Layer order

[krides]

I hope I'm not asking too many questions, however, this one is a completely different issue. This one is conflicting with my photoshop experience. To make an object from Layer 1 to appear on top of the object from Layer 4, in Photoshop I would simply drag the layer higher. In AutoCAD this method doesn't seem to be working.

 

So, my question is, how do change layer order? Thank you in advance for your help.

[Dana W]

No such thing as too many questions, as long as you don't ask "Are we there yet?":lol:

 

You can change layer order only by clicking the column heading of the field you want them sorted by in the Layer Properties Manager. This will get you nowhere nearer to what you want because it does not affect the way the drawing appears.

 

AutoCAD layers are not designed to establish draw order like in Photoshop. You will have to think of the layers more like catagories. That premise works for technical drawings, but is not so good for art.

 

The command draworder can be used to stack objects over each other. However, all it does is move one object to the front or back of all the others. You can manipulate objects into the sort of stack you want by the order in which you execute the command on the objects. Let's say you are drawing a poker hand of cards fanned as if you were holding them. if you were to execute draworder > front on each card one at a time from left to right, you would end up with them appearing to be fanned to the right.

 

Draworder > Above and Draworder > Front do the same thing. So do Draworder > Under and Draworder > Back. They move the selected object(s) above or under (in front of or in back of) the reference objects.

 

If there is an easier way, I would sure like to know about it.

 

Usually, in my drawings, (Architectural) draw order only becomes important if I have a hatch pattern or solid fill and I want text or other objects to be seen on top of the pattern or fill.

Edited August 8, 2010 by Dana W
added a smiley

[krides]

No such thing as too many questions, as long as you don't ask "Are we there yet?":lol:

 

You can change layer order only by clicking the column heading of the field you want them sorted by in the Layer Properties Manager. This will get you nowhere nearer to what you want because it does not affect the way the drawing appears.

 

AutoCAD layers are not designed to establish draw order like in Photoshop. You will have to think of the layers more like catagories. That premise works for technical drawings, but is not so good for art.

 

The command draworder can be used to stack objects over each other. However, all it does is move one object to the front or back of all the others. You can manipulate objects into the sort of stack you want by the order in which you execute the command on the objects. Let's say you are drawing a poker hand of cards fanned as if you were holding them. if you were to execute draworder > front on each card one at a time from left to right, you would end up with them appearing to be fanned to the right.

 

Draworder > Above and Draworder > Front do the same thing. So do Draworder > Under and Draworder > Back. They move the selected object(s) above or under (in front of or in back of) the reference objects.

 

If there is an easier way, I would sure like to know about it.

 

Usually, in my drawings, (Architectural) draw order only becomes important if I have a hatch pattern or solid fill and I want text or other objects to be seen on top of the pattern or fill.

 

Thank you very much for your reply, it has been most helpful. I'm using AutoCAD for making board games prototypes, so I really needed to know my options here.