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Moving, resizing, and rotating

Drag objects to move them, drag the handles to resize or rotate them, and use the arrow keys for small steps.

Two objects selected on the canvas with one set of handles and a size badge
Several objects selected share one set of handles.

Move​

  • Drag a selected object, or start a drag directly on an object, to move it.
  • Press the arrow keys to nudge the selection by 1 px. Hold Shift to nudge by 10 px.

Move into another frame​

When you release an object over a frame, the object becomes part of that frame and keeps its place on the canvas. You can see the new structure in the Layers panel. You cannot drop an object into itself or into one of its own children.

Resize​

An object has eight handles: four corners and four edges. Drag a handle to resize.

Key while draggingEffect
ShiftKeeps the proportions of the object.
AltResizes from the center.

You can also type exact values in the Layout section of the property editor.

The Layout section with width, height, and the lock
The Layout section sets the size.

Rotate​

Move the pointer just outside a corner handle, then drag to rotate. The object rotates around its origin, which you can change in the Origin setting in the Position section of the property editor. You can also type the angle in the Rotation field.

Key while draggingEffect
ShiftRotates in steps of 5 degrees.
AltRotates in steps of 45 degrees.

Size badge​

While an object is selected, a badge below it shows its size, for example 432 × 140. For a selection of several objects it shows the size of the whole selection. Frames do not show the badge; their size is in the Layout section of the property editor.

Snapping​

While you move or resize, objects snap to nearby lines: the edges and center lines of the objects next to them, and the edges of the frame they are in. Snap lines and distances appear while you drag.

  • Hold Ctrl while you drag to turn snapping off, or on if it is off.
  • Hold Alt and point at another object to see the distances between objects, or from the selection to the edges of its parent.

To see where every object starts and ends, press A to show or hide object bounds.

Swap fill and stroke​

Press Shift + X to swap the fill color and the stroke color of the selected objects.

Undo​

Each move, resize, and rotation is one step in the undo history. Press Ctrl + Z to undo.

Next steps​