Layers are named groups that organize drawing objects by color, line weight, line type, and visibility. Assigning objects to layers keeps complex drawings manageable and makes bulk changes (hide a floor, lock a grid) instant.
Attribute Styles control the visual appearance of dimensions, leaders, gridlines, text, and tables. Styles let you define the exact look once and apply it consistently to all annotations across the drawing.
Layers
Layers are managed from the Layers accordion in the top-right panel. Click the Layers header to expand it. The panel shows all layers in the project and controls for adding, editing, and deleting them.
Layers are shared across all canvases in the project. An object on any canvas can be assigned to any layer, and layer visibility and lock settings apply project-wide.
Add a Layer
Create a new named layer with custom color, weight, and line type
Open the Layers panel, fill in the layer settings below the list, then click Add New. The layer appears in the list immediately and is available as the active layer in the toolbar dropdown.
Step-by-step
1Open the Layers accordion in the top-right panel.
2Enter a Layer Name, choose a color, and configure line weight and line type.
3Click Add New. The layer appears in the list and can be selected as the active layer.
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Tip: Use a consistent naming convention from the start, such as Structural, Annotations, Grid, and Dimensions, to make large drawings easier to manage.
Layer Properties
Configure the visual and behavioural properties of a layer
Click any layer in the list to load its properties into the fields below. Edit the values, then click Update to save.
Property
Description
Layer Name
A unique label for the layer shown in the list and the active-layer dropdown.
Layer Color
The color applied to all objects on this layer when Colors by Layers is on.
Line Weight
Stroke thickness for all lines on this layer, in the current project units.
Line Type
Pattern applied to lines: Solid, Dashed, Dotted, Dash-Dot, Dash-Dot-Dot, Center, or Phantom.
Line Type Scale
Multiplier for the dash/dot pattern size (0.1 to 10). Only shown for non-solid line types.
Lock
Prevents objects on this layer from being selected or moved. See Lock a Layer.
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Tip: Changes to a layer’s color, weight, or line type take effect immediately on all objects assigned to that layer, even if those objects are on different canvases.
Active Layer
Set which layer new geometry is assigned to when it is drawn
The active layer is selected from the layer dropdown in the top toolbar. Any geometry you draw while a layer is active is automatically assigned to that layer. Select No Layer to draw objects without a layer assignment.
A small color indicator next to the dropdown shows the active layer’s color at a glance.
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Tip: Switch the active layer before drawing rather than reassigning objects afterwards. This keeps your workflow faster and the layer list accurate.
Show and Hide Layers
Toggle layer visibility to reduce clutter while working
Click the eye icon next to any layer in the list to toggle its visibility. Hidden layers are not drawn on the canvas and are excluded from exports. Objects on hidden layers cannot be selected.
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Tip: Hide annotation or dimension layers when doing geometry work to reduce visual noise. Remember to make them visible again before exporting.
Lock a Layer
Prevent objects on a layer from being accidentally selected or moved
Select a layer in the list and check the Lock Items Select / Move checkbox, then click Update. Locked layer objects are still visible on the canvas but cannot be clicked, selected, or moved. This protects reference geometry such as column grids or site boundaries.
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Tip: Locking a background or imported-image layer prevents you from accidentally selecting it while drawing over it.
Colors by Layers
Override individual object colors with the layer color
Enable the Colors by Layers checkbox in the View/Display settings (left sidebar). When on, every object that belongs to a layer is rendered in that layer’s color, regardless of the color set on the object itself. This is useful for distinguishing structural categories at a glance.
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Tip: Objects not assigned to any layer always use their individual object color, even when Colors by Layers is on.
Delete a Layer
Remove a layer from the project
Select the layer in the list and click Delete. The layer is removed from the project. Objects that were assigned to the deleted layer are not deleted but lose their layer assignment and revert to their individual object colors.
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Note: Deleting a layer cannot be undone. If you only want to remove objects from view temporarily, use the visibility toggle instead.
Attribute Styles
Attribute Styles are named presets that define the visual appearance of annotations. A style controls arrow shape and size, text size and offset, precision, prefix and suffix, tolerances, and more, for all four annotation types: Linear, Angle, Radius, and Leader. A style also controls Gridline, Text, and Table appearance.
Every project starts with a built-in Default Style. You can create as many additional styles as needed, for example one for small-scale structural drawings and one for large-scale detail sheets.
