Layers: MTC vs Cricut Design Space vs SSDE

Many folks have asked if I have upgraded to Silhouette Studio v3.1.417. After I posted my review of the update, I decided that unless PixScan is a must-have, there is no benefit to using the new version. Everything is easier in version 2! I have not had a chance to play with my PixScan mats and I am happy with SSDE v.2.8.16d, so I am sticking with it for now.

In my review, I had also mentioned that the Layers feature of the program was a mess- the layers are not automatically named by the software so that they are hard to identify. More importantly, the order of the layers is backwards. For example, in the picture below, the topmost layer of the Panda Popsicle is the tongue and it should be Layer-01. Instead, SSDE has it listed as Layer-07, the bottom-most layer. While I know that some folks like SSDE's Layers, personally I find it very hard to use.

Silhouette Studio Designer Edition v3.1.417

I have also been getting questions about Cricut Design Space and so I thought I would give the program a try. One of the first things that I noticed is the Layers panel.

Cricut Design Space

Upon uploading the LD SVG (Peepsicles), I see that not only are the Layers are in the correct order, they can be easily identified. However, there are limited things that you can do with the Layers and so I thought I would compare it with Make-the-Cut.

Make-the-Cut (MTC) had always had a great Layers feature. In fact, in my opinion, MTC's Layers is the best among the three programs- the layers are in the correct order, and are easy to identify and manipulate. If you like, you can also quickly delete away a layer or even change the order (important for designing purposes!).

Here's a closer look: