Setting up Design Layers

When used properly, VectorWorks Architect is not about drafting the building in a series of 2D drawings, but designing it in 3D – in effect, producing a virtual model. Design Layers in VectorWorks are the way of notionally dividing the three-dimensional project into discrete levels or storeys.* These allow you to work on a particular storey or level in isolation from the others – until such time as you wish to see it in relationship to other levels as and when needed.
* NOTE: in v.2012, these have even been renamed "storeys", to drive home the point.

Design Layers: dividing the project along its height

Generally speaking, one uses one Design Layer per floor, plus one or two other for things such as the site grade, a custom Grid for the project, and possibly things such as schedules, sketch designs etc.
NOTE: Sheet Layers are different from Design Layers, and are used for presentation, rather than for design. We'll talk about them later.

Design Layers: Elevational view

When setting up the Design Layers, one should have a notion of the relative elevations and heights of each of the levels – usually measured in relation to the grade. The starting elevation of a Layer is referred to as its z; the height allocated to that Layer within the model is known as the delta-z (Mac) or ±z (Windows). It helps to have a sketch of this – by hand or in the VectorWorks file itself.

The default Design Layer

In a new, blank VectorWorks document, one Design Layer is provided by default, and named Design Layer-1. You'll find it by click and holding on the Layers pop-down menu at the top of the window…

Navigation Palette – Design Layers tab

… – or in the Design Layers section of the Navigation palette.
Right-click (or Control-click) its name in the list and choose Edit… from the pop-down menu that appears.

"Edit Design Layers" dialog

In the dialog that follows, replace the default name with the word Grade, because we'll use this layer to represent the grade (ground) level of the project. As such, keep its z at the default setting, 0, but change its delta-z to 36.
NOTE: In Imperial unit settings – Feet and Inches or Inches – dimensions that are entered with no sign afterwards are considered inches by the program.
Note that the layer is also set to the default scale of 1:1, i.e., real-world size. For most architectural work, we need a different scale, so click on the Scale… button to set the Layer's display scale.

"Layer Scale" dialog

The Layer Scale dialog that follows offers a wide range of pre-set scales, which you can choose by clicking the one you want, or by typing the required number in the text box in the Paper Scale section. Click OK to confirm.
NOTE: If you have several Design Layers and you want to set the scale for all of them at once, you can click the All Layers checkbox, but in our case, since we have only one, it's not relevant. The Scale Text checkbox is turned on by default, and for good reason: you typically want the text on the drawing to remain the same size relative to the graphic objects. If not, turn it off.

Create other Design Layers

Return to the Navigation palette, right-click (Control-click) anywhere below the Design Layer Name column, and this time choose New…

"New Design Layer" dialog

Name this new Design Layer Level 1, and OK.

Edit Design Layers

Note that this new Design Layer starts off where the previous one left off: its Z is 36 (inches). It also uses the same scale. Its delta-Z is initially also 36, because it assumes you wish to use the same delta-z as the previous layer, but that's not the case in this instance, so change it to 10'
NOTE: the apostrophe is important, as without it the program will assume that it's inches.
Then click OK.

The Layers pop-down menu

Now repeat the process, but this time, do so using the Organization dialog, which you can call up by clicking on the Layers button at the "View Bar" (top of the window) under the View and Modify menus.
NOTE: In versions prior to 2008, this icon doesn't exist. Instead, click and hold the item Layers popdown, and choose the first item Layers…

The Organization dialog

The Organization dialog is like an expanded version of the Navigation palette, providing access to the file's Design Layers, Classes, Sheet Layers, etc. but also allowing you to determine the relative order of each Design Layer and information about its z and delta-z, colours, opacity etc. Click the New… button to make the next Design Layer.

Create remaining Layers

Note how, as before, the starting z is the result of the sum of the previous layer's z and delta-z settings, and the delta-z is assumed to be the same. Change the 10' to 9' and OK.
Then repeat the process to create Design Layers called Level 3 and Roof, respectively, each with the same delta-z of 9'.
Finally, in accordance with our intended project's heights allocation, create yet another Design Layer called Basement, whose z is -7' and delta-z is 10'.

Reordering Design Layers

Since Basement is the last Layer we made, it is placed at the top of the list. But since it represents the basement level, drag it to the bottom of the list by click-and-dragging its number (1) in the # column. Its number now changes to 6. This is purely for the sake of visual tidiness: you could, if you prefer, leave it where it is, and it would not affect the makeup of the final 3D model of the scheme.
NOTE: This is the only column where you can drag a layer into a different position – it doesn't work in any other column.

Add a Grid layer (optional)

Finally, make yet another Design Layer, in case we need it, for a custom Grid. If you're not in the habit of using such grids to help lay out your scheme, you don't have to, but it's useful to have. However, to ensure that it is not involved in the "politics" of the z and delta-z of the other layers, make sure these are zeroed out. Then click OK to confirm the Design Layer setup.
NOTE: As far as its position in the stacking order is concerned, I recommend placing it at the top, so the grid lines are always available, and never obscured by design elements in the other layers.