Creating and Using Layers

This is an extremely important phase when using the CAW tool. Layers help with the performance of the program and effectively help to organize the hundreds and thousands of objects that will make up your world. The program is designed to function within the layers, so when you want to place your first object, you will receive a prompt instructing you to create a layer. Every time you place an object into your world, it will be listed in the active layer. The active layer is simply the layer that is currently selected to be used. Selecting or changing the active layer is discussed below.

Creating layers is relatively easy and is simply done by adding a layer to the World Layers directory. When you first open your new world, your screen should look something like the image below. The World Layers directory should be the first column under the tool bar.

There is just one item in the World Layers directory upon creating a new world, and it is named Wold Layer. Right click on that name, which opens a pop-up window.

Click Add Layer

The program will create two lines: Global Layer and the layer you just added, naming it Layer_1.

Click inside the blue box named Layer_1 to change the name.

You may create as many layers as you like, but it is important that you have a layer for Objects, a layer for Lots, a layer for Trees, a layer for Spawners, and a layer for Effects.
The program will work by using just one layer, but that is not recommended. However, you must create at least one layer.

Mine looks like this (I have named my Trees layer plants):

The first thing you should notice is that Effects has a gray background and is bold. That is because it is the active layer. The program always writes to the active layer, which means if I were to place an item into my world, it will be listed in the Effects layer. Clicking the + sign to the left of the Layer's name will open that directory and show you all the objects listed there.

 

If you had been working with Spawners and then started placing street lights along one of your roads and forgot to change the active layer, you can move the street lights into the proper layer by either dragging the object from the one layer and dropping it into the correct layer. Or you can right-click on the object and choose an action from a pop-up window:

Notice the other actions available. If you choose Find in Render Panel, the program will move your view in the rendering panel to that object. If you choose Delete, the program will remove that object from your world.

To make a layer active, simply right-click on the layer's name in the World Layers directory, and choose from the pop-up window:

 Again, notice that there are other options available that effect your layers. Also notice that layers can be created within layers.