If you have worked with 3D or graphics software, you may already be familiar the concept of groups, layers, and object management. 

In OpenCities Planner, Object Manager is used to organise and prioritise content. All content is arranged into Layers, which can further be placed into Groups.

The core function of Layers is to allow the admin to organise content and all users to control their visibility.

Object Manager for Beginners

To help you get started with ‘OM’, here’s a simple task. We’ll create a Group with three Layers.

1. Open Object Manager  – It’s the bottommost button on the right side of your screen. Click to begin. 
2. Create Group – At the Bottom of Object Manager, you will find the icons for creating Groups and Layers. Click on the Folder Icon to create a Group.
    
   
3. Name your Group – After creation, the new Group will be selected in Object Manager and its Properties window will open. Give your Group a custom name.
   
   
4. Create Layers – The yellow highlight indicates the active Group or Layer. Make sure your new Group is selected, then click the New Layer button at the bottom of Object Manager.
   
5. Name your Layer – Just like with the Group, the new Layer is automatically selected and its Properties window will open. Type in a custom name for your layer.
6. Create two more Layers – Getting the hang of it? Repeat steps 4 & 5 to add two more Layers.  

Nice work. You have now created three Layers inside of one Group. Object Manager should look similar to this:

Once you’ve gotten the hang of the basics, you can use Groups and Layers to design an optimal organisation for your content. Analyse the user experience in Project View to best advance your goals.

OM 201: Architectural Contest

How’d it go? Are you ready to move on to the advanced Object Manager lesson, where you will continue to develop this project into an Architectural Contest?

• Object Manager 201