This is directed at Carbide 3D, specifically, the programmers of Carbide Create. What is the point of being able to create layers for different components of a design if those layer assignments are lost as soon as you copy a component or you group components together? I’ve used various CAD programs over the past 25 years and this is the only program that I’ve ever used that doesn’t keep layer assignments while copying and/or grouping. There is so much wasted time spent reassigning layers every time I copy something. Am I missing something regarding this?
One thing which is fundamental to Layers in Carbide Create is the concept of the “Active” (current) layer.
All new and duplicated and pasted elements will go to that Layer.
An option like to Freehand’s “Paste Remembers Layer” has been discussed, but seems to be confusing to folks.
If you have an example of a workflow where it is esp. egregious to work with the Active layer, I’d be interested to see that.
FWIW, I usually just start with everything on one Layer usually, then make new layers as needed and move things as it becomes apparent in a file that that is a necessary organizational aspect. On some projects though, I will make layers as needed, set them to Active, create all needed content for that Layer, then move on to the next new Layer, setting it to Active.
One of the more obvious places where ‘Just use the Active Layer’ is a problem is with Linear or Circular Array.
Personally, I would work on ‘perfecting’ one object (including its toolpaths) before running the array, EXCEPT that running the array moves everything to one layer. This ruins all the toolpaths using ‘Layer’ selection.
So, one has to work one layer at a time. Possible, but very tedious.
Alignment work is another. I have two objects that are on different layers. They need to stay in the same relative position. If I want to center that as a whole, the easiest is to group, center, ungoup. Except that flattens the layers. I never found an effective work-around for that problem.
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