Layers
The Layers list is in the left sidebar. It shows every object on the canvas, with the front-most object at the top, and it is the only place where you can see and change the structure of a document as a whole.
Finding a layer
The search field at the top of the list filters by name. A clear button appears while a search is active. Next to it, Expand All and Collapse All open or close every group at once — both are unavailable while a search is running, because a filtered list shows matches rather than structure.
Selecting
| To do this | Do this |
|---|---|
| Select a layer | Click its row |
| Add a layer to the selection | ⌘-click its row |
| Select an object hidden behind others | Click its row — the list reaches objects the canvas cannot |
| Rename a layer | Click an already-selected row, then type |
| Lock or unlock | Click the lock button on the row |
| Hide or show | Click the eye button on the row |
Locking is the alternative to hiding: a locked object still shows on the canvas but cannot be selected there, so you cannot nudge it by accident. It remains selectable from the Layers list, which is how you unlock it again.
Hidden and locked objects are not affected by Select All or by marquee selection, so they stay out of the way until you want them.
Reordering and restructuring
Drag a row to move it. Dragging within the list changes the stacking order; dropping a row onto a group puts it inside that group. A drop indicator shows where the row will land.
The right-click menu
Right-clicking a layer opens the same command menu as right-clicking the canvas, plus Rename when exactly one layer is selected — see Working with Objects for the commands. Having it in the list is useful because it works on objects that are hidden, locked, or buried under other shapes on the canvas.
Reading the icons
Each row's icon tells you what kind of object it is:
| Icon | Object |
|---|---|
| Rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, triangle, star, polygon | The matching shape |
| Line, arrow, path | A path — an arrow if it has an arrowhead, a line if it is straight, a path otherwise |
| Text | A text object |
| Group | A group, frame, or transparent container |
| Boolean group | A group produced by a boolean operation |
| Dashed inset outline | A mask layer |
| Dashed rectangle | A frame, which clips its contents |
| Image | A placed image |
Layers and grouping
Groups appear as rows with a disclosure triangle, and their children nest underneath. Collapsing a group hides its children from the list without affecting them on the canvas. Grouping, ungrouping and frames are all described in Working with Objects.