Let us know what you think.

Thanks,

– Dale

23 Likes

Thanks, Dale!
Some feedback in this thread already…

1 Like

This is already a huge improvement to readability. I’m missing the ability to show/hide columns pretty bad, though.

I hope to have this wired up in the next few weeks.

— Dale

2 Likes

Hi Dale,

I have noticed that the RhinoScript methods that deal with Layer Panel don’t work in V8. I hope this will be hooked up eventually.

thanks,

–jarek

Yes, eventually.

https://mcneel.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/RH-68678

– Dale

1 Like

Happy to see Layer Panel getting some attention.

Your link doesn’t work for me, I’m curious what’s on the list.

Hi Jakub -

This list should probably work.
-wim

2 Likes

I hope you will indicate empty layers.

7 Likes

Hi Marcin -

I suppose that is on the list as two different alternatives:

How would you indicate an empty layer?
-wim

2 Likes

I`m not sure but I think I started that first feature request.
That is what I wanted to read you have it still on your board during developing v8.
Good to know.
I will keep my fingers crossed to see that in v8.

Cheers!!!

Edit: Other way is to change font type f.e. to Italic

In the Mac, the border around the layer color box is very thick, making it difficult to read some shades, especially in DarkMode. I’t actually quite hard on the eyes in a laptop size screen.
in the image bellow it is easy to compare with how it used to be [as it is still the old version in the top dropdown]

thanks a lot
Akash

@dale

It is difficult for users to drag the layer toolbar in order to display all of its capabilities. Consequently, the model and layout layers must be separated. Imagine running Rhinoceros 3D on a laptop and having to drag the layer toolbar to one-third of the 13" to 17" laptop’s display to observe all components (and drag them back…). By separating model and layout layers, these redundant procedures will be eliminated, hence increasing efficiency.

I also believe that model and layout layers stacked together would confuse new users.

1 Like

The color squares and diamonds I see are 2/3 the size of those shown above. Windows 10 under Bootcamp on an iMac 27-inch 5K (Late 2015).

(I updated the graphics driver about 18 months ago.)

Yes, we know of some cosmetic issues, especially on the Mac. Right now, were focusing on functionality, and will make a UI pass when we’re further along with that.

For now, just drag the columns wider.

Thanks,

– Dale

hi Wim, all,

I like the grayed-out approach for empty layers.

Another functionality I’d love to see is borrowing Photoshop’s key modifiers when clicking the ‘new layer’ icon:

  • Control Key + New layer icon = puts the layer above the selected layer, instead of below
  • Alt Key + New layer icon= brings up the layer color + name dialog so you can at the same time choose the name and the color of the new layer in 1 step.

thx!

G

4 Likes

One more thing would be nice for the new Layer panel: ‘local’ keyboard shortcuts.

When you roll over the panel with the mouse, CTRL-A should not invoke the ‘SelAll’ command, but the ‘Select All’ feature under the hammer icon in the panel’s toolbar. Same for ‘SelNone’.

In fact every panel should have some local keyshorts, which should be definable under Options > Keyboard. Obviously some under-the-hood-changes would be necessary for this.

Such a feature is supported by numerous other 3d programs (Blender, Softimage XSI, 3ds Max, …)

Thanks for considering!

1 Like

I love how even a Rewrite doesn’t warrant an actual UI/UX designer doing a QA because that is not it.
Lots of icon pack out there free/paid for commercial use but you choose to use something that looks like it was taken from someone’s recycle bin from 2000.

1 Like

Agreed.
As has been mentioned before (with a wink): hire David Rutten to look over the UI design! Or someone equally caring and thorough.

Not a good thing anyway that Grasshopper looks so different from the basis-Rhino.
In general, Rhino is a panopticon of different (and mostly not so good) UIs.

A post was split to a new topic: LayerState questions