.. _viewport_layers:

Viewport layers
---------------

.. toctree::
   :hidden:
   
   Color legend <color_legend_layer>
   Coordinate tripod <coordinate_tripod_layer>
   Python script <python_script_layer>
   Text label <text_label_layer>
  
.. image:: /images/viewport_layers/viewport_overlay_command_panel.*
   :width: 40%
   :align: right

Viewport layers render two-dimensional text and graphics on top of the three-dimensional scene.
They allow you to include additional information in output pictures and animations.
OVITO provides several layer types (see table below), which you can add to a viewport.
Go to the :guilabel:`Viewport layers` tab of OVITO's command panel
(screenshot on the right) to manage the layers of the active viewport.

Note that viewport layers are only visible in the interactive viewport windows
while :ref:`render preview mode <usage.viewports.menu>` is turned on for a viewport.
OVITO activates the render preview mode automatically for the active viewport whenever you add a new layer.

.. image:: /images/viewport_layers/viewport_layers_schematic.*
   :width: 40%
   :align: right

**Available viewport layer types**

================================================================ ==================================
Layer type                                                       Description
================================================================ ==================================
:ref:`Color legend <viewport_layers.color_legend>`               Paints the color map legend for a :ref:`Color coding <particles.modifiers.color_coding>` modifier
:ref:`Coordinate tripod <viewport_layers.coordinate_tripod>`     Renders an axes tripod to indicate the view orientation
:ref:`Python script <viewport_layers.python_script>` |ovito-pro| Calls your own Python script function to draw arbitrary graphics on top of the rendered image
:ref:`Text label <viewport_layers.text_label>`                   Renders a user-defined text string, which can contain dynamically computed variables
================================================================ ==================================

.. seealso::

   * :py:class:`ovito.vis.ViewportOverlay` (Python API)
   * :py:attr:`Viewport.overlays <ovito.vis.Viewport.overlays>` (Python API)
   * :py:attr:`Viewport.underlays <ovito.vis.Viewport.underlays>` (Python API)
