Canvas Layer Order

Canvas Layer Order adds PowerPoint-style layer controls to Obsidian Canvas, making it easier to work with overlapping cards.

Obsidian Canvas stores cards in the nodes array of a .canvas JSON file. In overlapping areas, cards that appear later in that array render above cards that appear earlier. This plugin changes layer order by moving the selected card inside that array.

Features

• Bring a Canvas card to front
• Send a Canvas card to back
• Bring a Canvas card forward by one layer
• Send a Canvas card backward by one layer
• Optional focus behavior that keeps the saved layer order visible when a card is focused

Usage

• Canvas: Bring selected card to front
• Canvas: Send selected card to back
• Canvas: Bring selected card forward
• Canvas: Send selected card backward

These commands can be used from the command palette or assigned to hotkeys. They are also available from the Canvas card context menu in supported Obsidian versions.

Focus Behavior

Obsidian may temporarily lift a focused Canvas card above nearby cards. Enable Preserve layer order when focusing cards in this plugin's settings to keep the visual stack aligned with the saved Canvas node order.

Manual Installation

Copy these files into your vault's plugin folder:

<vault>/.obsidian/plugins/canvas-layer-order/

Required files:

• main.js
• manifest.json
• styles.css

Then reload Obsidian and enable Canvas Layer Order in Community plugins.

Development

npm install
npm run dev

To create a production build:

npm run build

Release files for Obsidian community plugins:

• main.js
• manifest.json
• styles.css

Notes

Canvas internals are not part of Obsidian's public plugin API. This plugin keeps those assumptions isolated in a small part of the codebase so future Obsidian changes are easier to adapt to.