Basics

• Foreword
• Drawing area
• Frame
• Grid

Tools

• Draw
• Text
• Move
• Select
• Delete

View

• Pan
• Zoom
• Tilt
• Reset

Create

• Line
• Circle
• Point
• Text
• Curve
• Ellipse
• Arc
• Arrow
• Fill

Select

• Automatic
• None
• Individual
• Area
• Composite
• All

Move

• Individual
• Selection
• Control point

Delete

• Individual
• Area
• Composite
• Selection

Style

• Highlighted
• Bold
• Dashed
• Slanted
• Inverted

Transform

• Frame
• Scale
• Rotate
• Mirror

Object

• Connect
• Join
• Disconnect
• Split
• Group

Settings

• Menu
• Font
• Scaling
• Color mode
• Colors
• Pointer
• Usage aids
• Options
• Volume

Export

• Menu
• Objects
• Lines at margin
• Format
• Font
• Scaling
• Margin
• Options
• Colors

Print

• Menu
• Objects
• Lines at margin
• Paper format
• Orientation
• Margin
• Font
• Scaling
• Optionen
• Colors

Glossary

• Node
• Stroke
• Outline
• Color wheel

Cheat sheet

Foreword

You don't need this manual for your first drawings, as the built-in tutorial explains the most important things step by step in a sensible order.

This manual is intended as a reference once you have completed the tutorial and for further study.

Drawing area

The drawing area has no boundaries. You can start your drawing anywhere and expand in any direction.

However, if you want a border for orientation or to maintain a fixed drawing size, you can place a frame.

You can also place multiple frames next to each other to divide the drawing area.

Frame

A frame is a rectangle that contains and bounds a drawing.

You can draw a frame from lines yourself or use one from the examples.

When exporting or printing, the frame is invisible if Lines at margin is set to Hide.

Grid

When you zoom in, the grid is automatically refined in two steps: first 1/2 and then 1/8.

Draw tool

• Can be recognized by a pointer in the form of a pen.
• Used automatically when the pointer is not over text or a control point.
• This allows you to draw lines, circles and points directly using gestures and to set the cursor for new text.

Draw target mark

Different symbols indicate the target of the draw tool:

1. free drawing area
2. node
3. stroke
4. intersection of two strokes

Additionally, horizontal and vertical lines indicate that the target is on the corresponding grid line.

Text tool

• Can be recognized by a pointer in the form of a vertical bar.
• Used automatically when the pointer is over text.
• This allows you to set the cursor or select characters.

Move tool

• Can be recognized by a pointer in the form of arrows in 4 directions.
• Used when holding Shift or automatically when the pointer is over a control point.
• This allows you to move objects and control points.

Select tool

• Can be recognized by a pointer in the form of an arrow.
• Used when holding Cmd|Ctrl.
• This allows you to select objects.

Delete tool

• Can be recognized by a pointer in the form of an eraser.
• Used when holding Opt|Alt.
• This allows you to delete objects.

Pan view

3-Button mouse

• Hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse.

Magic Mouse

• macOSSlide with one finger.

Trackpad

• macOSSlide with two fingers.

Zoom view

3-Button mouse

• Hold down the middle mouse button and move the mouse forth and back.
• Or hold down Option|Ctrl and turn the mouse wheel.

Magic Mouse

• macOSHold down Option and slide with one finger forward or back.

Trackpad

• Pinch with two fingers.
• macOSOr hold down Option and slide with two fingers forward or back.

Keyboard

• Press Cmd|Ctrl + + / -.

Tilt view

3-Button mouse

• Hold down the middle mouse button and move the mouse left or right.

Magic Mouse

• macOSHold down Option and slide with one finger to the left or right.

Trackpad

• macOSMake a rotating motion with two fingers.
• macOSOr hold down Option and slide with two fingers to the left or right.

Keyboard

• Press Cmd|Ctrl + 8 / 9.

Reset view

3-Button mouse

• Click the middle mouse button.

Magic Mouse

• macOSDouple-tap with one finger. (To do this, the smart zoom gesture must be enabled under System Settings > Mouse.)

Trackpad

• macOSDouble-tap with two fingers. (To do this, the smart zoom gesture must be enabled under System Settings > Trackpad.)

Keyboard

• Press Cmd|Ctrl + 0.

Draw line

Press and hold the draw tool at the start point and drag a line to the end point.

HintIf the pointer is not moved for a moment while dragging, the length indicator will be displayed.

Draw circle

1. Press and hold the draw tool at the circle center and drag a line,
2. orbit the center point until a circle preview appears and change the radius by dragging further.

HintIf the pointer is not moved for a moment while dragging, the radius indicator will be displayed.

Draw point

Press and hold the draw tool until the stopwatch circle around the pointer is closed.

