Edit and arrange shapes
Select, edit text, rotate, flip, align, distribute, group and lock shapes in PlexiiDiagrams, with smart guides, snapping and keyboard shortcuts.
This article covers the everyday editing in PlexiiDiagrams: selecting, typing, moving, rotating, lining things up, and the keyboard shortcuts that speed it up.
Before you start
- Everything here is on every plan.
- Shortcuts are shown for a Mac. On Windows, use Ctrl in place of ⌘ and Alt in place of ⌥.
Select
- One shape: click it. A bold blue frame with a soft halo appears, and the bottom bar says 1 shape selected. The frame stays the same thickness at any zoom.
- Several shapes: drag a box across empty canvas, or Shift-click each one. Each is framed, with a dashed box around them all.
- Everything on the page: ⌘ A.
- Nothing: Esc, or click empty canvas.
Hovering a shape shows a faint dashed outline. A selected line glows. A locked shape shows a small lock badge when selected.
Edit text
- Double-click a shape, or select it and press Enter.
- Type. Shift Enter starts a new line.
- Press Enter to keep the text, or Esc to cancel.
The Text tool (T) adds a free label wherever you click. Font, size and alignment are in the inspector's Text tab.
Move, resize and rotate
- Move: drag the shape, or nudge it with the arrow keys. Hold Shift to nudge 10 pixels at a time.
- Resize: drag one of the square handles.
- Rotate: drag the round knob above a selected shape. Hold Shift to turn it in 15° steps. Arrange > Rotate & flip has Rotate 90° right and Rotate 90° left.
- Flip: Arrange > Rotate & flip > Flip horizontally or Flip vertically.
For exact numbers, open the inspector's Arrange tab. Position & size has X, Y, W, H and Rotation.
Smart guides and snapping
While you drag a shape:
- Pink smart guides appear when it lines up with other shapes.
- It snaps to equal gaps between shapes.
- It snaps to the grid.
Turn these on or off in the View menu (Grid, Snap to grid, Smart guides), or deselect everything and use the Canvas section of the inspector. See Pages, layers and themes.
Align, distribute and match sizes
Select two or more shapes, then use one of these:
- The Align and distribute button in the toolbar: Align left, Align centre, Align right, Align top, Align middle, Align bottom, Distribute horizontally and Distribute vertically.
- Arrange > Align and Arrange > Distribute.
- The inspector's Arrange tab, under Align & distribute. It also has Same width, Same height and Same size, which match the first shape you selected.
Distributing needs at least three shapes.
Order, group and lock
| To | Do this |
|---|---|
| Bring a shape to the front | Shift ⌘ ], or Arrange > Bring to front |
| Bring it forward one step | ⌘ ], or Arrange > Bring forward |
| Send it back one step | ⌘ [, or Arrange > Send backward |
| Send it to the back | Shift ⌘ [, or Arrange > Send to back |
| Group shapes so they move together | ⌘ G, or Arrange > Group |
| Ungroup them | Shift ⌘ G, or Arrange > Ungroup |
| Lock or unlock a shape or line | Shift ⌘ L, or Arrange > Lock / unlock |
A locked shape cannot be moved or edited until you unlock it.
Hide and show shapes
Hide shapes to get them out of the way without deleting them.
- Hide: select one or more shapes, then right-click and choose Hide shape (or Hide shapes for several), or choose Arrange > Hide.
- Show them again: choose Arrange > Show all hidden. The menu item shows how many shapes are hidden on the page, such as Show all hidden (3). The Layers panel also says how many hidden shapes are on the page, with a Show all hidden button.
Hidden shapes stay in the diagram, and you can always bring them back. See Pages, layers and themes.
Copy, paste and duplicate
- Cut, Copy and Paste: ⌘ X, ⌘ C and ⌘ V.
- Duplicate: ⌘ D.
A copy is independent: changing it never changes the original.
To copy a shape's look rather than the shape, select it and choose Edit > Copy style (⌥ ⌘ C), then select the shapes to change and choose Edit > Paste style (⌥ ⌘ V). Both are also on a shape's right-click menu, and as Copy style and Paste style buttons in the inspector's Style tab. On Windows, use Ctrl Alt C and Ctrl Alt V.
Swimlanes and containers
A swimlane or a container holds the shapes you drag into it. When you move it, the shapes inside move with it.
- Swimlane: Insert > Swimlane, or the Containers category in the shape library.
- Other containers: the Containers category.
Right-click menus
| Right-click | You get |
|---|---|
| A shape | Edit text, Cut, Copy, Duplicate, Delete, Copy style, Paste style, Bring to front, Send to back, Group (with several selected) or Zoom to shape, Ungroup (for a group), Lock or Unlock, Hide shape (or Hide shapes), and Tidy these connections |
| A line | Edit label, Right-angle, Curved, Straight, Reset route, Lock or Unlock, and Delete |
| Empty canvas | Paste, Add text here, Add a box here, Select all, Tidy connections and Fit page |
Keyboard shortcuts
Help > Keyboard shortcuts, or ?, shows this list in the app.
| Action | Mac |
|---|---|
| Select, pan and text tools | V, H, T |
| Pan the canvas | Hold Space and drag, drag with the middle button, or scroll |
| Zoom | ⌘ and scroll, pinch, ⌘ +, ⌘ − |
| Actual size | ⌘ 0 |
| Fit page, zoom to selection | Shift 1, Shift 2 |
| Edit text | Enter, or double-click |
| New line in a label | Shift Enter |
| Undo, redo | ⌘ Z, Shift ⌘ Z |
| Cut, copy, paste, duplicate | ⌘ X, ⌘ C, ⌘ V, ⌘ D |
| Select all, deselect | ⌘ A, Esc |
| Delete | Delete or Backspace |
| Nudge | Arrow keys, with Shift for 10 pixels |
| Group, ungroup | ⌘ G, Shift ⌘ G |
| Lock, unlock | Shift ⌘ L |
| Bring forward, to front | ⌘ ], Shift ⌘ ] |
| Send backward, to back | ⌘ [, Shift ⌘ [ |
| Bold, italic, underline | ⌘ B, ⌘ I, ⌘ U |
| Copy style, paste style | ⌥ ⌘ C, ⌥ ⌘ V |
| Find and replace | ⌘ F |
| Select several | Shift-click, or drag a box |
| Rotate in 15° steps | Drag the knob with Shift held |
| Add a connected shape | Click a blue arrow around a selected shape |
| Create and connect | Drag a line from a dot onto empty canvas |
On Windows, use Ctrl in place of ⌘ and Alt in place of ⌥.
Common questions
A shape I hid is gone. Choose Arrange > Show all hidden, or click Show all hidden in the Layers panel.
I cannot move or type in a shape. It may be locked. Select it and press Shift ⌘ L, or right-click it and choose Unlock. If its layer is locked, unlock the layer. See Pages, layers and themes.
Shapes jump while I drag them. They are snapping to the grid, to other shapes, or to equal gaps. Turn off Snap to grid or Smart guides in the View menu.
The shape will not rotate. The rotation knob shows when exactly one unlocked shape is selected. Swimlanes do not rotate.
Related tasks
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