Helpers¶
Small things that help you. I call them helpers because I'm still not sure what else to call them. They all live in the View menu and they'll always be there for you.
Zoom¶
| Command | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Zoom In | Cmd++ |
| Zoom Out | Cmd+- |
| Actual Size | Cmd+0 |
| Fit Artwork | Cmd+1 |
| Fit Selection | Cmd+2 |
The range is 15% to 400%, and the current percentage sits in the status bar.
Other ways to get there:
- Zoom tool (Z) — click to zoom in, Shift-click to zoom out, or drag a box to zoom to exactly that area.
- Pinch on a trackpad.
- Pan tool (H) then Shift-drag sideways to scrub the zoom smoothly.
Fit Artwork is the one you'll use most. It's the "where did my diagram go" button.
Panning¶
- Hold Space and drag.
- Middle-mouse drag.
- Scroll wheel or two-finger scroll.
- The Pan tool (H).
Overview¶
Cmd+Shift+O puts a small navigator in the corner of the canvas showing your whole diagram in miniature, with a rectangle marking what you're currently looking at.
Drag that rectangle to zip around. Much better than scrollbars. The arrow keys move it a quarter of a screen at a time, and the × hides the panel again.
Grid¶
Show Grid — Cmd+'. On by default.
Snap to Grid — Cmd+Shift+". Off by default.
View ▸ Grid Settings… sets the horizontal and vertical spacing (4 to 10,000 points, default 20 × 20) and the origin.
The grid is a working aid only — it's never exported and never printed. If you want a grid to appear in the finished diagram, use one of the graph paper backgrounds instead.
Rulers and guides¶
Rulers — Ctrl+Cmd+R. Strips along the top and left edge with numeric ticks.
With rulers showing, drag from a ruler onto the canvas to pull out a guide. Guides are per page.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Create a guide | Drag from the top or left ruler |
| Move one | Drag it |
| Delete one | Click to select, then Del |
| Hide them all | View ▸ Guides ▸ Show Guides (Ctrl+Cmd+;) |
| Remove them all | View ▸ Guides ▸ Remove All Guides |
Objects snap to guides whenever guides are visible. Hide the guides and the snapping stops with them.
Note
Version 4's rulers couldn't do this. Guides are new in 5, and I'm pleased about it.
Full screen¶
Window ▸ Enter Full Screen — Ctrl+Cmd+F. Standard macOS behaviour.
For showing a diagram to someone, though, you probably want Presentation instead — it hides all the tools as well.
Panel appearance¶
View ▸ Panel Appearance ▸ Dark / Light controls the panels independently of your Mac's light/dark setting. Dark is the default because it sits better beside a bright canvas.
Putting it all back¶
Settings ▸ Reset Workspace… restores every panel position, size and order, plus the tool palette placement. Your diagrams are untouched.