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Developer Mode for advanced Layer Manager actions

I have had more than one person ask me how to see the full Layer Manager panel, so I must have not made it clear enough in the help file. Visio has a Developer Mode that is simple to switch on, and provides some extra functionality, including a Developer tab in the ribbon. Layer Manager allows you to setup buttons, both as shapes or within the Layer Sets tab, that quickly changes the settings of multiple layers in the page with a single click. I see the setting up of these Layer Set buttons as a more advanced developer task, but the use of them to subsequently quickly change the view as a non-developer task. It seems that not every Visio-user has discovered the Developer Mode, so some trial users of Layer Manager do not see the full potential.

To avoid this I have added a Developer Mode check box menu item on the Layer Manager drop-down menu that can toggle this setting.

This will simultaneously show/hide the other Developer Mode UI elements, such as the Developer tab.

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Toggling Developer Mode via Layer Manager menu

My apologies for not being clearer, but you need to switch on Developer Mode to get the advanced functionality of Layer Manger.

This can be done by either ticking Run in Developer Mode in File / Options / Advanced or by ticking the Developer tab in Customise the Ribbon.

The latest version of Layer Manager is free to trial and as an update for existing users.

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