Jump to content

Lock Active Layer i.e Disable Layer Auto-Switch?


modtyrant

Recommended Posts

Hello!!

The problem i am having is that i cannot find a setting (i looked for hours google/forums) or a plugin that allows me to lock the active layer. When i turn it on or off it switches to another layer, which is driving me insane. I spend more time switching back to my working layer because i am flicking through layers like paper to check the animation. That isn't including all the mistakes i make on other layers, that i have to go through and fix.

 

Clarification: When turning the active layer off, it switches then.

Thanks!

Edited by modtyrant
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have noticed this too. If you turn off a layer, it switches to the next active layer below. Its sometimes a nuisance.

 

Sorry, but I don't think PDN has layer lock function.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

modtyrant, I dislike that, too, and have complained about it before. It's not the "extra seconds to activate the layer," it's the fact that it's confusing and regularly results in me modifying the wrong layer. Toggling a layer off and back on is often how I determine whether a layer is the layer I think it is. Of course, I could label every layer, but when I'm working, I often have a number of temporary layers, and I don't like to interrupt what I'm doing to add labels. And I still maintain switching to some essentially random active layer achieves no useful objective. There's no reason to expect it will be a layer I'd like to activate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you turn off the currently active layer the 'active' focus cascades to the next available layer.

Using visibility to determine the layer contents is a poor solution. Imagine if you had 60 or 100 layers! Take the time to liable the layers properly; press F4 and type (focus defaults to the layer name field). Its easier than toggling dozens of layers on and off.

@modtyrant: there are animation/spritesheet plugins to help with animation frames. See the Plugin Index link in my signature.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why should I expect the next available layer to be the layer I'd want activated? As I understand it, the idea behind this "feature" is to not confuse users if they try to modify an invisible layer, and don't see any change. So it substitutes the user (sometimes) seeing the change, only it's probably on a different layer than intended. At least in the first case there's immediately an indication something is wrong.

 

As far as labeling every layer, I find having to label every temporary layer distracting, and would much rather check by toggling. Everyone has his or her own way of working, I suppose.

Edited by MJW
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 it's the fact that it's confusing and regularly results in me modifying the wrong layer. 

 

Boom! You had it there. I experienced the same thing many dozens of times, having modified changes to the wrong layer.

 

I think a nice little feature under the settings somewhere can be added to either allow or not allow the shifting of active layer once the current one is made invisible.

 

That along with my other suggestions on this thread would be nice:

 

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/30374-merge-visible-feature-for-layers/#entry419390

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the responses.

As for my work flow, i am only flipping between 2-4 layers (all my layers are named and there are about 20-25). The problem arises when i need to turn off the ones i am working on because 19 other layers are turned off too. So when i turn off the ones i am working on, it jumps up all the way to my drawing grid (the floor line) and gray scale colorer.

Il be checking for plugins and il try out the sprite sheet one.

Thanks again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say that I did not know about "Jump to Next Active Layer" as a feature?

 

I don't like it.

 

It does, however, explain some of the editing issues I've had....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Thread is done Tigris. No activity for months.

 

If you wish to continue the discussion, please start a new thread.  Thanks.

 

<closed>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Ego Eram Reputo locked this topic
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...