Separate layers for separate artboards?

[southwestform]

Is there a way to have a whole set of new layers for each artboard, so the artwork on layers for one artboard will not get mixed with the artwork on layers for another artboard? I want to create multiple puppets in AI for Character Animator and the artwork for each puppet needs to go on its own layers.

Thanks.

[christof_hoste_BE]

You can organise your artwork on seperate layers for each artboard, but all the layers will always be visible.

[southwestform]

for clarification, when I go to artboard #2 there is no way to only show layers for artboard #2?

[christof_hoste_BE]

no, you will always see all the layers from all artboards

[Ton Frederiks]

Layers are for the entire document and shared by all artboards.

If you want each puppet to have its own layers, you probably better off with single files for each puppet.

For feature requests for unique artboard layers:

Adobe Illustrator Feedback

There are some similar requests.

[John Mensinger · Accepted solution]

You can work it that way, but there are no features to facilitate it beyond your manual input. You'd have to create all the layers and name/organize/manipulate them in ways that correspond with your artboards and your desired relative behaviors.

Illustrator lived a long and full life before the introduction of multiple artboards, and the feature still has some maturing to do. Perhaps a "shorter putt," as my engineer friends would say, would be if there were artboard locks in the Artboards panel, much like those in the Layers panel. If one could selectively lock artboards, it might solve issues like yours and many others who've posted similar wants.

A feature request covering this is already lodged. See it and vote here: Lock,hide or deactivate artboards – Adobe Illustrator Feedback

[southwestform]

also, I'm not seeing a layer group/folder option like Photoshop has. Is there one?

Thanks.

[John Mensinger]

No. It's probably best not to equate Illustrator Layers with Photoshop layers; they simply aren't the same thing. In Photoshop, a layer is essentially a transparent "work surface," open to free editing, whereas in Illustrator's object-based editing model, primary layers are containers for objects, with a sub-layer for each of those objects. In that sense, a primary layer is a group of sub-layers. But there again, it's best to reserve the term "group" for objects that have been grouped, seeing as there can be more than one such group of objects on a primary layer.

The screenshot below may be of help in beginning to understand Illustrator's basic object-layer hierarchy: