Devs, Can We please make the layer UX Better?

Feature Request Carbide Create
1

Right now, the process of assigning and using layers is extremely cumbersome compared to most modern software.

In a typical project, I usually use a CAD program to make an SVG and then import it into Carbide Create. My first step is always separating and organizing the different elements into layers.

The current workflow for making a new layer and moving selections to that layer looks like this:

  1. Click the gear on a unrelated layer
  2. Click New Layer
  3. Click the gear on the new layer
  4. Click Rename
  5. Click all the vectors you want on that layer
  6. Click the gear on the new layer again
  7. Click Move Selection to Layer

That’s seven clicks for a very basic and repetitive task that has to be done over and over in most projects.

Suggestions for Improvement

Here are some simple, standard UX updates that would make working with layers much faster and more intuitive:

  1. Add “+” and “–” buttons at the bottom of the Layers panel.
  • Clicking “+” creates a new layer named New Layer, with the name automatically highlighted so the user can just start typing to rename it.
  • Right-clicking the “+” could open an option for “New Layer with Selection”, which would create a new layer and move the current selection to it in one step.
  1. Allow double-click renaming of layers directly in the panel, with the text auto-selected for easy editing.
  2. Enable drag-and-drop reordering of layers in the list.
  3. Add right-click options in the design window . When vectors are selected, a right-click menu could include “Create New Layer with Selection” .
  4. Simplify or remove redundant menu items (Rename, Hide, Lock, Delete, Move Up, Move Down, New Layer) from the gear submenu if they become directly accessible elsewhere.
  5. Add keyboard shortcuts (or allow users to assign their own) for all layer-related actions.

Closing Thoughts

Layer management is one of the most common and repetitive tasks in Carbide Create, especially when working with imported designs. Streamlining this process would make a massive difference in everyday usability and help bring the software’s workflow in line with modern CAD/CAM standards.

Carbide Create is a fantastic tool with so much potential — improving the layer UX would be a huge quality-of-life boost for everyone using it regularly. Thanks for considering these suggestions!

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