Sketching How do I? Delete an image layer > To delete several image layers at once

Organize a sketch using image layers

Use image layers as transparent layers for sketching on.

Introduction to image layers

Introduces image layers

Each canvas plane can contain one or more image layers. An image layer is like a piece of transparent acetate that you can sketch on.

By sketching different elements on different image layers you can easily make changes to individual elements or re-arrange image layers to change their order. You can also duplicate image layers, merge image layers together, temporarily hide image layers, or permanently delete image layers.

Each canvas plane also contains a background layer. The background layer defines the background color for the canvas plane. You can only set the color of the background layer once when the canvas plane is created.

See Set the background color

A canvas plane can also contain mask layers and invisibility mask layers. All of these types of layers can contain either paint, or shapes.

See Introduction to masks

See Introduction to shapes

View the arrangement of image layers

To view image layers for the active canvas plane

Choose Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor to open the Canvas Layer Editor window.

The image layers for the active canvas plane are displayed.

To view image layers for another canvas plane

Do one of the following:

Select the canvas plane from the lister at the top of the Canvas Layer Editor.
Select the canvas plane from the lister at the top of the Paint window.
Choose Windows > Editors > Construction Plane editor and click the canvas name.

That canvas automatically becomes the active canvas and its layers are displayed in the Canvas Layer Editor window.

It is not possible to view all image layers for all canvas planes at once.

] I don't see any layers in the Canvas Layer Editor

You may not have any canvas in your scene. See Create a canvas plane for how to create new canvases.

To view the layer thumbnails

The layer thumbnails are turned off by default, to provide more space for the layer names. To see the thumbnails:

Choose Preferences > General Preferences
In the Paint section, put a check mark in Show thumbnails in Canvas Layer Editor.

Create an image layer

Choose Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor .

Before you can create an image layer, you must have at least one canvas plane present. See Create a canvas plane.

By default, a canvas plane contains one image layer, in addition to the Background layer. You can, however, create several additional image layers for each canvas plane in the Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor .

If your scene does not contain any canvas planes, and you start sketching in a window, AliasStudio opens up the New Canvas option box, prompting you to create a new canvas plane (with a single layer) in the active view.

To create a new image layer

Choose Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor .
Select the image layer above which you want to create a new image layer.
See Select an image layer
In the Canvas Layer Editor, click the button, or choose Layer > New image layer from the menu.

A blank image layer is added to the canvas plane (above the active image layer) and becomes the active image layer.

Name an image layer

Double-click the layer name in the Canvas Layer Editor window, type a new name, and press Enter.

By default, image layers are named Image-1, Image-2, Image-3, and so on. Whenever you create new image layers, you should give them meaningful names (for example, Background, Outline, Handle).

The name of each image layer, for the active canvas, is listed in the Canvas Layer Editor window.

To name an image layer

In the Canvas Layer Editor window, double-click the image layer's name.
Type a new name for the image layer and press .

Import an image as an image layer

Choose File > Import > Canvas image .

You may want to import an image file to use as a reference or basis for a sketch. You can either import an image as a new canvas plane or import an image as an image layer into an existing canvas plane. You can also drag an image from Windows Explorer or PortfolioWall and drop it into AliasStudio to import it as an image layer.

If you import an image file that contains transparency or opacity information (that is, an alpha channel), the transparency information is also imported.

To import an image file onto an existing canvas plane

Pick the canvas that you want to import an image file onto, by using the icon next to the canvas name in the Construction Plane or Canvas Layer editors.
Choose File > Import > Canvas image to open the File Browser.
Use the File Browser to select the image file you want to load and click Open.

The image is imported as a new image layer and centered on the canvas plane.

To import an image file onto a new canvas plane

Click the view in which you want the new canvas to be created. Make sure that no actual canvas is picked.
Choose File > Import > Canvas image to open the File Browser.
Use the File Browser to select the image file you want to load and click Open.

A new canvas plane is created and the image is loaded onto it as an image layer (filling the entire canvas plane). The size of the canvas plane is based on the size of the current view window.

To import images from Windows Explorer or PortfolioWall as image layers

Click the AliasStudio view you want to load image files onto.
Drag the images from Windows Explorer or PortfolioWall and drop them into AliasStudio.

The images are imported as new image layers on the canvas plane in the active view.

If there is no canvas plane in the active view, a new canvas plane is automatically created.

If there is no active view, the images are not imported.

Related topics

See Import an image as a new canvas

See Create a mask from an image file

Select an image layer

Click the image layer name in the Canvas Layer Editor window.

You can only sketch on one image layer at a time. This image layer is referred to as the active image layer. In order to sketch on an image layer you must select it (making it the active image layer).

You may also need to select an image layer in order to:

duplicate it
See Duplicate an image layer
associate or dis-associate a mask layer with it.
See Dis-associate or associate a mask with an image layer.
merge it with another image layer, or
See Merge image layers
delete it.
See Delete an image layer

The active image layer is indicated by in the active view window title bar, and is highlighted in purple in the Canvas Layer Editor window.

To select an image layer

Do one of the following:

In the view window title bar click the button and select an image layer from the menu.
In the Canvas Layer Editor window click the image layer you want to select.

