A site study with zoning, parcels, flood overlays, and several buildings gets hard to read fast. Order and group your layers so the context you check most sits where you expect it, and each building or area stays in its own bundle.
How layer order works
Data layers draw on the map in the order they appear in the Layer Palette. A data layer higher in the list draws on top of the data layers below it. Geometries on drawing layers always draw above data layers.
Move a layer up or down
Hover over the layer row in the Layer Palette.
Drag the grab handle on the far left of the row. It looks like six dots.
Drop the layer where it should go.
To move several layers together, Shift-click or Cmd/Ctrl-click to select them first, then drag any selected row. The drag shows how many layers you're moving.
If a layer won't draw on top after you move it, troubleshoot data layer issues.
Create a layer group
A group can hold any mix of drawing layers and data layers.
Drag one layer by its grab handle and drop it on top of another layer in the Layer Palette.
Giraffe creates a group called "new group" with both layers inside. The name is ready to edit.
Type a name and press
Enter.
To add more layers, drag them onto the group's row. Reorder layers inside a group the same way you reorder them anywhere else.
Groups save to the project as soon as you create them. Visibility does not. Click Save Visibility in the Layer Palette header to save which layers are on and off.
Group controls
Click the chevron to open or close a group.
Click the eye to show or hide every layer in the group.
Click the padlock to lock or unlock every drawing layer in the group.
Double-click the group name to rename it.
To open or close every group at once, right-click empty space in the Layer Palette and choose Expand all groups or Collapse all groups.
Group menu
Right-click a group's row to open the group menu.
Show or Hide turns every layer in the group on or off.
Hide others hides every layer outside the group.
Lock group or Unlock group locks or unlocks the drawing layers inside.
Select all selects every geometry on the drawing layers in the group.
Zoom to bounds zooms the map to fit everything in the group.
Duplicate drawing layers copies the group's drawing layers and their geometries into a new group.
Rename… opens a box to type a new name.
Delete group… removes the group.
Delete a group
Right-click the group and choose Delete group…. The confirmation has a delete children switch.
Switch off: the group goes away and its layers move to the top level of the Layer Palette.
Switch on: the group and every layer in it leave the project.
🚨 Warning: with delete children on, every geometry on the group's drawing layers is deleted too.