Layers Versus Slides

In ClarisDraw, layers and slides are different names for what is essentially the same thing.

When creating a drawing, layers can be used in a way very similar to clear plastic overlays in a book or drawing. There is the bottom layer, which is always opaque and which all the other layers build on. Subsequent layers sit "on top" of the bottom layer; they can be set to be either transparent, so all layers beneath show through, or opaque, so lower layers are concealed. Layers can also be hidden, so that their contents can be concealed until needed. Finally, layers can (and should) be renamed; by default, ClarisDraw gives new layers the sequential names "Layer 1, Layer 2," and so forth. The popup layer control at the bottom of the screen shows the document's layers, and renaming each layer with a descriptive name makes navigating through layers much quicker and easier.

The popup layer control lists layers from top to bottom, with the bottom-most layer listed in the bottom of the popup-just as layered sheets of paper would be in real life. The "Layer Manager" allows you to adjust layer names, stacking order, and whether the layers are transparent, opaque or hidden. Transparent, non-hidden layers are the default.

Slides are analogous to layers, except that slides are always opaque. Slides also use a Master Slide, which can be thought of as a visual template for all other slides. For example, if you wanted to have a company logo on all of your slides, rather than placing it in the exact same place on every slide, simply place the logo on the Master Slide; it will then appear on each slide.

If you have created a number of layers in layer mode, switching to "Slide" mode will cause those layers to be treated as slides. The opposite is also true: if you created a number of slides in slide mode, switching to "Layer" mode will cause those slides to be treated as layers.

There are some other differences when your document is in "Slide" mode. The "Start Slide Show" icon appears in the upper-right of the document; you can use this icon to start your slide show. At the bottom of the screen, the slides popup menu displays all the slides, but it shows them in a stacking order opposite to that of the layer mode: the first slide is on top, while the last slide is on the bottom. Also, the "Layer Manager" becomes the "Slide Manager" in slide mode. Its functioning is otherwise the same.

When in Slide mode, the "Document Size" dialog, from the Layout menu, no longer assumes you are printing your document and provides printing-related document size options; instead, it allows you to tailor your document's size to a screen (or other output device) presentation.

When you are in layer mode, ClarisDraw "names" all newly-created layers "Layer 1, Layer 2 ... Layer n." When in slide mode, ClarisDraw uses the name "Slide 1, Slide 2 ... Slide n". These are merely names, and donÕt imply that there are issues using "layers" in slide mode or "slides" in layer mode. ClarisDraw has to name the layer/slide something, so it uses this default naming scheme.

Other slide show options, such as transition effects, QuickTime movie handling, and background and border colors are set in the "Slide Show" dialog box.