The image layer is highlighted in purple in the editor, indicating that it is the active image layer.

Duplicate an image layer

Select the image layer and choose Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor . In the editor, click the button.

When you duplicate an image layer, AliasStudio creates a new image layer that contains an image identical to the original image layer.

To duplicate an image layer

Choose Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor .
Select the image layer you want to duplicate. (See Select an image layer)
In the editor window, do one of the following:
Click the button.
Choose Layer > Duplicate from the menus.

The image layer is duplicated.

The duplicated image layer is placed above the original image layer and becomes the active image layer.

You can undo the duplication of a layer by choosing Edit > Undo .

If the current image layer has an active layer mask, then only the area not protected will be duplicated.

Move, scale, or rotate an image layer

Move, resize, or rotate an image layer.

You can move, scale, or rotate an image layer relative to its canvas plane or relative to other image layers (if the canvas plane contains more than one image layer).

To move, scale, or rotate an image layer

Choose Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor to open the Canvas Layer Editor.
Select the image layer you want to move, scale, or rotate. (See Select an image layer)

To transform more than one layer at once, link the other layers to the selected one by turning on their transform layer icon in the Canvas Layer Editor.

Choose Paint Edit > Modify layer > Transform layer from the Palette, or Edit > Transform layer from the Canvas Layer Editor.

A manipulator appears on the active image layer.



Click and drag a manipulator handle to transform the image layer.

When you move the mouse over the manipulator, a context-sensitive cursor shows the current transform mode (move, scale, rotate).

To move only horizontally or vertically, hold the key and move the mouse in the desired direction. You can also use the arrow keys to move by small increments.

To enter exact numerical values, use the text fields in the option box.

Press the Accept button in the lower right corner of the screen to apply the transformations to the layer(s).

Choose Edit > Undo to undo the image layer transformations.

You can Undo an unlimited number of times, all the way back to the original state.

Related topics

See Scale a canvas plane

Flip an image layer horizontally or vertically

Choose Paint Edit > Modify layer > Horizontal flip or Paint Edit > Modify layer > Vertical flip .

To flip an image layer horizontally or vertically

Choose Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor to open the Canvas Layer Editor.
Select the image layer you want to flip. (See Select an image layer)
Do one of the following:
Choose Paint Edit > Modify layer > Horizontal flip from the Palette, or choose Edit > Horizontal flip in the editor's menus.
Choose Paint Edit > Modify layer > Vertical flip from the Palette, or choose Edit > Vertical flip in the editor's menus.

Arrange image layers

Use the left or middle mouse button to drag the image layer name in the Canvas Layer Editor window.

When a canvas plane contains more than one image layer, you can arrange the image layers in any order. For example, you can move an image layer so that it appears behind or in front of another image layer.

The order of the layers in the Canvas Layer Editor determines the stacking of the layers on the canvas. If a layer is above another layer in the editor, it will appear on top of that layer on the canvas.

To move an image layer up or down

In the Canvas Layer Editor window use the or the to drag the image layer you want to move.

When you drag an image layer with the or the , a black box with the layer name follows the cursor.

A red horizontal line shows where the image layer will be moved to (when you release the mouse button).

For example, in the picture above, if you move Image-2 up and release the middle mouse button with the red horizontal line below Image-4, Image-2 will be moved just below Image-4.

To organize image layers into folders

To help categorize and group image layers, you can create folders in the Canvas Layer Editor. The folders are collapsible and expandable, to provide better viewing.

Create a new folder by clicking the New Folder icon at the bottom of the editor.
Create a new layer inside a folder, by clicking an existing layer inside the folder then choosing Layer > New image.
Drag and drop a layer inside a folder.
Expand and collapse the content of a folder by clicking the small arrow to the left of the folder name.
Drag and drop a folder to change its position within the Canvas Layer Editor.

Folders must always contain at least one layer. When a folder is first created, it will contain a default layer.

Hide or show an image layer

In the Canvas Layer Editor window click the eye icon for the image layer.

To make it easier to sketch on individual image layers, you may want to hide some image layers while you are sketching. You can then show these hidden image layers when you are finished.

Visible image layers are listed in the Canvas Layer Editor window with an icon. Hidden image layers are listed with a icon.

To hide an image layer

In the Canvas Layer Editor window, click the icon of the image layer you want to hide.

The icon becomes a to indicate that the image layer is hidden.

To hide all image layers except the active image layer

In the Canvas Layer Editor window, click the icon.

This hides all other layers, and enable you to work on the layer of your choice.

To show a hidden image layer

In the Canvas Layer Editor window, click the icon of the image layer you want to show.

The icon becomes an to indicate that the image layer is visible.

To show all image layers

In the Canvas Layer Editor window, click the icon.

All layers become visible again.

Related topics

See Customize the mask display

Change the opacity of an image layer

In the Canvas Layer Editor window, drag the opacity slider for the image layer.

To make it easier to sketch on individual image layers while referencing other image layers, you may want to reduce the opacity of some image layers while you are sketching. You can then increase their opacity when you are finished. (You may also want to reduce image layer opacity to "ghost back" an image.)

