AutoCAD LAYER Command: Creating and Managing Layers
Opens the Layer Properties Manager to create, edit and set the current layer.
- Command
- LAYER
- Aliases
- LA
- English name
- Layer
The AutoCAD LAYER command opens the Layer Properties Manager palette. Every layer in the drawing is listed there, and you can create new layers, rename them and set their color, linetype, lineweight and transparency.
Layers are the standard way to organize a drawing. When walls, grids, electrical runs, dimensions and text sit on separate layers, you can hide, lock or exclude a whole group from plotting with one click. If object color and linetype are left at ByLayer, their appearance comes entirely from the layer settings.
The columns in the palette show each layer's state: On, Freeze, Lock and Plot. The command-line version is -LAYER, which runs without the palette and is the one to use in scripts and macros.
How to use it
- Type LAYER or LA and press Enter to open the Layer Properties Manager.
- Click New Layer and give the layer a descriptive name.
- Click the Color, Linetype and Lineweight columns to set the layer's appearance.
- Select the layer you want to draw on and click Set Current, or double-click it.
- Use the On, Freeze and Lock icons to hide, freeze or lock layers as needed.
Options
- New Layer
- Creates a new layer with a default name such as Layer1.
- Set Current
- Makes the selected layer current so new objects are drawn on it.
- Delete Layer
- Deletes the selected layer. Layer 0, Defpoints, the current layer and layers with objects cannot be deleted.
- On / Off
- Shows or hides the layer; objects on a layer that is off are not displayed or plotted.
- Freeze / Thaw
- Freezes the layer so its objects are hidden and skipped during regeneration.
- Lock / Unlock
- Locks the layer; objects stay visible but cannot be selected or modified.
Notes and tips
- Layer 0 cannot be deleted or renamed, and the Defpoints layer created by dimensioning cannot be deleted either.
- Keep object color and linetype set to ByLayer so a change to the layer updates every object on it.
- The Layer States Manager saves a combination of layer settings so you can restore it later.