Hi Toby,

C‌urrently the behavior of the Panel Layout module is fixed so that when you open/start a new drawing it defaults to the Front View and in this view the layers you mention are hidden.‌  There are technical reasons why things have been implemented this way, the main one being to avoid confusion or problems if the last save occurred while in Rear View mode.

W‌e will add your request for customizable views to our list of features for consideration.‌