Cancel drawing

When drawing a line or a circle, if you move the pointer back to the starting point of the drawing action, an X symbol appears and the drawing is canceled.

To cancel a point, you must first move the pointer away from the starting point and then move it back.

Write text

1. optionalTilt the view if you want the text to run diagonally or vertically,
2. click with the draw tool where you want the text to start,
3. optionalpress ← ↑ → ↓ to select the alignment,
4. optionalpress Space if you want to use the monospaced layout,
5. write the text and press ⏎.

HintYou can insert a line break with Shift + ⏎.

HintLong-press the alignment and monospaced layout keys to lock them and reuse them the next time you create text.

HintPress Shift + Space to deactivate the monospaced layout again.

Create curve

Draw a line and move its control points to deform it into a curve.

Create ellipse

Draw a circle and move its control points to deform it into an ellipse.

Create arc

1. Draw a circle or create an ellipse,
2. draw a point at the arc start point and a point at the end point and
3. delete the circle or ellipse section and the points that are no longer needed.

Create arrow

1. Draw a line,
2. press V to add an arrowhead to the end and
3. optionalpress V again to add an arrowhead to the start as well.

Create fill

1. Draw or select one or more outlines,
2. press F to fill it with hatching,
3. optionalpress F again to fill it translucently,
4. optionalpress F again to fill it opaquely and
5. optionaldelete the strokes that are no longer needed.

HintYou can undo the fill levels step by step using the delete tool.

Selection mark

You can recognize selected nodes and strokes by a border, and areas by a hatching.

Automatic selection

The last object drawn is automatically selected. All unconnected objects are deselected.

You can use the automatic selection to style the objects directly after drawing them.

Select none

Press Esc.

Select individual

1. Hold down Cmd|Ctrl to use the select tool.
2. Click on an object with the select tool to select or deselect it.

HintYou can select multiple objects individually.

Select area

1. Hold down Cmd|Ctrl to use the select tool.
2. Press and hold the select tool and drag to select the area.

Select composite

1. Hold down Cmd|Ctrl to use the select tool.
2. Press and hold the select tool on an object that is part of the composite until the stopwatch circle around the pointer is closed.

Select all

Press Cmd|Ctrl + A.

Move individual

1. Hold down Shift to use the move tool.
2. Drag the object with the move tool.

HintIf you move a selected object, the entire selection will be moved.

Move selection

1. Hold down Shift to use the move tool.
2. Use the move tool to drag an object that is part of the selection.

Or press ← ↑ → ↓ to move the selection in grid steps.

Move control point

1. Hold down Shift to use the move tool.
2. Click on an object with the move tool to activate or deactivate its control points.
3. Use the move tool to drag the control point.

HintYou can activate multiple objects. Press Esc when you no longer need the control points.

Delete individual

1. Hold down Opt|Alt to use the delete tool.
2. Click on the object with the delete tool.

HintSome objects are not immediately deleted with this function, but first weakened. For example, an opaque fill is first weakened into a translucent fill.

Delete area

1. Hold down Opt|Alt to use the delete tool.
2. Press and hold the delete tool, drag to select the area you want to delete.

Delete composite

1. Hold down Opt|Alt to use the delete tool.
2. Press and hold the delete tool on an object that is part of the composite until the stopwatch circle around the pointer is closed.

Delete selection

Press Del.

Highlighted

• Press H to highlight a selection.
• Press Shift + H to not highlight a selection.

Bold

• Press B to style a selection bold.
• Press Shift + B to style a selection non-bold.

Dashed

• Press - to style a selection dashed.
• Press Shift + - to style a selection non-dashed.

Slanted

• Press S to style a selection slanted.
• press Shift + S to style a selection non-slanted.

Inverted

• Press I to style a selection inverted.
• Press Shift + I to style a selection non-inverted.

Transform frame

Press Tab to display the transform frame for a selection.

The frame has control points for free scaling and rotation.

When you paste objects from the clipboard, the frame is automatically displayed.

Scale selection

• Use the transform frame to freely scale the selection.
• Press Cmd|Ctrl + ↑ to double the size of the selection.
• Press Cmd|Ctrl + ↓ to reduce the size selection by half.

Rotate selection

• Use the transform frame to freely rotate the selection in 0.5° steps.
• Press Cmd|Ctrl + ← to rotate the selection 90° to the left.
• Press Cmd|Ctrl + → to rotate the selection 90° to the right.

Mirror selection

1. Press X to mirror a selection horizontally.
2. Press Y to mirror a selection vertically.

Connect

Draw a point or a line start/end point directly on an existing node or stroke.

Join

Move objects so that their nodes overlap other nodes or strokes.

These locations are marked with a triangle symbol with the tip pointing down and are automatically connected as the process continues. Press Esc to connect them immediately.

