Shortcuts on Layer5 Documentation

Tool Modes

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The canvas has four tool modes. The mode decides what a mouse drag does: move an object, pan the view, draw freehand or draw a connecting line. Select is the default. This page lists how to enter and leave each mode, what every mouse gesture does in it, and the wheel and zoom controls that work in all of them.

Modes at a glance 🔗

Mode	Purpose	Enter	Leave	Drag on empty canvas	Box selection
Select	Select, move, configure and style objects. The default.	`V` or `Esc`	Choose another mode	Draws a selection box	On
Pan	Move the view without touching objects.	`H`, or hold `Space`	`V`, `Esc`, or release `Space`	Pans the view	Off
Pencil	Draw freehand annotations.	`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `P`, or the Pencil tool in the dock	The same shortcut, `V` or `Esc`	Draws a stroke	Off
Pen	Draw connecting lines and annotation edges.	`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `E`, or the Pen tool in the dock	The same shortcut, `V` or `Esc`	Places points and lines	Off

The Pencil and Pen dock icons turn green while their mode is active. The mode shortcuts work in Designer mode. Select and Pan also work in Operator mode.

Canvas Actions

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Right-clicking an empty part of the canvas - anywhere no component sits - opens the Canvas Actions menu. Where the component context menu acts on one component, this menu acts on the canvas as a whole: undoing and redoing, pasting, selecting everything, capturing the canvas as an image, and reaching help.

The menu adapts to the mode you are in. Commenting and pasting, for example, are offered in Designer mode but not in Operator mode, where the canvas reflects discovered infrastructure rather than a design you are authoring.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kanvas binds every shortcut to both modifier keys. On Windows and Linux use Ctrl. On macOS use Cmd. The tables write the modifier as Ctrl/Cmd.

Kanvas ignores shortcuts while you type in a text field, so typing a label, a comment or a search never triggers one. Open the same list inside the app with Ctrl/Cmd + /.

Shortcut	Action	Designer	Operator
`V` or `Esc`	Switch to the Select tool. `Esc` also closes open menus and dialogs.	Yes	Yes
`H`	Switch to the Pan tool.	Yes	Yes
`Space` (hold)	Pan while the key is down, then return to the Select tool.	Yes	Yes
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `P`	Turn the Pencil tool on or off.	Yes	No
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `E`	Turn the Pen tool on or off.	Yes	No
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `+`	Zoom in.	Yes	Yes
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `-`	Zoom out.	Yes	Yes
`\` (backslash)	Open the Layers panel.	Yes	Yes
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `/`	Open the shortcut reference in the help drawer.	Yes	Yes
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `Shift` + `/`	Open the Help Center.	Yes	Yes

The tools are described in Tool Modes.

Shortcuts on Layer5 Documentation

Tool Modes

Modes at a glance 🔗

Canvas Actions

Keyboard Shortcuts

Modes and navigation 🔗