Use background layers to display pictures behind your network in order to relate elements in your network to structures and roads depicted in the picture. You can add, delete, edit and rename background layers in the Background Layers Manager. The Background Layers manager is only available in the Stand-Alone version of Water- GEMS V8i. The MicroStation, ArcGIS, and AutoCAD versions each provide varying degrees of native support for inserting raster and vector files.
You can add multiple pictures to your project for use as background layers, and turn them off and on. Additionally, you can create groups of pictures in folders, so you can hide or show an entire folder or group of pictures at once.
To add or delete background layers, open the Background Layers manager choose View > Background Layers.
You can use shapefiles, AutoCAD DXF files, and raster (also called bitmap) pictures as background images for your model. The following raster image formats are supported: bmp, jpg, jpeg, jpe, jfif, gif, tif, tiff, png, and sid.
Using the Background Layer manager you can add, edit, delete, and manage the back- ground layers that are associated with the project. The dialog box contains a list pane that displays each of the layers currently contained within the project, along with a number of button controls.
When a background layer is added, it opens in the Background Layers list pane, along with an associated check box that is used to control that layer’s visibility. Selecting the check box next to a layer causes that layer to become visible in the main drawing pane; clearing it causes it to become invisible. If the layers in the list pane are
contained within one or more folders, clearing the check box next to a folder causes all of the layers within that folder to become invisible.
Note: When multiple background layers are overlaid, priority is given
The toolbar consists of the following buttons:
New Opens a menu containing the following commands:
• New File—Opens a Select Background
dialog box where you can choose the file to use as a background layer. • New Folder—Creates a folder in the
Background Layers list pane.
Delete Removes the currently selected background layer.
Rename Rrenames the currently selected layer.
Edit Opens a Properties dialog box that corresponds with the selected background layer.
Shift Up Moves the currently highlighted object up in the list pane.
To add a background layer folder
You can create folders in Background Layers to organize your background layers and create a group of background layers that can be turned off together. You can also create folders within folders. When you start a new project, an empty folder is displayed in the Background Layers manager called Background Layers. New back- ground layer files and folders are added to the Background Layers folder by default. 1. Choose View > Background Layers to open the Background Layers manager. 2. In the Background Layers manager, click the New button, then click New Folder
from the shortcut menu.
Or select the default Background Layers folder, then right-click and select New > Folder from the shortcut menu.
– If you are creating a new folder within an existing folder, select the folder, then click New > New Folder. Or right-click, then select New > Folder from the shortcut menu.
3. Right-click the new folder and select Rename from the shortcut menu. 4. Type the name of the folder, then press <Enter>.
Shift Down
Moves the currently highlighted object down in the list pane.
Expand All
Expands all of the branches in the hierarchy displayed in the list pane.
Collapse All
Collapses all of the branches in the hierarchy displayed in the list pane.
Help Displays online help for the Background Layer Manager.
To delete a background layer folder
1. Click View > Background Layers to open the Background Layers manager. 2. In the Background Layers managers, select the folder you want to delete, then
click the Delete button.
– You can also right-click a folder to delete, then select Delete from the shortcut menu.
To rename a background layer folder
1. Click View > Background Layers to open the Background Layers manager. 2. In the Background Layers managers, select the folder you want to rename, then
click the Rename button.
– You can also right-click a folder to rename, then select Rename from the shortcut menu.
3. Type the new name of the folder, then press <Enter>.
– You can also rename a background layer folder by selecting the folder, then modifying its label in the Properties Editor.
To add a background layer
In order to add background layers to projects use the Background Layers manager. When you start a new project, an empty folder in the Background Layers manager called Background Layers is displayed. New background layer files and folders are added to the Background Layers folder by default.
1. Click View > Background Layers to open the Background Layers manager. 2. In the Background Layers managers, click the New button, then click New File
from the shortcut menu.
Or right-click on the default Background Layers folder and select New > File from the shortcut menu.
– To add a new background layer file to an existing folder in the Background Layer manager, select the folder, then click New > New File. Or right-click, then select New > File from the shortcut menu.
3. Navigate to the file you want to add as a background layer and select it. – If you select a .dxf file, the DXF Properties dialog box opens.
– If you select a .shp the ShapeFile Properties dialog box opens.
– If you select a .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, .jpe, .jfif, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .png, or .sid file, the Image Properties dialog box opens.
4. After you add the background layer, you might have to use the Pan button to move the layer within the drawing area; Zoom Extents does not center a background image.
To delete a background layer
• Select the background layer you want to delete, then click the Delete button. • Or, r
ight-click the background layer, then select Delete from the shortcut
menu.
To edit the properties of a background layer
You can edit a background layer in two ways: you can edit its properties or its position in a list of background layers displayed in the Background Layers manager.
1. Select the background layer you want to edit.
2. Click the Edit button. A Properties dialog box opens.
– You can also right-click the background layer, then select Edit from the shortcut menu.
To change the position of a background layer in the list of background layers
The order of a background layer determines its Z level and what displays if you use more than one background layer. Background layers at the top of the list display on top of the other background layers in the drawing pane; so, background layers that are lower than the top one in the list might be hidden or partially hidden by layers above them in the list.
Select the background layer whose position you want to change in the list of Back- ground Layers manager, then click the Shift Up or Shift Down buttons to move the selected background layer up or down in the list.
To rename a background layer
Select the background layer you want to rename, then click the Rename button. Or, right-click the background layer that you want to rename, then select Rename from the shortcut menu.
Turn background layers on or off
Turn your background layers on or off by using the check box next to the background layer file or folder than contains it in the Background Layers manager.