Disconnect

1. Select the objects you want to move without affecting connected objects,
2. press Cmd|Ctrl + X to cut the selection,
3. press Cmd|Ctrl + V to paste the selection again immediately and
4. move the selection to another location.

Split

Draw a point or a line start/end point directly on a stroke to split it.

Group

• Press G to group a selection.
• Press Shift + G to ungroup.

Menu

The settings menu can be accessed via the icon with the 3 dots.

• Reset: Resets all settings to default values. Custom settings will be lost.

Font

• Standard font: The font used for text.
• Monospaced font: The font used for monospaced layout text.

Scaling

Scaling determines the grid size or the font size of the view at a zoom level of 1.

TipClick on the question mark next to the input field to display the possible values and units.

Color mode

• System setting: The operating system determines whether light or dark mode is active (default).
• Light or Dark: The corresponding mode is activated.

Colors

Light and dark modes each have their own color set. Only the color wheels for the current mode are shown.

Pointer

Specifies whether the pointer is displayed Dark (default) or Light in the drawing area.

Usage aids

Determines which usage aids are displayed:

• Mode: Modifier keys in the lower left corner
• Text creation: Keys for alignment and monospaced layout below the cursor when creating text
• 3-Button mouse: Mouse buttons in the lower right corner

Options

• Auditive feedback: Some operating actions are supported by sound effects.

Volume

Sets the volume of the auditive feedback.

Menu

The export settings menu can be accessed via the icon with the 3 dots.

• Reset: Resets all export settings to default values. Custom settings will be lost.

Objects

• All: The complete drawing is exported (default).
• Selected: Only the selected objects will be exported. This is useful if the drawing contains multiple parts that should be exported individually.

Lines at margin

• Keep: Lines at the margin are considered part of the drawing and are exported (default).
• Hide: Lines at the margin are not exported but are included in the size calculation.

TipDraw a frame to define the export size and make it invisible using Hide.

Format

• PNG: Portable Network Graphics for export as raster graphic (default).
• SVG: Scalable Vector Graphics for export as vector graphic.

Font

• Standard font: The font used for text.
• Monospaced font: The font used for monospaced layout text.

Scaling

The scaling determines the size of the image and can be set either via the grid size (default) or the font size.

TipThe setting via the font size is useful if the image is embedded in another document and the font sizes should be coordinated.

TipClick on the question mark next to the input field to display the possible values and units.

Margin

A margin expands the image by creating a surrounding free space.

TipClick on the question mark next to the input field to display the possible values and units.

Options

• Opaque background: Instead of a transparent background, an adjustable color is used.
• Visible grid: The grid is visible and the color and opacity can be adjusted.

Colors

The colors for export are independent of the colors of the drawing area and are set via color wheels or hexadecimal color codes.

TipIf the image is embedded in another document, you can enter hexadecimal color codes to precisely match the colors. The color wheel setting will be cleared because it cannot be accurately determined from hex values.

Menu

The print settings menu can be accessed via the icon with the 3 dots.

• Reset: Resets all print settings to default values. Custom settings will be lost.

Objects

• All: The complete drawing is printed (default).
• Selected: Only the selected objects will be printed. This is useful if the drawing contains multiple parts that should be printed individually.

Lines at margin

• Keep: Lines at the margin are considered part of the drawing and are printed (default).
• Hide: Lines at the margin are not exported but are included in the size calculation.

TipMake a frame invisible with Hide.

Paper format & orientation

Specifies which paper format and orientation is used for the preview and the default values of the print dialog.

Margin

The margin determines which area will not be printed.

TipClick on the question mark next to the input field to display the possible values and units.

Font

• Standard font: The font used for text.
• Monospaced font: The font used for monospaced layout text.

Scaling

The scaling determines the size of the drawing on the printout and can be set either via the grid size (default) or the font size.

HintThe drawing cannot be scaled larger than the paper minus the margin.

TipClick on the question mark next to the input field to display the possible values and units.

Options

• Visible grid: The grid is visible and the color and opacity can be adjusted.

Colors

The colors for printing are independent of the colors of the drawing area and are set via color wheels.

Node

Nodes are referred as visible points but also invisible start and end points of lines, curves or arcs.

Stroke

Strokes are referred as lines, curves, circles, ellipses and arcs.

Outline

An outline consists of one or more strokes that form a closed composite. So the start and end coincide.

A circle or ellipse is the simplest outline, as it consists of only one stroke. A rectangle is an outline consisting of 4 strokes.

Color wheel

Used to select a color and has three controls:

1. Hue: Blue, red, yellow or green with a neighboring hue content of 0 – 50%
2. Chroma: 0 – 100%
3. Luminance: 0 – 100%

The color space used does not represent physical values ​​evenly, but is based on perceived colors.

The settings are provided with a text color code. For example, b+25r 40 70 means blue with 25% red, 40% chroma, and 70% luminance.

(More examples)