Use Visio Layers

Quick reference

• 00:04 Let's talk about adding layers to our diagram, which will be really helpful for
• 00:08 the more complicated diagrams.
• 00:10 So this is the one where we have the table and
• 00:12 the chairs that we've worked on throughout these lessons.
• 00:15 So I'm going to pick on the Home menu.
• 00:18 And we're going to to come over here and picking the word Layers.
• 00:22 Now first let's go into the layer properties.
• 00:25 Now it probably already has some layers.
• 00:28 But you can add your own or you can remove them or rename them.
• 00:32 So I'm going to add a new layer.
• 00:34 And I'm going to call this one table and chairs.
• 00:43 So I'm going to go ahead and click on OK.
• 00:46 And now I'm going to assign these objects to the layer.
• 00:51 So I'm going to go ahead and highlight all the shapes.
• 00:55 And then I'm going to pick on the word Layers, and I'll say Assign to Layer.
• 01:00 And I want to assign it to the table and chair layer, and I'll click on OK.
• 01:06 Now, what I can do at this time is, I'm going to lock that layer so
• 01:12 we can't accidentally change it as we're working on other things.
• 01:16 So picking the word Layers again, and I pick on Layer Properties.
• 01:20 Now look, I'm going to lock the table and chair layer, right,
• 01:24 we're going to lock that, and I'll click on OK.
• 01:27 So now I can't click on any of the chairs or the table, those are all locked.
• 01:33 So now I can do other things to the diagram
• 01:36 without even having to worry about that.
• 01:39 As a matter of fact, I'm going to hide that layer.
• 01:41 So I'll pick on a Layer and then Layer Properties.
• 01:45 And I'm even going to make it so the table and
• 01:47 chairs are not going to be visible right now, all right?
• 01:50 So I'll click on OK, good.
• 01:53 Now I'm going to add another layer, so click on Layers again, Layer Properties.
• 01:58 I'm going to add a new one, and I'll call this one the rug and plants.
• 02:05 All right, and I'm going to click on OK.
• 02:09 Now let's add a rug in.
• 02:11 So I'll pick on the Home menu, and I'll just use the rectangle tool and
• 02:15 we'll make rug fill most of the room.
• 02:19 Now with that rug, I want to give it a different color.
• 02:23 So I'll pick on the Fill menu and say Fill Options.
• 02:27 And then this window will open up over here on the right.
• 02:30 So then I'll pick on a pattern.
• 02:33 And then let's say I'm going to use a different pattern like that.
• 02:36 And maybe I'll make it like a gray, okay, so there's the rug.
• 02:43 And now maybe I like to have some plants.
• 02:45 Let me go back to the Pointer Tool,
• 02:47 we always go back to the Pointer Tool when we're done with a certain tool.
• 02:50 So over here I'll search for plants in the search area.
• 02:56 And we find a nice flowering plant,
• 02:58 I'm just going to drag that into the shape here.
• 03:02 Okay, and then maybe we'll have a trashcan in here as well.
• 03:06 So I'll search for trashcan in the search and I find the trashcan.
• 03:11 I'm just going to drag that in over here.
• 03:15 Good, now I like to have the shape and
• 03:18 the plant and the trashcan be part of the new layer.
• 03:22 So I'm going to click on the rectangle, hold down my Shift key, and
• 03:26 pick on the plant and the trash can, now they're all three selected.
• 03:30 I'll pick on the Layers and I'll say Assign to Layer.
• 03:33 And we're going to put that into the rug and plants layer, and I'll click on OK.
• 03:39 Now see I was able to do all of that without really having to interfere with
• 03:44 the table and chairs.
• 03:45 Let's bring back the table and chairs layer now.
• 03:48 So I'll pick in the Layers and I'll say Layer Properties.
• 03:52 And I'm going to make the table and chairs visible again and I'll click on OK.
• 03:59 Now what probably happened here is the table and chairs are there.
• 04:04 However, we have to bring them to the front.
• 04:07 I'm going to click on the rug, and the plant and the trashcan.
• 04:14 What I'll actually do is I'll send that to the back.
• 04:16 So I'll pick on Send to the Back and then now you can see how the table and
• 04:21 chairs are there.
• 04:23 And you can see how the table and chairs are on top of the rug.
• 04:26 Here's the plant and here's the trashcan.
• 04:29 So each diagram can have as many layers as you need,
• 04:33 but this allows you to do more complicated things.
• 04:37 So what I did was I picked in the Layers menu.
• 04:39 And then under Layer Properties, you can go ahead and add new ones or
• 04:44 remove them or rename them.
• 04:46 All right, so we've actually added the table and the chairs layer and the rug and
• 04:50 plants layer.
• 04:51 Then notice how I can lock that layer, which means whatever I do
• 04:56 to the diagram isn't going to affect that layer, everything will be still locked.
• 05:01 And I can't either click on them or anything when they're locked.
• 05:04 I even made that so it wasn't visible for a while.
• 05:07 Then I was able to work on the rug and
• 05:09 plants layer without really having to worry about the other one.
• 05:13 So this way,
• 05:15 maybe you can get part of your diagram done and make those things into a layer.
• 05:20 And then lock it or make it so it's not visible.
• 05:24 So that you can work on other parts of that same diagram that might be overlaying
• 05:28 or on top of it or those kind of things, all right?
• 05:31 So that should give you a pretty good idea of how to work with your layers.

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