[Bf-funboard] Layer Manager proposal/mock-up

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi,

Finally time to catch up with mails...

I think it is important first to explain what layers currently are in  
Blender.
Layers don't really exist in Blender at all... and although we have a  
menu saying "Move to layer", actually nothing is moved, except changing  
a few bit values in the Object.

What is called a 'layer' in Blender is nothing more than a 32 bits  
value, which defines a visibility code. Objects have this code, 3D  
windows have it, Scenes have it. By using a very fast binary  
comparision (code: "ob->lay & scene->lay") detected can be whether an  
object is visible in a scene or not. It is also used for Lamps (to  
define which objects they shine light on) or for environment maps (to  
define what not to render).

Most important here is that this layer code is equally used and stored  
for Objects, Lamps, Scenes, 3D windows, etc. This introduces a new  
complexity; because when you give special properties to a layer  
("lock", or "ghost"), what does it mean for an Object that is in 3  
layers?
And: if you assign properties to Scene layers, what does it mean for  
layers in an Object, do they get properties?

It is the main reason why such a proposal wasn't easy to quickly  
implement.

This also might be why Thorsten started thinking of another topic we  
discussed before, and that's how to organize data (objects) in a  
Blender scene... using hierarchical trees, layers, grouping, etc.

-Ton-


On Tuesday, Nov 25, 2003, at 20:39 Europe/Amsterdam, Karim Nassar wrote:

> I've put together a mock-up for a Layer Manager or properties window:
>
> http://www.karimnassar.com/phoenix/images/blend_layers.jpg
>
> I've found that when working on complex models, I use layers a lot to  
> organize my model.
>
> I've incorporated 3 new features into this panel that I would really  
> love to have available, and I'm sure that others would find them  
> usefull also:
>
> Layer Naming: The user can name a layer by clicking on the text-input  
> button for that layer in the Layer Properties window. When a Layer  
> Name has been defined, mousing over the layer buttons in the 3-d view  
> pop-up that Layer Name instead of the "Toggle Layer Visibility"  
> tool-tip.
>
> Layer Locking: This is different from the "Lock to Scene" control on  
> the 3-d window. Toggling this selection freezes the layer in it's  
> current state-- visibility cannot be toggled without unlocking, and  
> items on that layer cannot be selected or edited.
>
> Ghost Layer: Toggles the layer as a "ghost" or reference layer. Ghost  
> layers display in wireframe view as "lighter" than active layers. In  
> shaded views, ghost layers display as wire-frame. Ghost layers do NOT  
> render.
>
> These toggles can be stacked, so a layer may be visible, locked, AND  
> ghosted.
>
> Other per-layer controls could also go in this panel, including  
> perhaps wire-color settings.
>
> Comments? Input?
>
> --Karim
>
>
>
>
>
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>
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
--
Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation ton@blender.org  
http://www.blender.org