# export plugin --layers

Most export plugins offer the same --layers option, both for CLI and for GUI exporting. When left empty (which is the default value), a predefined set of layers are exported ("export default visibility").

When non-empty, it is a comma separated ordered list of instructions on how to initialize layer visibility for the export (which will not interfere with the layer visibility on the GUI). The export layer visibility (ELV) is a bit for each display layer (see the layer selector, left side of main window, for layer names). If the bit is 1, the layer is exported, if it is 0, it is omitted from the export.

The ELV starts out with the "export default visibility", then each element of the list is parsed as an instruction, in order of appearance, and is applied to the ELV. If an instruction has a ! prefix, the inverse effect of the instruction is applied. Below is a list of all instructions.

instruction | description
--- | ---
gui | overwrite the whole ELV so that it reflects current layer visibility from the GUI (which does exist even if sch-rnd is ran with the batch HID or with -x).
none | turn off visibility of all layers
all | turn on visibility of all layers
layer name prefix | turn on the visibility of any layer matching the prefix (case sensitive)

Examples:

--layers arg | description
--- | ---
all | export all layers available
all,!bus | export all layers except for bus
none,bus,wire | export only bus and wire layers
gui,!connections | export as shown on screen, but without connections