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Link layers


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Linking for FX is a great idea, as sometimes one can't just put all the layers with the same FX in the same group, because some layers must be behind other layers with a different FX/Properites. So when refining, you have to copy the new FX layer and then paste the style onto the other layer(s). It's a little bit of a time drain, but in the beginning stages of any work, there's bound to be many changes. So the quicker those changes can be applied, the better. 

 

Another thing about linking layers that I feel is necessary is to have them be either persistent or temporary. Persistent means that the layers will remain linked after the document is closed and re-opened. Manga Studio 5 (and previous versions of Manga Studio) has a way to do this. In the screen shot below, the "ruffs" layer is selected. Notice the x-acto knife/brush/whateveritis icon in the column next to the Eye-con. That and the purple highlight (chosen in my system prefs, btw, so ymmv) indicate that the ruffs layer is active. Now in the top 3 layers " (Heroic Emergency Action Team)"  and the two "H.E.A.T" layers have a check mark in the same column as the active layer icon. Notice that the other layers, layouts, Live Area Border, head shot circles and Paper doesn't have nothing in that column. Those check marks mean that those layers with them are "linked" to the currently active layer. So any movement, mass selection, etc will be done to all those layers. To get that check mark, all I had to to was click in that empty column box. To un-link a layer, click in that column box again and the checkmark will go bye-bye.

 

ms-layers-temp-link.png

 

I think this is a good interface for doing temporary linking (Manga Studio doesn't have persistent linking, btw). And if I try to do something to the layers that isn't supported by one of them (like the Text layers "H.EA.T."), the modification is done to all the layers that allow for it and the layers that don't are unchanged. 

 

It would be great if AD could, in time, support persistent and temporary linked layers. Maybe a greyed out chain-link icon that becomes active when clicked on would indicate a temporary link and then by double-clicking on it, it would become persistent. Or some such thing. 

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  • 4 years later...
On 1/20/2015 at 1:15 AM, pmeinertz said:

Hi, I really would like to have a way to link layers, so that they fx. move together when you select and move just one of them.Group does not always work for me as I need other layers between.

Is there any way to do this yet (link non-contiguous layers for move/transform etc)? I'm just starting out with AP/AD and haven't found any method for this (grouping requires contiguous layers)

Windows 7 & 10 64-bit, Dual Xeon workstation(s) 64gb RAM, and single i7 laptop 32gb RAM

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7 hours ago, AndyQ said:

Is there any way to do this yet (link non-contiguous layers for move/transform etc)? I'm just starting out with AP/AD and haven't found any method for this (grouping requires contiguous layers)

You can select them in the Layers panel, and while selected you can move them, or transform them, or apply fx to them with one action. That's only a temporary link, of course., but perhaps it would help.

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7 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

You can select them in the Layers panel...

I'm talking about an alternative to manually selecting of course; for when you have documents with hundreds of layers and objects that you would want to transform together but that can't be grouped in a continuous series of layers. There could be other ways of approaching this, like conditional selection based on labelling or some kind of secondary grouping system ; I only mention "linking" because that's a familiar PS concept.

Windows 7 & 10 64-bit, Dual Xeon workstation(s) 64gb RAM, and single i7 laptop 32gb RAM

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How about introducing the Soft Group concept similar to the one used in Xara Designer Pro?  Soft Groups can contain items across one or even several layers.  Selecting an item on one layer will automatically select the corresponding soft grouped items on the other layers.

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16 hours ago, william said:

How about introducing the Soft Group concept similar to the one used in Xara Designer Pro? 

Haven't used Xara but that sounds fine. I'm sure there are lot of different ways to implement such things - Photoshop just has a "link" button next to layers so you select what you want in a group and link them, although it can turn to confusing spaghetti. Maybe some sort of "selection set" panel where you can add objects to user-defined selection groups; some 3D apps have things like this. Maybe that could be integrated with a select-by-parameter system (e.g. select same-colour, same-stroke, same-whatever). Cheers.

Windows 7 & 10 64-bit, Dual Xeon workstation(s) 64gb RAM, and single i7 laptop 32gb RAM

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  • 6 months later...
  • 4 months later...

Any plans to have the chance to link two layers? Just like in Photoshop. Grouping doesn't work here as the layers need to me stacked separatedly. One is at the bottom, the other on the very top of the layers panel and in between, many other layers that need to stay there where they are. I looked around for a workaround but nothing seems as convenient as a simple "link layers" option. Thanks!

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53 minutes ago, IsabelAracama said:

Any plans to have the chance to link two layers? Just like in Photoshop.

Also just like Serif’s very own PhotoPlus!

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