Guide
From the first stroke to the exhibition.
The guide takes you through nexcanvas step by step. First you create a board and learn to move around on it. Then you draw, write and arrange, fetch shapes and templates, work together with others and pass on what you have made. At the end come your account, running it and all the keyboard shortcuts.
Every chapter stands on its own, so you can jump straight to wherever you have a question. The pictures show the English interface, and the button names in the text are the ones you see on screen.
Getting started
1
Setting upHow to set up nexcanvas after the first start, how others join by invitation and how signing in works with a password, a second factor or a sign-in provider.
2BoardsHow to create a board, rename it, mark it as a favourite, copy it, search for it and bring it back from the bin, and what the Files page shows.
3Moving aroundHow to pan and zoom on a board with the hand, the mouse wheel, the trackpad and the keys, how to see everything at once and how to undo steps.
Drawing and writing
4
Notes and textHow to place sticky notes in seven colours, write free text in four sizes and in handwriting, and how writing in a note begins and ends.
5ShapesHow to draw out one of the nine basic shapes, set fill, outline and text, and swap a shape for another without losing its content.
6Lines and arrowsHow to connect two things with a line that moves along with them, choose arrowheads, curves, dash style and width, and re-attach the ends.
7PenHow to draw freehand with the pen, with pressure on a tablet too, highlight with the highlighter and remove single strokes with the eraser.
8Photos and filesHow photos, files and links get onto the board, how empty slots fill a mood board and what nexcanvas does with your photos when you upload them.
9Annotating PDFsHow a PDF lies on the board as a page, how you turn its pages and use the pen to make notes that belong to exactly one page.
Arranging
10
SelectingHow to select one or several things, move them, make them bigger, copy and delete them, and what the context bar and the right mouse button offer.
11ArrangingHow to turn things, put them into groups, line them up and spread them evenly, lock them and bring them to the front or send them to the back.
12Mind mapHow to add connected ideas with the plus on a note, build a mind map without touching the mouse using Tab and Shift plus Tab, and draw lines to things that are already there.
13Snapping and backgroundHow things snap to others and to the grid while you drag, how to turn that off for one move or altogether, and which backgrounds and paper colours a board can have.
14Frames and presentingHow frames divide a board into sections, how the scene list shows them one after another, and how you present a board frame by frame in full screen.
Shapes and templates
15
Shape libraryHow to search for shapes in the shape library, drag them onto the board or draw them out, collect favourites and hide the packages you do not need.
16Shape packagesHow managers of a space and operators create their own shape packages, fill them from SVG files or from the board, switch them on and off and pass them on as a file.
17TemplatesHow to start a board from one of the 33 shipped templates, save one of your own boards as a template, if you like only as a frame, and pass templates on.
Together
18
Live togetherHow several people work on one board at the same time: who is here right now, pointers with names, two people in one note, undo for your own steps only and what happens when the connection drops.
19SpacesHow to create and name spaces, invite members by name or link, give rights and put a space into the bin.
20SharingWhat the Share window shows, how to switch on a public read-only page with an end date and password for a board, and how the operator allows it.
Passing it on
21
ExportHow to save a whole board, a selection or all scenes as PNG or PDF, and what happens with background, size and light or dark.
22JSON CanvasHow to save a board as a .canvas file or ZIP, bring in a canvas from nexlore, Obsidian or another nexcanvas, and what becomes of each kind of thing.
23VersionsHow nexcanvas keeps earlier states of a board, how to bring one of them back and how long deleted boards and spaces stay in the bin.
Account and running it
24
My accountHow to set your display name and profile picture, change your password, set up a second factor with recovery codes, link a sign-in provider and sign out everywhere.
25SettingsHow to set nexcanvas to light, dark or like your system, change the language, choose the start page and decide how the board behaves while you draw.
26PhoneHow nexcanvas looks and works on narrow screens: tools at the bottom, one finger pans, two zoom, a long press opens the menu, photos straight from the camera.
27For operatorsWhat the operator finds under Settings, Server: accounts, mail, sign-in with OIDC and authentik, public pages, API, files, languages and the log.
28BackupsHow nexcanvas makes a backup every night, how to make one by hand, check it, download it and restore from it, and what is inside a backup.
29API tokensHow the operator switches on the read-only interface, how you create an API token for a dashboard, n8n or a script, and what the token may read.
30Keyboard shortcutsAll the keyboard shortcuts of nexcanvas at a glance: tools, editing, mind map, view and presenting.
Cora saysnexcanvas itself shows you the most important keys at any time: press ? in a board and the window with all the keyboard shortcuts opens.