Changing map layer transparency

Map layer transparency allows you to change the opacity of a layer, so the items behind it are visible to some degree. A common technique is to make a vector layer polygon partially transparent in order to allow the underlying imagery or elevation data to add texture to the data.

Getting ready

In a directory called ms, in your qgis_data directory, download and extract the following shapefile from

https://geospatialpython.googlecode.com/files/Mississippi.zip.

How to do it...

The process is extremely simple. Transparency is just a method:

  1. First, we load the shapefile layer:
    lyr = QgsVectorLayer("/Users/joellawhead/qgis_data/ms/mississippi.shp", "Mississippi", "ogr")
    
  2. Next, we set the layer's transparency to 50 percent:
    lyr.setLayerTransparency(50)
    
  3. Finally, we add this layer to the map:
    QgsMapLayerRegistry.instance().addMapLayer(lyr)
    

How it works...

If you set the transparency to 100 percent, the layer is completely opaque. If you set it to 0, the layer becomes completely invisible.

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