Single layer view

[Art]

The following feature, if implemented, would tremendously speed
  up board layout.

  - Single layer view - very useful to be able to be able to see just
  one layer. High contrast mode is good but in a complex layout with
  multiple layers it is still essential. Right now to see a single
  layer I need first move mouse to the layer tab deselect all other
  layers (can be a lot of clicking depending on the number of layers)
  then click on the render tab and deselect footprints on the opposite
  layer. Now to switch to another layer again you have to do all that
  clicking again. Need a single keyboard shortcut for that.

[Chris Pavlina (pavlina-chris)]

I think it's safe to say my current project counts as a complex layout with multiple layers (six layers, three FPGAs, DDR3 SODIMM, etc) and I have been quite happy with high contrast mode.

What if the "contrast" - really, as I understand it, the color used to render "hidden" layers - were configurable?

[jean-pierre charras (jp-charras)]

Single layer view mode already exists:
In Layer manager, right click to popup the context menu.
You can chose "Always hide all copper layers but active".

[Art (diametrix)]

@jean-pierre charras

Unfortunately, this approach doesn't work. This setting doesn't affect the footprints on the opposite side, which still leaves a pretty big messy picture and if you want to see one of the internal layers by itself the view will be abstracted by footprints on both layers. Besides, normally you wouldn't want to have that mode on all the time. Normally I might spend 10% of the time in a single layer "mode" and 90% in high contrast mode. But that 10% is just painful to get through.

@Chris Pavlina

Chris, I didn't say that there shouldn't be a high contrast mode. I just said that there are times when seeing a single layer mode can be beneficial. And there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to switch between the two easily.

@all
I'm attaching three jpeg files with three screen captures of the same simple four layer board. One done in standard high contrast mode, the second - in high contrast mode with "Hide all copper layers" enabled and the third - just a single layer "mode". Can you have a look at those and let me know which one in your opinion gives you the clearest picture of the top layer.

[Chris Pavlina (pavlina-chris)]

On Wed, Aug 24, 2016 at 01:25:38PM -0000, Art wrote:
> @Chris Pavlina
>
> Chris, I didn't say that there shouldn't be a high contrast mode.

I didn't say you did :)

[jean-pierre charras (jp-charras)]

Well, the "clearest picture" is not necessary the more efficient picture.

Especially, when trying to place a via, the "clearest picture" does not show the free space to do that.
(I made a 16 layers board with Kicad and a 8 layers board with Altium (also made a lot of 6-8 layers boards with kicad), and to find this free space was always the major issue for me, regardless the "clearest picture")

The best way is not the "clearest picture", and certainly is still to discover (for me, it is not "only one layer shown" on screen).

[Art (diametrix)]

You certainly would not want to use a single layer view when you are routing using multiple layers, placing vias or through hull components. That's why I said that 90% of the time I use high contrast view for precisely the same reason. However a single layer view is really useful for single layer routing, adjusting/placing SMT components, troubleshooting ground pours and some other cases. For these purposes clearest picture is the best way, IMHO. It would be just another useful tool and would not be that hard to implement. Obviously you guys (developers) where thinking along the same lines when you implemented "Hide All Layers But Active" function. It just never was implemented the right way and it needs to be accessed though a hotkey.

[Nick Østergaard (nickoe)]

I think I would consider this fixed. Now there is a conrext menu entry to show only this layer IIRC.

[Nick Østergaard (nickoe)]

In 5.1.0 there is a context menu for the layers called "Hide All Copper Layers But Active", I think this does what is requested in this bug report.