Visibility tool shortcuts

Tool

Tool set

Visibility

Basic

The Visibility tool can make changes to the visibilities of multiple classes, layers, or objects at at time. In a complex drawing, for example, this can be an easy way to quickly show the classes or layers only of selected objects. All classes, layers, or objects can easily be set to visible again. This feature does not affect visibilities in viewports.

To use a Visibility tool shortcut:

To make changes to the class, layer, or object visibility of selected objects, select the objects first. The objects do not need to be in the same class or layer.

Click the tool.

Click Preferences to open the Visibility Tool Preferences dialog box, and specify the effect to occur when the Visibility tool is double-clicked.

Click to show/hide the preferences.Click to show/hide the preferences.

Preference

Description

Makes all classes visible

All classes in the drawing area are set to visible

Makes all layers visible

All layers in the drawing area are set to visible

Makes all hidden objects visible

All hidden objects in the drawing area are made visible

Makes only the classes of the selected objects visible

The classes of selected objects remain visible; other classes are set to invisible

Makes only the layers of the selected objects visible

The layers of selected objects remain visible; other layers are set to invisible

Makes only the selected objects visible

All unselected objects in the drawing area are hidden

Double-click the Visibility tool to execute the selected action.

The classes, layers, or objects in the drawing area are set to visible or invisible as specified, and the Status bar shows the change that occurred.

Reasons for visibility not changing

Several factors may prevent the visibility from changing as expected.

The layer and class options control the visibility of objects in the inactive layers and classes. For example, if the layer options are set to gray objects in inactive layers, grayed objects do not become fully visible when the Visibility tool is double-clicked. (See Setting global visibility with class and design layer options.) An alert displays in this situation.

The Visibility tool cannot hide the active class or layer immediately, since the active class or layer is always set to visible. An alert displays in this situation.

A container object (such as a symbol or a group) and its component parts can belong to different classes, and their visibilities can be set differently. For example, if the classes of the individual objects that make up a symbol are set to invisible or gray, they become visible only when the first double-click option (Makes all classes visible) is used.

The Visibility tool

Visibility tool behavior in embedded viewports

 

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