Managing Layers Basics

Create a New Layer

Creating a new layer is possible by clicking on the New Layer button at the bottom left of the dialog. Since the Layers Dialog is not diagram specific but application specific, you will have to choose in wich diagram the new layer must go in. To do so, at the top of the Layers Dialog, select the diagram you wanted to receive the new layer and then add this new layer to the selected diagram.

The newly created layer will be placed on top of the stack and will become the current layer of the selected diagram.

Then it's possible to edit any new object of your choice, copy and paste from any other layer or diagram as you could do it in single layer diagram.

Selecting Layers

A layer is said as being activated when it is selected in the Layers Dialog. To select a layer simply click on its name in the dialog, that will highlight it. From now, any changes you will make to the diagram will affect this layer and only this one.

You'll be able to select only one layer at the time. That way you can do anything you like in this selected layer without affecting other layers on your diagram.

Ordering Layers

Next to the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers Dialog, are two useful buttons which allow you to set the stack order of each layer you created.

Those two buttons are used to raise and lower layers in the hierarchy of layers. The button with the up arrow is used to raise the active layer while the other is for lower the position within the hierarchy.

Ordering layers can be useful when you want hide some parts of an object with another one.

Deleting Layers

When a layer is not needed anymore you can delete it and all the objects it contains by clicking on the Delete Layer button. Of course this will only affect the currently selected layer.

Doing so on regular basis is the better way to keep your diagram clean and light for when you want to export it to another format than the native Dia format.

Note you should be aware of any diagram you created must at least contains one layer, only because a diagram is built of layer, so a diagram doesn't contain any layer should be considered as a corrupted diagram and won't be suitable to export nor even save in the native Dia format.