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Creating Elements

When you're drawing elements on the canvas, you have to pick a tool from the toolbox. There are multiple options available:

  • Select tool: Used for selecting elements.
  • Pan tool: Moving around the canvas (also works when the Space key is down).
  • Text tool: Creating Text Elements.
  • Pen tool: Creating custom Path Elements.
  • Rectangle tool: Creating Rectangle elements.
  • Ellipse tool: Creating Ellipse elements.
  • Image Loader tool: Creating placeholders for dynamically loaded images, also known as Image Loader Elements.

Relationship between Layers and Elements​

Every element drawn on the canvas resides on its layer:

  • Layers determine the order and duration of the composition. They dictate when a layer starts and how long it lasts.
  • Elements hold content-specific attributes for each element, like text color for Text Elements and strokes for shape elements.

In this guide, we might use "layer" or "elements" words to talk about the same thing. When we talk about something common for all elements on the canvas (such as selecting, deleting, changing duration, etc.), we'll usually say "layer". But if we're focusing on specific details of one element type (such as Text Element's font-size property), we'll say "element".

To learn more about layers and elements, check out the Structures section.

Selecting Layers

You can select layers in both the Canvas and the Timeline panels:

  • Canvas panel: use the Select tool and hold down Control (or Command on MAC) to select multiple layers.
  • Timeline panel: just click on the layers. To select multiple layers, hold down Control (or Command on MAC). To select all layers between two, hold down Shift while clicking.

Keyboard shortcuts​

  • Hold Shift while dragging to create elements in perfect sizes (1:1 ratio).
  • Hold Alt (or Option on MAC) while dragging to originate and adjust shapes from their center.
  • Hold Shift and Alt (or Option on MAC) simultaneously to perform both actions.