Display Layer contextual menu

Display toggle options appear as you right-click a layer within the Display panel in the Channel Box/ Layer Editor.

• Windows > General Editors > Channel Box/ Layer Editor > Display > Options

Objects and Display Layers

Enact changes to prims in your current selected display layer when you righ-click and choose one of the following options from the contextual menu. You will be prompted to add, remove or select prims from a subsequent list to a display layer.

• Add Selected Objects
• Remove Selected Objects
• Select Objects

Set prims to Display Layer modes

Select a display layer and hover over the following options to enable a mode for prims on your display layers.

On Hover

Hover over the following options when you right-click one or multiple display layers to choose from mode options in the subcontext menu:

• Set All Layers
• Set Selected Layers
• Set Only Selected Layers

Display Layer modes

If available, the following display layer modes can be enacted to your choosing for any animated or non-animated prims on display layers. All of the following options can also be accessed from right-clicking a display layer > selecting *Attributes to shift focus to the Attribute Editor > Drawing Override Options dropdown. Note: Even if you rename, reparent a prim or choose Edit as Maya, the prim will still exist in the Display Layer and hence the mode will persist. Even if you save the scene file and reopen it, the Display Layers will remain with the prims you have added.

• Visible/ Invisible: When visibility is on, prims on the display layer and all descendants will appear/ be visible in the Viewport. This option is connected to visibility of the display layer in the Attribute Editor and the V button in the Display Layer Editor. If you select the display layer > Attributes > under Drawing Override Options > toggle the checkbox for Visible, it will be connected to the V button. Note: Display Layer visibility works with all instanced geometry except for point instancers. The visibility toggle is unsupported for point instancers.
• Visible Playback/ Invisible Playback: When playback is on and visible, prims on the display layer and all descendants will appear during playback (ie. right-click on the play button and selecting Playblast..) or scrubbing the timeline. This option is connected to playback of the display layer in the Attribute Editor and the P button in the Display Layer Editor. If you select the display layer > Attributes > toggle the checkbox for Playback, it will be connected to the P button.
• Normal: Prims in the viewport are changed to normal display type and cleared of draw overrides like template or reference. You can also select the display layer > Attributes > under Drawing Override Options > Display Type dropdown > Normal, to view this option in the Attribute Editor.
• Template: With the template mode, you can turn prims in the Viewport into wireframe mode. When the T button is on, templated display layer prims are no longer selectable in the viewport but remain selectable in the Outliner. You can also select the display layer > Attributes > under Drawing Override Options > Display Type dropdown > Template, to set this option in the Attribute Editor.
• Reference: With the template mode, you can turn prims in the Viewport into reference prims so that they are not selectable. When the R button is on, reference display layer prims are no longer selectable in the viewport but remain selectable in the Outliner. You can also select the display layer > Attributes > under Drawing Override Options > Display Type dropdown > Reference, to set this option in the Attribute Editor.
• Full Detail: Prims in the viewport are visible in full detail. You can also turn on full detail mode on a Display Layer by right-clicking a display layer > Select Attributes > Choose Full Detail from the Level of Detail dropdown.
• Bounding Box: Prims in the viewport are made as bounding boxes and viewable as such. You can also turn on Bounding Box on a Display Layer by right-clicking a display layer > Select Attributes > Choose Bounding Box from the Level of Detail dropdown.
• Shaded/ Unshaded: When you select shaded for display layer prims, they will be shaded in the viewport. You can also turn on shaded mode for a display layer from the Attribute Editor: select the display layer > Attributes > toggle the checkbox for Shading.
• Textured/ Untextured: When you select textured for display layer prims, they will all show applied textures in the viewport. You can also turn on shaded mode for a display layer from the Attribute Editor: select the display layer > Attributes > toggle the checkbox for Texturing.

Display Layer settings

The following options are available as you right-click a display layer.

• Empty the Layer: Removes all prims and assignments from the selected display layer.
• Delete Layer: Deletes the display layer and removes all assignments.
• Membership: This will open the Membership dialog, allowing you to view prims assigned to the selected display layer. In this dialog, use the + or - to add or remove assignments.
• Attributes: Toggles your view to the Attribute Editor for the selected display layer.

Display Layer limitations

• Display Layer visibility, color overrides, textured/untextured mode, template/reference/wireframe modes all work with instanced geometry (although there are certain exceptions for point instancers). Currently prototypes of point instancers can be added to display layers and visibility can be toggled. Instances of point instancers are unsupported.
• Referenced display layers are unsupported.
• Importing Maya files containing stages and display layers into Maya is not supported. Display Layer assignments will break during the import process.