nsk@Onlayer

Overview

The macros \nskOnlayer, \nskOnbg, and \nskOnfg provide intuitive yet powerful mechanisms for precise layer management within Neural Sketch diagrams. Leveraging TikZ's built-in layering system, these macros enable fine-grained control over the drawing order and placement of diagram elements, essential for creating clear, structured, and visually appealing diagrams.

Usage

\nskOnlayer

This general macro explicitly places provided content onto a specified TikZ layer:

\nskOnlayer{<layer-name>}{
  % content here
}

• <layer-name>: The name of a valid, predefined TikZ layer.
• Content: Any valid Neural Sketch or TikZ code intended for explicit layering.

Predefined Layer Shortcuts

For common use cases, Neural Sketch provides two convenient shortcuts:

• Background Layer (background): Use \nskOnbg
• Foreground Layer (foreground): Use \nskOnfg

Background Layer (\nskOnbg)

Quickly positions content explicitly on the background layer:

\nskOnbg{
  % content drawn on background layer
}

Foreground Layer (\nskOnfg)

Positions content explicitly on the foreground layer, ideal for annotations or elements requiring visual prominence:

\nskOnfg{
  % content drawn on foreground layer
}

Examples

Basic Layering

Placing annotations clearly on the foreground:

\begin{nskFigure}
  \nskBlock[id=A, text-center={Block A}]
 
  \nskOnfg{
    \node[below right=0.2cm of A.south east] {Foreground annotation};
  }
\end{nskFigure}

Background Decoration

Adding subtle backgrounds behind primary diagram elements:

\begin{nskFigure}
  \nskBlock[id=mainBlock, fill=nskBlue!20, text-center={Main Block}]
 
  \nskOnbg{
    \nskBlock[
      fill=nskRed!20,
      x=0, y=0,
      width=4cm, height=4cm,
      text-north={Secondary Block},
    ]
  }
\end{nskFigure}

Layer Definitions and Management

By default, Neural Sketch leverages the TikZ predefined layers:

• background
• main (default layer)
• foreground

Custom Layers

If additional layer granularity is required, you may define custom layers in your document preamble:

\pgfdeclarelayer{customlayer}
\pgfsetlayers{background, main, customlayer, foreground}

Use the newly defined layer explicitly:

\nskOnlayer{customlayer}{
  % elements explicitly drawn on 'customlayer'
}

Practical Use Cases

• Annotations and Labels: Clearly position annotations, ensuring readability and clarity without visual interference.
• Decorative Elements: Control decorative backgrounds or highlights to emphasize structural or semantic groupings.
• Complex Diagrams: Precisely orchestrate drawing sequences to visually distinguish overlapping or nested diagram components.

Tips & Best Practices

• Consistency: Regularly use layers to maintain visual clarity, especially in intricate diagrams.
• Performance: While explicit layering is efficient, avoid unnecessary complexity that might impact compilation.

Reference Table