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