Articles on: Layers

What are Layers, and how do I use them?

Layers are one of Scriptation's most powerful features. Think of them as transparent overlays on top of your script — each Layer holds a set of annotations you can show, hide, color, reorder, and share independently. Use them to separate your notes by department, meeting, draft, or workflow.

To open Layers, tap the Layers icon on the Top Toolbar.

✅ TIP: If the Layers icon isn't showing in the Top Toolbar, touch or click the plus sign on the right side to show additional icons. To pin it permanently, see Customizing the Top Toolbar.

Adding a Layer

In the Layers sidebar, tap + Add Layer, name it, and tap Save. In this example, we're creating a Layer for the Art Department's notes:

The Active Layer

The Active Layer is the one currently being edited — any annotations you make go into this Layer until you switch. It's marked with a pencil icon in the Layers sidebar, and the Layer name is bold:

To switch the active Layer, tap a different Layer's label in the sidebar. The Layer with the pencil is the only one whose annotations can be edited; annotations on other (background) Layers are visible but faded.

✅ TIP: There's also a quick-switch button on the Top Toolbar — see Switch Layers easily.

Showing and hiding Layers

Each Layer has an eye icon — closed = hidden, open = visible. Tap to toggle. To show or hide every Layer at once, use the 3-dot menu at the top right of the sidebar.

For the full walkthrough, see How to Show/Hide Layers.

Coloring a Layer

Assign a color to a Layer so it stands out in the sidebar (and in the Annotation Outline). Tap the > next to the Layer name, then pick a color from the swatches:

See How do I assign a color to a layer in the Layers Menu? for details.

Managing your Layers

Tap the 3-dot menu at the top right of the Layers sidebar for these options:

Edit — rename, delete, and reorder Layers;
Merge — combine two or more Layers into one;
Duplicate — create a copy of a Layer (handy before destructive edits);
Show All / Hide All — toggle every Layer's visibility at once;
Settings — set the opacity of background Layers (see How do I change the opacity of background layers?);
Optimize Layers — reduces the file's size for better performance on scripts with many Layers and annotations;
Export PDF / Export SLF — see Sharing Layers below.

Moving annotations between Layers

You can move or copy an existing annotation onto a different Layer using the Assignment Toolbar. Tap any annotation, choose Layers from the pop-up, and pick the destination. Full walkthrough: How do I move or copy annotations between layers?

Info Layers (Industry Pro)

In addition to the Layers you create, Scriptation can automatically generate Info Layers that overlay useful production information — revision colors, large scene numbers, scene dividers, 8th page counts, and dialogue numbers. See What are Info Layers, and how do I use them?.

Layers let you share a specific set of notes with a collaborator without sharing your whole script. The most common workflow:

Export Layers as a Scriptation Layer File (.slf) → your collaborator imports it onto their own copy of the script;
Live Layers — Scriptation Team and Team Studio's instant-sharing version of the same workflow;
Export as PDF — share a flat PDF of the script with just one Layer's notes, for collaborators who don't use Scriptation.

📝 NOTE: Sharing Layers via Export is an Industry Pro feature. Any Scriptation user can receive and import a .slf file.

✅ TIP: To send the entire script with all of your notes baked in, use How to Share Notes or Email a File instead.

What's Next

How to Show/Hide Layers

How to Share Layers with Export

How to Import Layers

Can I transfer multiple Layers at a time?