FormIt for Windows
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  • Introduction
  • What's New
  • FormIt Capabilities
    • Multiple Clients
    • Conceptual Solid Modeling
    • Working with Data Formats
    • Languages
    • Collaboration
    • Presentation Graphics
    • FormIt + Autodesk Docs
    • FormIt + Dynamo
    • Solar + Energy Analysis
    • FormIt + Revit
    • FormIt + JavaScript for Plugins
  • FormIt Introduction
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Prerequisites and Installation
    • Setting Up the Project
    • Toolbars and Palettes
    • Navigating the Scene
  • FormIt Primer
    • Part I
      • 1.1 - Set the Location
      • 1.2 - Project Set Up with Images and Grid
      • 1.3 - 3D Sketch and Drag Face
      • 1.4 - Add Floors with Levels
      • 1.5 - Group Objects
      • 1.6 - Control Visibility with Layers
      • 1.7 - Paint with Materials
      • 1.8 - Create Columns with Array
      • 1.9 - Adding Details
      • 1.10 - Computational Groups with Dynamo
      • 1.11 - Import Models with Content Library
      • 1.12 - Visual Styles
      • 1.13 - Section Planes
      • 1.14 - Export Image
      • 1.15 - Working With Revit
    • Part II
      • 2.1 - Offset Line Tool
      • 2.2 - Advanced Modeling Tools: Shell and Cover
      • 2.3 Orthographic View Workflow
      • 2.4 - 3D Terrain Workflows
      • 2.5 - Plugins
      • 2.6 - Dynamo FormIt Nodes
      • 2.7 - Diagnostics Tools
      • 2.8 - Advanced Revit Workflows
      • 2.9 - Solar and Insight Energy Analysis
      • 2.10 - Collaboration Sessions
  • Tool Library
    • 3D Text
    • Align Camera With Face
    • Arc
    • Array
    • Array Along Path
    • AutoSave
    • Boolean Cut
    • Boolean Intersect
    • Boolean Join
    • Circle
    • Collaboration
    • Content Library
    • Copy Object
    • Cover, Sweep, Loft
    • Create Panorama
    • Curve + Surface Faceting
    • Delete, Edit, Move
    • Dynamo
    • Energy Analysis with Insight
    • Faces: Extrude, Cut and Offset
    • Faces: Flatten
    • Faces: Tilt and Facet/Smooth
    • Groups Tree
    • Groups
    • Import and Export Data
    • Layers
    • Levels and Area
    • Lines
    • Materials
    • Measure Angle
    • Measure
    • Meshes
    • Mirror
    • Model Statistics
    • Model Tree
    • Modifying Faces, Edges, and Points
    • Non-Uniform Scale
    • Offset Line
    • Orthographic Views
    • Orthographic and Perspective Camera
    • Placing Primitives
    • Place Vertex
    • Plugins
    • Polygon
    • Properties
    • Railing Along Path
    • Rectangle
    • Revit
    • Rotate Object
    • Scale Object
    • Scenes
    • Section Planes
    • Selection
    • Setting Location
    • Sun + Shadows
    • Shell
    • Snaps and Inferences
    • Solar Analysis
    • Spline
    • Storefront/Curtainwall Mullion System
    • Undo Manager
    • Visual Styles
    • Work Planes
    • World Axes
  • Plugins
    • Introduction to Plugins
    • How to Use Plugins
    • How to Develop Plugins
      • Your First Plugin
        • Plugin Playground
        • Launching the Sample Plugin
        • Adding Your Own Features
        • Saving Your Work to GitHub
        • Publishing Your Project
      • Advanced Development
        • Using an IDE
        • Cloning a Sample Plugin
        • Hosting a Plugin on a Local Server
        • Previewing a Plugin in the Plugin Manager
        • Setting Up FormIt for Development
        • Hosting a Plugin on GitHub
        • General Plugin Setup in the Manifest
        • Reloading for Local Changes
        • Client-Side vs Web-Side Engines
        • Debugging
        • Versioning
      • Additional Development Options
        • Creating an HTML Panel Plugin
        • Creating a Combined HTML Panel and Toolbar Plugin
        • Creating a Toolbar-Based Plugin
        • Testing a Combined HTML Panel and Toolbar Plugin
        • Creating an Add-In
        • Invoking Plugins and API from Dynamo
    • FormIt APIs
    • Examples
      • Generate String Lights
      • Manage Cameras Plugin
      • Properties Plus Plugin
      • 3D Context Creator
      • FormIt Plugin Community
  • Appendix
    • Keyboard Shortcuts
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On this page
  • Create Layers
  • Duplicate Group
  • Create the Floor Geometry
Edit on GitHub
  1. FormIt Primer
  2. Part I

1.6 - Control Visibility with Layers

Previous1.5 - Group ObjectsNext1.7 - Paint with Materials

Last updated 3 years ago

Much like AutoCAD and Photoshop, Layers in FormIt allow you to manage the visibility of objects in your model. In this chapter, we are going to create a layer to save and hide the building mass for future analysis.

If you did not complete the last section, download and open the 1.6 - Control Visibility with Layers.axm file from the FormIt Primer Part 1 Datasets.

Create Layers

1 - To create the new layers:

  1. Go to the Layers Palette and click the + sign three times to create three layers.

  2. Double-click the layer names to rename them Massing, Main Building Floor, and Plan Image.

Note: You can click on a layer name and drag it up or down to re-order the layers.

2 - To assign the Massing - Main Building group to the Massing layer:

  1. In the canvas, select the Massing - Main Building group.

  2. In the Layers Palette choose the Massing layer from the “Selection On:” drop-down menu. Similarly, assign the Plan Image group to the Plan Image layer.

Duplicate Group

We will now start the process of modeling the building in more detail. The first step is to create the floor geometry based on the building massing we already have.

1 - Select the Massing - Main Building group again. Press Ctrl + C (Copy) to copy, and then Ctrl + Shift + V (Paste in Place) to paste the mass in the same place.

2 - To dissociate the new group geometry from the original group: right-click to access the Context Menu, and choose the Make Unique (MU) option.

Note: The new group is no longer associated with the original. Changes to the new group will not alter the original group.

Create the Floor Geometry

1 - Reassign group’s layer:

  1. Single-click to select either of the Massing – Main Building groups.

  2. Put the group on the Main Building Floor layer using the “Selection On:” drop-down in the Layers Palette.

  3. Uncheck the Massing layer to hide its geometry and keep it safe from any accidental edits.

2 - Double-click the visible Massing – Main Building group to edit it. Re-name the group Floor in the Properties Palette.

3 - Single-click the geometry’s top face to select it. Click again and start dragging the face down. As you drag the face down, type 11’-2”, and the Dimension Dialog will appear. Click on OK after entering the value. The resulting floor should be 1' thick. Double-click off in space to exit the group.