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For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

Canvas Basics

Navigate the canvas, place parts, create connections, and use annotations to build your board layout.

Goal

Master the Protoboard canvas so you can place parts, draw connections, annotate your design, and navigate large boards with confidence.

The workspace

The canvas is an infinite 2D workspace with a dot grid background. You can pan and zoom freely to work at any scale. Parts snap to the grid automatically, keeping your layout tidy.

Navigation controls

  • Pan: Hold the middle mouse button and drag, or switch to Hand mode

  • Zoom in/out: Scroll wheel, or use the zoom controls in the toolbar

  • Zoom to fit: Click the Fit button to see your entire board at once

  • MiniMap: A small overview of your board appears in the corner for quick orientation on large designs

Canvas modes

Mode
Behavior
Activate

Pointer

Select and move parts

Default mode

Hand

Pan the canvas without selecting anything

Click the Hand tool or hold Space

Placing parts

clicking the cuboid icon to open the Parts Bin
Show the Parts Bin panel sliding open after a click on the activity-bar cuboid icon.
1

Open the Parts Bin

Click the cuboid icon in the left sidebar to open the Parts Bin.

2

Find your part

Search for a part by name or keyword. Protoboard uses AI-powered semantic search, so describing what you need (e.g., "temperature sensor" or "brushless motor driver") works well.

3

Drag onto the canvas

Click and drag a part card from the Parts Bin onto the canvas. An orange preview node follows your cursor. Release the mouse button to place the part at that location.

Parts snap to the grid when placed. You can reposition them at any time by clicking and dragging.

Creating connections (harnesses)

Connections between parts are called harnesses. Each harness represents the logical link between two parts and can contain multiple interface links and wire-level function links.

1

Hover near a part edge

Move your cursor near the edge of a placed part. A dynamic handle appears, indicating a connection point.

2

Drag to another part

Click the handle and drag a line to another part on the canvas. When you release over a valid target, a harness is created between the two parts.

3

Configure the harness

Select the harness to open the Inspector panel, where you can set up interface links, function links, and resource allocation. See Connections & Compatibility for details.

After a connection is made, static handles persist on the connected parts so you can easily see and manage your harnesses.

Context menu actions

Right-click anywhere on the canvas to access context-sensitive actions:

  • Copy: copy the selected parts to clipboard

  • Duplicate: create an offset copy immediately

  • Auto-route harnesses: let Protoboard clean up connection paths

  • Tidy handles: reorganize connection handles for a cleaner look

  • Arrange selected: auto-layout selected parts

  • Auto-route: optimize the harness path

  • Move source/target handle: reposition handles to Top, Right, Bottom, or Left

  • Paste: paste previously copied parts from clipboard

Annotations

Add text comment boxes to your canvas to document decisions, flag issues, or leave notes for collaborators.

Each annotation supports:

  • Title and body text

  • Optional node reference to link the comment to a specific part

  • Adjustable width to fit your content

Undo, redo, copy, and paste

Protoboard supports full undo/redo for all operations:

Action
Windows / Linux
macOS

Undo

Ctrl+Z

Cmd+Z

Redo

Ctrl+Shift+Z

Cmd+Shift+Z

Copy

Ctrl+C

Cmd+C

Paste

Ctrl+V

Cmd+V

Delete

Delete / Backspace

Delete / Backspace

Duplicated and pasted parts are placed with a slight offset so they do not stack directly on top of the originals.

Themes

Toggle between light mode and dark mode using the theme switch in the top bar. Your preference is remembered across sessions.

Common failures

I cannot connect two parts; no handle appears

Make sure you are in Pointer mode (not Hand mode). Hover slowly near the edge of the part node. The dynamic handle only appears when your cursor is close to the node boundary.

My board is too zoomed in and I cannot find my parts

Click the Fit button in the zoom controls to zoom out and center on all placed parts. You can also use the MiniMap to navigate to a specific area.

Parts are not aligning neatly

Parts snap to the grid by default. If things look messy, select the parts you want to organize, right-click, and choose Arrange selected to auto-layout them.

Related pages

PreviousBoard Identity
NextParts: Add / Edit / Custom

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