Trimble Business Center

Having a couple issues with creating new layers and the layer manager since the update and was wondering if anyone else was experiencing the same issues. If these are issues already know by Trimble, please advise.

Space Bar Layer Creation - In previous versions, hitting the space bar while in a layer select field would bring up the Layer Manager for the creation of a new layer. Hitting the space bar in v5.0 simply creates a new layer (New Layer #, etc) and does not  bring up the manager. Now the "New Layer #" needs to be selected in the manager and edited. 

Layer Manager - (While docked with auto-hide on) 

• Intermittently, the Layer Manager opens empty. The only way I've been able to (sometimes) get the list to re-populate is by completely closing the manager, re-open, re-docking, and re-auto hiding. Occasionally, I've had to restart TBC, and just this morning, it was necessary to re-boot my machine to get the list to re-populate.
• Exposing the list by hovering over the docked tab, then selecting a different layer on the list - the manager hangs open and will not close when the cursor is move off the list. The only way I've been able to get the list to close is by starting a new command or clicking somewhere on the command pane or cursor scroll. Clicking in the drawing area will not close the list.
• Helpful change suggestions:
  • When calling the Layer Manager from the View Filter Manager via the right click context menu: It would be helpful if the Layer Manager opened with the layer originally selected in the View Filter, also selected in the Manager and ready to be edited. This was an advantage of the previous Layer Options routine that is no longer available. Currently, it is necessary to re-scroll the list in the Manager after opening and re-select the desired layer to edit.
  • Allow Layer Manager column width adjustments for obvious reasons.  

I just tried the Space Bar in TBC v5 Release Version and it appears to open the Layer Manager OK for me and the Layer Name is selected so I can directly edit it. Maybe you have tour Layer Manager already open and hidden by another application because the Layer manager can now be open and left open while you do other things?

Agree on the Right Click Function to access Layer Manager - it would make sense that it would highlight that line in the Layer Manager automatically - will feed that into Development Team for you

Agree on the Column Width adjustment - that is necessary at times for sure - will put in an enhancement request for you

Also the comment about Layer Options - the need to be able to select an object on screen and go directly to the Layer in Layer Manager so you can change the Layer properties is also noted already

Thanks for the feedback

Alan

Add my name to the Right Click Layer Select group as well as having adjustable column widths. I do really like the ability to make changes to all the layers I have selected in the manager. The spacebar option for a new layer works for me but I don't keep the manager open.

Did a little more snooping around on the spacebar layer creation issue.

With the Layer Manager fully closed; when the spacebar is pressed in a Layer selection field while in a command, the Layer Manager opens with the "New Layer 1" selected and ready to be edited as expected, as you mentioned.

However,

If the Layer Manager is Open - Docked - and Auto Hide is selected, the software does not preform as expected by displaying the Layer Manager with the new layer selected and ready to be edited. TBC simply creates a layer "New Layer 1" in the list when the spacebar is pressed and stops for more input relative to the selected command. The user then has to manually call the Layer Manager and directly edit the Layer Properties. This seems counter to the intent and you may want to have it looked at.

So now the choice becomes, do I take advantage of the cool new docking and auto hide feature of the Layer Manager or, leave the Manager closed and using as we did in prior versions so as to take advantage of the spacebar feature? At this point, leaving the Manager closed and forgoing the new feature seems more efficient for me. 

Regarding the empty layer list: this is an intermittent and infrequent issue that I've been having. Never the less it has occurred a couple of times. I will try to better notice what the situation is when it happens and get some screen clips. Any suggestions on what I should look for will be appreciated. 

Thanks again for your help and attention Alan. 

Awesome - thanks for the due diligence here - I lost the path here a bit thinking that some of this you were talking about the View Filter Manager

I had not really thought that people would leave the Layer Manager open and use Autohide and use it in the way that you are - great points and I will take another look

I was up late last night answering these questions after a 3am start in the morning - so likely not the sharpest pencil in the drawer as a result

Again thanks for the feedback

Alan

Sent from my iPhone

Layer manager in general seems a little 'laggy' with refresh rate when opening or scrolling up/down layer list.

Couple of things I'd become used to but miss in v5.0:

- Can't press enter to accept and close. Used to open manager with spacebar, type name and press enter, now need to mouse click close.

- Can't cancel. Occasionally I'd have used spacebar to create a new layer, then realised I didn't need to. Was able to simply cancel and no new layer was created. No cancel anymore.

- Agree with opening Layer Manager on the selected layer (open via Filter Manager right click).

Other bugbears when editing a layer name:

- Entire row is shaded blue, so when I click drag / shift arrow to select text in the layer name, I can't see if/what is selected.

- When using arrows keys to navigate to start or end of layer name, one press to many leaves the field. Note: I am adopting using Home/End keys to jump to start/end.

Like:

- Really like that I can sort the layer list my Group Layer. I group most of my layers and sorting this way displays/manages the layer list the same way I like to manage my view filter.

Little thinks aside, moving to v5.0 has a positive experience.

Rob

When I hit space bar my layer gets selected or deselected

I have fed all these repsonses into development - we will see what we can do

Alan

It would also be very helpful to be able to toggle a layer's visibility in the Layer Manager.