You can also control the opacity of paint as you are sketching.

See Set brush and paint opacity

The opacity of an image layer controls how see-through all paint on it is. (Opacity is the opposite of transparency.) An opacity of 1 means you cannot see anything underneath the paint. The lower the opacity, the more you can see through the image layer's paint. An opacity of 0 means the image layer's paint is perfectly clear and invisible.

Each image layer's opacity is controlled by a slider along the right side of the Canvas Layer Editor window. When the layer is active, its opacity value is displayed below its name at the top of the editor, and can be changed through this field as well.

To change the opacity of an image layer

Do one of the following:

In the Canvas Layer Editor window, click on the image layer's and drag up (higher opacity) or down (lower opacity).
Select the layer in the Canvas Layer Editor to make it active, then type a new opacity value in the field at the top of the editor and press .

To interactively adjust the opacity value, click and drag down from the numeric cell to open a slider.

Invert the colors of an image layer

In Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor , choose Edit > Inver layer.

This tool inverts the RGB colors in the image. For example, red (255,0,0) becomes cyan (0, 255, 255).

This tool does not affect Shape layers.

When applied to a mask layer, or invisibility mask layer, it swaps the masked and unmasked regions, just like Edit > Invert mask or Edit > Invert > invisibility mask.

See Invert a mask

Merge image layers

In Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor , choose Layer > Merge below, Merge visible, or Merge all.

After you have finished sketching on two or more image layers, you may want to merge them into a single image layer. After you merge two or more image layers together, you cannot split them into separate image layers.

If you merge a shape layer with an image layer, you will end up with a single image layer. All shape properties will be discarded. The image will still look the same, but you will not be able to edit the shapes as shapes.

To merge an image layer with the image layer beneath it

In the Canvas Layer editor, select the image layer you want to merge.
In the Canvas Layer editor choose Layer > Merge below.

The image layer is merged with the image layer beneath it.

To merge all visible image layers into a single image layer

In the Canvas Layer editor, select any image layer.
In the Canvas Layer edito,r choose Layer > Merge visible.

All visible image layers in the canvas plane are merged into the lowest visible layer.

To merge all image layers into a single image layer

In the Canvas Layer editor, select any image layer.
In the Canvas Layer editor choose Layer > Merge all .

All image layers in the canvas plane are merged into a single image layer.

You can undo the merging of layers by choosing Edit > Undo .

See Select an image layer
See Hide or show an image layer

Export an image layer

Select the image layer and choose File > Export > Canvas image/mask layer .

After you have created a sketch, you may want to export it as an image file.

You can export an image layer in 32 bit BMP format, so that the image file contains four channels (RGBA), or in 24 bit BMP format, so that the image file contains three channels (RGB). Many graphics applications cannot read 32 bit BMP files. In these cases, export the image layer in 24 bit BMP format or use the imgcvt utility to convert the 32 bit BMP file to a 24 bit BMP file.

To export an entire canvas plane, you need to use File > Export > Make canvas picture .

See Export a canvas plane

To export an image layer

Select the image layer you want to export.
See Select an image layer
To export part of an image layer, select the region you want to export.
See Create a mask by selecting a region
Choose File > Export > Canvas image/mask layer to open the File Browser.

To choose the image file format choose File > Export > Canvas image/mask layer  , choose the image file format (JPEG, ALS, TIFF, 24 bit BMP, or 32 bit BMP), and click Go.

Use the File Browser to enter a name for the image file and click Save.

The image is saved.

Clear an image layer

Select the image layer and click the button.

When you clear an image layer, all paint is removed from the unmasked regions of the image layer, but the image layer is not deleted. No paint is removed from pixels protected by either layer masks or marquee selections.

You can then continue sketching on the image layer.

To clear an image layer

Select the image layer you want to clear.
See Select an image layer
In the Canvas Layer Editor, do one of the following:
Click the button.
Choose Edit > Clear layer from the menus.

All paint is cleared from the image layer.

Related topics

See Introduction to masks

Delete an image layer

Select the image layer and choose Delete > Painting > Delete active image layer .

You can delete an image layer to permanently remove it from a canvas plane.

When you delete an image layer:

The image layer below the deleted image layer becomes the active image layer.
If there is no image layer below the deleted image layer, the image layer above the deleted image layer becomes the active image layer.
If there is no other image layer in the canvas plane, a new blank image layer is automatically created and becomes the active image layer.

To delete an image layer

Select the image layer you want to delete.
See Select an image layer
Do one of the following:
Choose Delete > Painting > Delete active image layer .
In the Canvas Layer Editor window choose Edit > Delete active layer.

The active image layer is deleted.

If you try to delete the last image layer on a canvas plane, a new blank image layer is created to take its place (since every canvas plane must have at least one layer). See Delete a canvas plane for how to delete the whole canvas plane.

To delete several image layers at once

Turn on the icon for all the layers you want to delete.
In the Canvas Layer Editor window choose Edit > Delete all layers in transform group.

To delete all layers that have their visiblity icon turned off, choose Edit > Delete all invisible layers.