XPLMWindowLayer

XPLMWindowLayer describes where in the ordering of windows X-Plane should place a particular window. Windows in higher layers cover windows in lower layers. So, a given window might be at the top of its particular layer, but it might still be obscured by a window in a higher layer. (This happens frequently when floating windows, like X-Plane’s map, are covered by a modal alert.)

Your window’s layer can only be specified when you create the window (in the XPLMCreateWindow_t you pass to XPLMCreateWindowEx()). For this reason, layering only applies to windows created with new X-Plane 11 GUI features. (Windows created using the older XPLMCreateWindow(), or windows compiled against a pre-XPLM300 version of the SDK will simply be placed in the flight overlay window layer.)

NameValueDescription
xplm_WindowLayerFlightOverlay"0" The lowest layer, used for HUD-like displays while flying.
xplm_WindowLayerFloatingWindows"1" Windows that "float" over the sim, like the X-Plane 11 map does. If you are not sure which layer to create your window in, choose floating.
xplm_WindowLayerModal"2" An interruptive modal that covers the sim with a transparent black overlay to draw the user's focus to the alert
xplm_WindowLayerGrowlNotifications"3" "Growl"-style notifications that are visible in a corner of the screen, even over modals