Coding Creature

Grease Pencil Frame Overlay addon for Blender 4.5+

Version: 1.0.0
Blender Compatibility: 4.5.0+
Author: Coding Creature
License: GPL 3.0
Buy & Download: codingcreature.gumroad.com
Follow on X: @CodingCreature

Overview

The Grease Pencil Frame Overlay addon adds new and useful features to Grease Pencil and, of course, creates an overlay for displaying relevant information in the Blender 3D Viewport.

Installation

  1. Download the addon from codingcreature.gumroad.com.
  2. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
  3. Click Install, select the downloaded .py file, and click Install Add-on.
  4. Enable the addon by checking Grease Pencil Frame Overlay in the list.

Main Features

  • Overlay: Shows current frame and layer name in the 3D Viewport.
  • Layer Navigation: Navigate through layers with shortcuts.
  • Layer Management: Lock and isolate layers quickly.
  • Keyframe Highlighting: Overlay information will tell you if the current frame has a keyframe on the active layer.
  • Custom Display: Change overlay position, font, color, background, and more.

How to Use

Quick Shortcuts

ActionShortcut*
Go to layer aboveCtrl + R
Go to layer belowCtrl + D
Toggle layer lockCtrl + Shift + Q
Isolate/restore layerCtrl + Alt + Z
Toggle overlay on/offCtrl + Shift + F

*Except for the overlay toggle, which works in any mode, you should be in Grease Pencil’s Draw or Sculpt mode for them to work.

Sidebar Panel

Open the Sidebar (N) in the 3D Viewport → go to the View tab → find Grease Pencil Frame Overlay. From here you can:

  • Customize font, position, colors, keyframe effects, and more.
  • Toggle overlay visibility.
  • Show/hide frame number, layer name, and object name.
  • Isolate the active layer.

Troubleshooting

  • Shortcuts not working? Check for keymap conflicts under Edit > Preferences > Keymap > 3D View.
  • Overlay not visible? Make sure it’s enabled in the panel and not positioned off-screen.
  • Wrong layer name? Ensure a Grease Pencil object and at least one layer is active.

Known Limitations

  • Layer group hierarchy support depends on Blender 4.5’s data structure.
  • Shortcut conflicts may happen with other addons or Blender defaults.
  • Custom fonts must be valid .ttf or .otf files.
  • Keyframe detection may behave differently in Sculpt Mode.

Roadmap

There isn’t an official roadmap yet but all feedback will be taken into account and when we decide the future of the addon, it’s going to be availabe here.

Changelog

v1.1.0 (July 2025)

  • First releas version

License

This addon is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL 3.0). You may use, modify, and redistribute the addon under the same license.

Learn more: gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html

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