Layers

What are the different layers used for in VRChat? What special properties of some specific layers should you know?

Below I've listed the currently used (+ reserved) layers and their use cases based on experimentation using my layer inspection tools.

My layer research is currently ongoing and information on this page may still be incomplete!

Any object set to 19-21: reserved2-4 will be forced to 0: Default on build (You can still manually force the layer during runtime)

No	Name	Visual elements	Notes
0	Default	Avatar pedestals Emojis	Default layer
1	TransparentFX		Used for Unity's Flare Assets
2	IgnoreRaycast		Ignored by Unity's Physics Raycasts if no layer mask is provided. Not ignored by VRChat's Physics Raycasts
3

reserved3
  4 Water

• Portals
• Mirrors

5 UI

• Remote camera lens
• Player scanning highlight

Interactive objects on this layer can't be interacted with unless the menu is open

Colliders of remote players exist on this layer

6 reserved6
  7 reserved7

8 Interactive

Unused by Unity and VRChat

9 Player

• Remote players
• Remote player chatbox

10 PlayerLocal

• Local player without head

VRCMirrorReflection refuses to render this layer

11 Environment

Unused by Unity and VRChat

12 UiMenu

• Nameplates
• Remote camera nameplate

13 Pickup

Default pickup layer

14 PickupNoEnvironment

Colliders on this layer only collide with the 'Pickup' layer

15 StereoLeft

Unused by Unity and VRChat

16 StereoRight

Unused by Unity and VRChat

17 Walkthrough

Colliders on this layer won't collide with players

18 MirrorReflection

• Complete local player (shown in mirrors and cameras)

Only layer that isn't rendered by the main camera (local player's sees the headless copy of themselves on layer 10)

Colliders on this layer don't block VRChat raycasts

19 reserved2

InternalUI

(Previously "reserved2")

• HUD
• Main menu
• Camera UI
• Camera lens
• Cursor
• Tooltips
• Expression menu

Will render over everything

20 reserved3

HardwareObjects

(Previously "reserved3")

 
21 reserved4