html5 - canvas element - Multiple layers

Solution 1:

No, however, you could layer multiple <canvas> elements on top of each other and accomplish something similar.

<div style="position: relative;">
 <canvas id="layer1" width="100" height="100" 
   style="position: absolute; left: 0; top: 0; z-index: 0;"></canvas>
 <canvas id="layer2" width="100" height="100" 
   style="position: absolute; left: 0; top: 0; z-index: 1;"></canvas>
</div>

Draw your first layer on the layer1 canvas, and the second layer on the layer2 canvas. Then when you clearRect on the top layer, whatever's on the lower canvas will show through.

Solution 2:

Related to this:

If you have something on your canvas and you want to draw something at the back of it - you can do it by changing the context.globalCompositeOperation setting to 'destination-over' - and then return it to 'source-over' when you're done.

   var context = document.getElementById('cvs').getContext('2d');

    // Draw a red square
    context.fillStyle = 'red';
    context.fillRect(50,50,100,100);



    // Change the globalCompositeOperation to destination-over so that anything
    // that is drawn on to the canvas from this point on is drawn at the back
    // of what's already on the canvas
    context.globalCompositeOperation = 'destination-over';



    // Draw a big yellow rectangle
    context.fillStyle = 'yellow';
    context.fillRect(0,0,600,250);


    // Now return the globalCompositeOperation to source-over and draw a
    // blue rectangle
    context.globalCompositeOperation = 'source-over';

    // Draw a blue rectangle
    context.fillStyle = 'blue';
    context.fillRect(75,75,100,100);

<canvas id="cvs" />