Project Name

Canvas Guide

What you can do

Design scenes in a Figma-style canvas, animate them on a timeline, mix in images/video/audio, then export to MP4, GIF, or image sequences.

Quick Start (2 minutes)
  1. Add something to the scene
    • Use the toolbar to create Text, Rectangle, or Ellipse, or drag media (images/video/audio) onto the canvas.
  2. Position & size
    • Drag to move; drag handles to resize. Hold while drawing to keep perfect squares/circles.
  3. Style it
    • With an item selected, open the Inspector to set position, size, rotation, opacity, color, and text properties.
  4. Animate it
    • Show the Timeline (⌘T), select a property (e.g., Position), and add keyframes. Press Play to preview.
  5. Export
    • Click Export to render MP4 or PNG/JPEG sequences with resolution, frame-rate, and audio options.

Workspace at a Glance
  • Top Bar: Media import, camera recording, export, preferences, help.
  • Toolbar: Select/Move, Text, Rectangle, Ellipse.
  • Canvas: Zoomable/pannable artboard with optional grid and visible canvas bounds.
  • Inspector (right): Exact numeric control over content and appearance.
  • Timeline (bottom): Playback controls and property-level keyframing.
Navigation

  • Zoom: ⌘+ / ⌘− / ⌘0
  • Pan: Hold Space and drag (hand cursor).
  • Toggle Panels: Inspector ⌘I, Timeline ⌘T
  • Grid: ⌘G (with optional Snap to Grid via context menu)

Drawing & Editing Essentials
  • Selection & Movement: Click to select; drag to move. Snaps to grid when enabled.
  • Resize: Corner handles for all shapes; aspect ratio locks by default for shapes.
  • Rotate: Adjust in Inspector (slider/stepper). (No on-canvas rotate handle.)
  • Text: Edit content, alignment, and font size in the Inspector; right-click text for quick alignment and opacity presets.
  • Context Menus (Right-Click)
    • On canvas: quickly add Rectangle/Ellipse/Text, grid options, center content, zoom, select/deselect all, Clear Canvas.
    • On element: Duplicate, Delete, quick Color and Opacity presets, Edit Text.

Power Tips
  • Hold while drawing to constrain shapes.
  • Use numeric steppers in the Inspector for pixel-perfect layouts.
  • Center Content from the context menu to reframe your scene quickly.

Timeline & Animation
  • Playback: Play/Pause and Reset; edit total duration at any time.
  • Keyframe Editor (select an element to reveal properties):
    • Animate Position, Size, Rotation, Color, Opacity, and Font Size (for text).
    • Add/Delete keyframes; zoom the timeline for precision.
    • Choose easing (including custom cubic-bezier via the curve editor).
  • Audio: When audio is present, an audio track appears and plays in sync with the timeline.

Typical Workflow
  1. Move the playhead to a time.
  2. Choose a property (e.g., Opacity) and Add Keyframe.
  3. Move the playhead, change the value, and add another keyframe.
  4. Adjust easing for natural motion.

Media & Camera
  • Import:
    • Media Browser (Top Bar → Media) to add images and videos to the canvas and audio to the timeline.
    • Drag & Drop from Finder onto the canvas to create elements at the drop point.
  • Recording:
    • Camera button opens screen/camera recording pickers (when available on your Mac and permissions are granted).
Exporting
  • Formats: MP4 Video, Image Sequence (PNG or JPEG with quality control).
  • Settings: Resolution (with presets), frame rate, total frames, include audio (if tracks exist).
  • Progress: An export progress view appears while rendering.
Choosing a format
  • MP4: Best for sharing, platforms, and general playback.
  • Image Sequence: Compositing, post pipelines, or external encoders.
Keyboard Shortcuts (implemented)
  • Undo/Redo: ⌘Z / ⇧⌘Z
  • Zoom: ⌘+ / ⌘− / ⌘0
  • Grid: ⌘G (Snap to Grid via canvas context menu with ⇧⌘G shortcut tip)
  • Panels: Inspector ⌘I, Timeline ⌘T
  • Project: Save ⌘S, Export Project (Save As project file) ⇧⌘S
Preferences & Help
  • Preferences: Access via the Top Bar to adjust app-level settings.
  • Help: In-app documentation includes keyboard shortcuts and VoiceOver guidance.
Known Limits (so you’re not surprised)
  • Cut/Copy/Paste: Menu items exist but canvas operations aren’t implemented yet.
  • Rulers: A toggle exists but rulers are not rendered on the canvas.
  • Rotation: No on-element rotate handle; use the Inspector controls.