🇬🇧 QGIS Plugin: Layers Menu from Project

Create custom menus to add pre-styled layers with just one click!

Table of Contents

What is it for?

This plugin lets you create menus in QGIS to easily add pre-configured layers (styles, labels, metadata, relationships, etc.) from projects:

  • files (.qgs, .qgz)

  • stored in a PostgreSQL database

  • or hosted online (a URL).

Benefits: ✔ Time savings: No need to restyle layers with every import. ✔ Centralization: Modify a “template” project to update all users. ✔ Flexibility: Customizable menus (location, cache, options).

Menu example

1. Prepare your “template” projects

For the plugin to work, organize your projects as follows:

  1. Structure your layers into groups (these will become submenus).

    • Tip: Create an empty group named “-” to add a separator to the future menu.

  2. Save the project to an accessible location:

    • Local network, PostgreSQL, or web server (for multi-user sharing).

    • Supported formats: .qgs, .qgz, or PostgreSQL project.

Correspondance projet → menu

2. Configure the plugin

Access the configuration

  1. Go to Extensions > Layers menu from project > Configure.

  2. The configuration window opens:

Configuration window

Key steps

  1. Add a project:

    • Click + and select a .qgs/.qgz file, or paste a URL (e.g., https://exemple.com/projet.qgz) or a PostgreSQL URI.

    • Option: Give the menu a custom name (otherwise, the file name will be used).

  2. Choose the menu location:

    • Under Layer > Add Layer

    • Main menu bar

    • In the QGIS Explorer (or browser - sorted alphabetically).

    • or merged with the previous project into the same menu/explorer.

  3. Enable the cache (recommended):

    • Disabled: The menu updates every time QGIS is opened.

    • Enabled:

      • No interval: The menu remains static (unless you clear the cache manually).

      • With interval (e.g., 7 days): Automatic refresh.

    • To force an update: Create a JSON file (e.g., last_release.json) on a network share with the last modification date:

      {"last_release": "02/26/2026 12:00:00"}

  4. Advanced Options:

    • Create a group: Added layers will be placed in a group.

    • Open related layers: Also loads related layers (joins, relationships).

    • “Add All” button: Allows you to load all layers from a submenu at once.

    • Tooltips: Displays metadata when hovering over items.

    • Hide configuration: Useful for enterprise deployment via the QGIS INI file: by setting the variable menu_from_project/is_setup_visible to false in the QGIS INI file.