Improvements possible to QCAD Reference Manual?

[Nigel]

I read with interest the following posts and looked up the YE command in the QCAD Reference Manual. Perhaps it yust the way I searched the Manual but I was unable to find any information on the use of the YE command.

The thought that came to me, is that the designer of the tool could simply state the usage of this tool and when done once this would save perhaps users, from being unaware of the benefits of the tool. Aditionally the QCAD Reference Manual would become a more useful tool for answering Forum questions. The Moderator could simply state the command to use and direct the the enquirer to the part in the Reference Manual.

Below is a sort of summary I made up for my use, (likely not totally the story). For instance it does not list alternatives to the YE command.

Re: activate layer of entity
bambuko Wed Jun 25, 2025, 7:59 pm

Re: activate layer of entity
Post by bambuko » Thu Jun 26, 2025, 8:13 am

"...Another way to tell if the correct but undisclosed sub-layer was activated is typing YE with the focus still on the drawing panel.
That would open the Layer dialog displaying the currently active.
[Without altering anything in the Layer List because any manipulation in that may set the focused layer as current].
and... for the mouse user it is just a right click:
YE command displays the “Display dialog” gives you the option to change the layer name, attributes, color, lineweight, linetype, plottable or not, snappable or not.
The YE Command can be found at Header Layer> Edit Layer> 4th from end of List.
Very useful."

My summary is not intened to be the complete story bu to illustrate that if this information was added progressively, say a few commands each day, The Reference Manual would be increasing a reference tool for many.

Thank you for considering this suggestion.

Regards Nigel

[CVH]

Hi,

Online or offline QCAD Reference Manual?
The offline reference under the Help menu finds the term 'YE', 1 hit.
For the online version you can use the Browser search option ... 23 hits when displaying the entry page.

You are right, this reference page is empty.
Perhaps it is a too simplistic concept to waste words on.

Activating the 'Edit Layer' (YE) command shows the layer dialog with attributes of the current active layer.
The same dialog as for example 'Add layer' (YA). (Not aware of any “Display dialog” ...)
You probably guessed the difference: YA for a new and non-existent layer, YE for an existent and currently active.

The YE Command can be found at Header Layer> Edit Layer> 4th from end of List.

What you call a 'Header' is an entry in the Menu Bar.
Indeed 4th from the end of the drop-down menu 'Layer' ... At current state.
Things may get rearranged and then that doesn't hold any longer.

The 'Edit Layer' or YE (=shorter) button is in fact a guiAction button and this action can be listed at several places.
In the top of the Layer List widget, under the Layer menu, on the Layer ToolBar, on a user defined ToolBar, ...
... In the Context Menu of the Layer List, among recent used command, ...
Only the menu displays the button icon, the textual function and shortcut.
Holding your cursor over a button displays that as a Tooltip.

Another option is to enter the command 'layeredit' or 'ye' on the Command Line.
But the most simple way is to use the 2(-3) keystroke shortcut key sequence.
Press the 'Y' key, release it and press the 'E' key shortly after that (Keystrokes, not using shift).

Typically the shortcut, if any, is listed somehow.
Here is an overview of shortcut key sequences.

I know of no alternatives to the YE command other than the above.
But almost anything is configurable, you can associate the command 'editcurrentactivelayer' with that action.
Or assign another shortcut key sequence if not conflicting.

Regards,
CVH