Attribute Styles are managed from the Attribute Styles accordion in the left sidebar. The active style for new annotations is selected from a dropdown in the top toolbar.
Create a Style
Define a new named set of annotation appearance settings
Open the Attribute Styles accordion in the left sidebar. Type a name in the style name field and click Add New. The new style is created with default settings and appears in the list. You can then open the settings dialog to configure it.
Step-by-step
1Open the Attribute Styles accordion in the left sidebar.
2Enter a name in the style name field and click Add New.
3Click the settings (gear) button to open the style dialog.
4Adjust settings across each section, then click Apply to save.
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Tip: New styles start with factory defaults. Click Reset inside the dialog at any time to return all settings to those defaults.
Edit a Style
Change the settings of an existing style, with live preview
Select a style in the list, then click the gear button to open the settings dialog. The dialog is divided into collapsible sections: one per annotation type plus text, tables, and gridlines. Expand each section to adjust its settings.
Use the dialog actions to control when changes are committed:
Preview: Temporarily applies the current dialog values to the canvas so you can see the effect without saving. Closing the dialog without Apply reverts the preview.
Apply: Saves the dialog values to the style and redraws the canvas. All existing annotations that use this style update immediately.
Reset: Restores all dialog inputs to the factory defaults without saving.
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Tip: The dialog is draggable. Drag the header bar to position it beside the canvas so you can see the annotation you are editing while adjusting settings.
Apply a Style
Set the active style for new annotations, or assign a style to existing ones
There are two ways to use a style:
Active style for new annotations: Select a style from the Attribute Style dropdown in the top toolbar. All new dimensions, leaders, gridlines, and text created after this point will use that style.
Apply to existing selection: Select one or more annotation objects on the canvas, then choose a style from the dropdown. The style is applied to the selected objects immediately.
Styles can be applied to dimensions (linear, angle, radius), leader text, multi-leader text, gridlines, text labels, and tables.
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Tip: Set the active style to the correct one before placing annotations, rather than selecting and reassigning them afterwards. This saves time on large drawings.
Style Settings Reference
What each section in the style dialog controls
The settings dialog is divided into collapsible sections. Click a section header to expand it.
Linear Dimensions
Setting
Description
Arrow Shape
Arrowhead style: arrow, open arrow, dot, tick, slash, or none.
Arrow Length / Width
Physical size of the arrowhead in project units.
Extension Line Offsets
Gap between the measured point and the start/end of the extension line.
Text Offset / Position
Distance of the label from the dimension line, and horizontal alignment (left, center, right).
Text Size
Font size of the dimension label.
Prefix / Suffix
Text prepended or appended to the measurement value.
Precision
Number of decimal places shown in the label.
Decimal Separator
Period (.) or comma (,) as the decimal character.
Round Off
Round the displayed value to the nearest specified increment.
Tolerance Type
None, Symmetric (±), or Deviation (upper/lower). Enter upper and lower tolerance values when deviation is selected.
Angle Dimensions
All of the same arrow, text, prefix/suffix, precision, and tolerance settings as linear dimensions, plus:
Text Orientation
Horizontal or aligned with the arc.
Unit Format
Decimal degrees or degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS).
Alternative Units
Show a secondary unit in parentheses alongside the primary value.
Radius Dimensions
Arrow, text, prefix/suffix, precision, and tolerance settings applied to radius callouts. The prefix defaults to R.
Leader Text
Arrow shape and size, text size, and horizontal/vertical text offset from the leader endpoint.
Gridlines
Extension
Length the gridline extends beyond its endpoints.
Circle Diameter
Size of the bubble at each end of the gridline.
Text Size
Font size of the label inside the bubble.
Dash Length / Gap
Controls the dash pattern of the gridline itself.
Text and Tables
Font Family
Default font for text labels (monospace, sans-serif, serif, etc.).
Text Size Override
When enabled, forces all text labels to use the size defined in this style, overriding individual object settings.
Table Cell Text Size
Default font size inside table cells.
Delete a Style
Remove a custom style from the project
Select a style in the list and click Delete. The style is removed and any annotations that were assigned to it retain their last rendered appearance but lose their style link.
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Note: The built-in Default Style cannot be deleted. If you want to reset its settings, open the style dialog and click Reset instead.
