Find your way around the Canvas tools
A practical reference for the ribbon, insertion tools, navigation, and formatting.
Open a project's Canvas view and use a Design canvas. The top ribbon contains the main menus; the left rail helps you add content. Selecting a node or connector reveals controls relevant to that item. Editing requires the appropriate project access, and available libraries can vary.
File: bring material in and take a snapshot out
| Control | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Upload file | Add a supported image or text/code file. The picker accepts JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, SVG, .py, .sh, .txt, and .md. |
| Export PNG / Export PDF | Save a visual snapshot for a review or handoff. |
| Copy canvas as image | Put a rendered image on your clipboard. |
| Download selection as JSON | Export selected nodes and edges as structured data; select items first. |
| Insert linked file | Add an external Google Doc, Google Sheet, or PDF by URL. Source access and embedding restrictions still apply. |
Selection JSON is not a workspace backup. An image or PDF is a snapshot, not a live task view. Check the exported result, especially linked material, before distributing it.
Edit: organize what you have placed
Use Undo and Redo when available, or Copy and Paste for selected content. Copy selection as JSON provides structured selection data on the clipboard. Group selected and Ungroup help you arrange items together. Under Arrange, Bring to front and Send to back change which items overlap.
A visual group is a layout tool. It does not create task ownership, a work hierarchy, or a permission boundary. Copying task content can create additional work items; reuse the existing task when you mean to track the same work.
Insert: choose the right kind of item
| Item | Typical purpose |
|---|---|
| Process box | A descriptive process step |
| Decision diamond | A choice or branch; label the outgoing paths clearly |
| Start / End | The boundary of a process |
| Sticky note / Callout / Annotation bracket | Context, explanations, and annotations |
| Line | A visual separator or drawing element |
| Work items: Task | Work someone can own and update |
| Work items: Blocker | An impediment you want to relate to work |
| Work items: Project / Milestone | Organize work within the canvas |
| Container: Pool / Horizontal swimlane / Vertical swimlane | Visually separate teams, stages, or topics |
For shape and work-item insertion from the ribbon, choose the item and place it on the canvas. A container is a visual organizing aid; putting a task inside it does not assign a person or set a status.
Left rail: quick additions and libraries
The quick additions include Project, Milestone, Task, Document, Code Block, Sticky Note, Rectangle, Rounded Rect, and Circle. Click a quick addition to place it in the current view, or drag a supported library item to its intended position.
Open Shapes for the enabled shape library, Templates for the templates available to your workspace, and Drive for supported reusable material. The library depends on enabled packs and available records, so another workspace may show a different selection. A Code Block displays a snippet; it is different from an executable Code node.
View and navigation
Use Show grid, Show minimap, Fit to screen, Zoom in, and Zoom out to orient yourself. Show task table brings task work alongside the visual plan. Zen mode reduces surrounding controls; Hide ribbon hides the ribbon, and the floating View control provides a way back.
The ribbon also has quick Undo/Redo, grouping controls, a Text box tool, the Work connector toggle, a task-table toggle, zoom, and help. Use the help menu's Take the tour to revisit the introduction.
Use the canvas search control to search nodes and jump to a result. Named pins provide reusable locations on a large diagram. In the pin menu, Pins stay same size controls how markers appear as you zoom.
Format the selected item
For supported nodes, the contextual style controls include fill, text size, text color, alignment, and opacity. Connector styling includes color, thickness, solid/dashed/dotted/dash-dot patterns, straight or curved routes, and arrow or plain-line appearance. Document content has its own formatting toolbar.
Use visual styles consistently, and explain any color convention in a small legend. Changing a connector's color, arrowhead, or label does not change its work relationship. Read the connector guide before using Work.