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Overlay

Overlay[{expr₁,expr₂,…}]

displays as an overlay of all the expr_i.

Overlay[{expr₁,expr₂,…},{i,j,…}]

displays as an overlay of expr_i, expr_j, ….

Overlay[{expr₁,expr₂,…},{i,j,…},s]

allows selections to be made and controls to be clicked in expr_s.

Details and Options

The expr_i can be graphics, text, or any other expressions.
In Overlay[{expr₁,expr₂,…}] the later expr_i are rendered on top of earlier ones.
Overlay[exprs] is equivalent to Overlay[exprs,All,None] and displays as an overlay of all the exprs.
Overlay[exprs] by default allows no selection within the exprs.
The following options can be given:

Alignment	{Automatic,Automatic}	how to align objects in the display area
Background	None	background color to use
BaselinePosition	Automatic	what to align with a surrounding text baseline
BaseStyle	{}	base style specifications for the displayed object
ContentPadding	True	whether to shrink the margins tightly around the contents
FrameMargins	Automatic	margins to leave inside the overall frame
ImageMargins	0	margins around the image of the displayed object
ImageSize	Automatic	the overall image size for the displayed object

With the default option setting ImageSize->Automatic, Overlay leaves space only for the expr_i currently being displayed.
With the option setting ImageSize->All, Overlay always leaves space for the largest of the expr_i to be displayed, so that its overall size does not change.
The settings for BaseStyle are appended to the default style given by the "Overlay" style in the current stylesheet.

Examples

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Basic Examples (2)

Overlay two expressions:

Overlay two graphics:

Scope (5)

Overlay many objects:

Overlay two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics:

Overlay text and graphics:

Use a nondefault ordering:

Allow clicks in the back layer:

Generalizations & Extensions (1)

Overlay with a single element is similar in behavior to a PaneSelector:

Options (5)

Alignment (1)

Align objects:

Background (1)

Set the background:

BaseStyle (1)

Set the base style of an Overlay:

ImageSize (2)

By default, Overlay allocates room for all visible objects:

Allocate room for all objects regardless of visibility:

Set the overlay to a specific size in points:

Applications (3)

Make a new character from existing characters:

Watermark an output:

Create an image map using invisible controls overlaid onto an image:

The controls create a photorealistic, fully functional numeric keypad:

Possible Issues (2)

Expressions in front may completely obscure expressions behind them:

Using transparency or removing background colors might achieve the desired appearance:

Overlay prevents tooltips not in the active layer from firing:

Use the third argument to specify the layer where tooltips should be active:

Neat Examples (2)

Use Overlay to make a fading transition effect:

Create a decorative frame for a 3D object which can still be rotated:

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