Toggle Layer visibility in Design Preview:

Construction and earthworks designs are becoming increasingly complex. From drainage lines and utility corridors to cut/fill boundaries, haul roads, and safety zones, a single design file can contain dozens, if not hundreds, of distinct elements. While having all this data is powerful, visualizing it effectively could sometimes feel overwhelming. Trying to understand specific aspects of a design often meant deciphering a dense web of overlapping lines and polygons.

Previously, reviewing a design in WorksManager Design Preview meant seeing everything at once. While comprehensive, this often made it difficult to:

1. Isolate Specific Features: Need to check just the proposed road alignment? Or only the curb for work? This required careful zooming and panning, and it was easy to get lost in the visual noise.

2. Understand Layer Relationships: How does the new utility line interact with the existing surface? Is the road correctly positioned relative to the excavation? Answering these questions could be time-consuming without the ability to selectively view layers.

3. Efficiently Review: Sifting through numerous overlapping objects slowed down the review process, making it harder to quickly verify design intent or spot potential issues.

Intuitive Layer Control at Your Fingertips

We're excited to announce an enhancement to the Design Preview in Trimble WorksManager: Integrated Layer Management!

You'll now find a dedicated Layer Management panel accessible directly within the design preview interface. This simple tool provides:

1. Clear Layer Listing: See a clean, organized list of all the layers contained within your design file.

2. Visibility Toggling: Simply click the eye icon next to any layer name to instantly turn its visibility on or off in the preview window. This allows you to declutter the view and focus only on the layers relevant to your immediate task. 

3. Direct Layer Highlighting: Selecting a layer name in the panel instantly highlights all corresponding objects within the 3D preview. This makes it incredibly easy to locate specific features and understand their spatial extent within the overall site context.

Current Considerations

While this enhancement brings a new level of control, it's worth noting a current characteristic of the preview: objects within the preview are primarily coloured based on the layer they belong to. Individual objects don't yet display distinct properties or colours separate from their layer definition within this specific preview interface.