Canvas
The Canvas is the central drawing area where you create and edit your wire harness designs. It provides an infinite workspace with multi-layer support and intuitive navigation controls.
Canvas Layers
LoomCAD uses a multi-layer system to organize different types of elements. Layers are drawn in a specific order, from bottom to top:
| Order | Layer | Contents | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Background | Sheet background | Base layer for sheet color/pattern |
| 2 | Grid | Grid lines | Reference grid for alignment |
| 3 | Stamp | Drawing frame | Title block and border |
| 4 | Bundlelines | Wire bundles | Bundle paths connecting components |
| 5 | Components | Connectors, splices | Electrical components |
| 6 | General | Primitives | Lines, circles, rectangles, text, images |
| 7 | Control | Annotations | Dimensions, leaders |
| 8 | Frozen | Locked elements | Elements protected from editing |
System layers (not user-editable):
- Tooltip layer - hover information
- Cursor layer - custom cursor display
Layer Visibility
You can show or hide individual layers:
- Open Side Menu → Visualization tab
- Toggle visibility for each layer
Navigation
Pan (Move View)
Move around the canvas to view different areas of your design.
| Method | Action |
|---|---|
| Mouse |  Hold middle button and drag |
Zoom
Adjust the magnification level to see more detail or overview.
| Method | Action |
|---|---|
| Mouse wheel | Scroll up/down to zoom in/out |
| Keyboard | Ctrl++ to zoom in |
| Keyboard | Ctrl+- to zoom out |
| Keyboard | Ctrl+0 to fit all content in view |
The current zoom level is displayed in the Status Bar.
Fit to View
To see all content on the canvas:
- Press Ctrl+0, or
- Use Command Palette → "Fit to View"
Grid System
The grid provides visual reference and alignment assistance.
Grid Settings
| Setting | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Grid Size | Spacing between grid lines (in mm) | Status Bar |
| Grid Visibility | Show/hide grid | Status Bar toggle |
| Snap to Grid | Align elements to grid intersections | Status Bar toggle |
Using Snap to Grid
When Snap to Grid is enabled:
- New elements snap to nearest grid intersection
- Moving elements aligns them to grid
- Precise positioning without manual coordinate entry
Not implemented yet
To temporarily disable snap while moving, hold Alt key while dragging. This feature is planned for future versions.
Mouse Controls
| Action | Mouse | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Select element |  Left click | - |
| Multi-select | Left click | Ctrl |
| Box selection | Left drag | - (with Inspection tool  ) |
| Pan view | Middle drag | - |
| Zoom | Scroll wheel | - |
| Context menu |  Right click | - |
| Immediate delete | Left click | Alt (with Eraser tool  ) |
Canvas Interaction
Selecting Elements
- Choose the Inspection tool (press Escape or click in toolbar)
- Click on any element to select it
- Selection highlights appear around the element
- Inspector opens showing element properties
Box Selection
To select multiple elements:
- With Inspection tool active
- Click and drag to draw a selection rectangle
Selection behavior depends on drag direction:
- Left-to-right (solid rectangle): selects only elements fully inside the rectangle
- Right-to-left (dashed rectangle): selects all elements overlapping the rectangle
Moving Elements
- Select element(s) with Inspection tool
- Drag to new position
- Release to place
With Snap to Grid enabled, elements align to grid intersections.
Keyboard Movement
Selected elements can also be moved with arrow keys:
| Keys | Step size |
|---|---|
| Arrow keys | 1 px |
| Shift + Arrow | 10 px |
| Ctrl + Arrow | Grid step |
Hold multiple arrow keys simultaneously for diagonal movement.
Connection Feedback
When placing or moving an element near a connectable anchor, all elements attached to that anchor highlight with a red glow. This shows which components and bundles the element will connect to before you release.
Auto-Naming
Elements receive auto-generated names when created (e.g., COMP1, COMP2, W1, BDL1). Names use a prefix plus a sequential number, skipping numbers already in use.
Deleting Elements
Method 1: Eraser tool
- Select Eraser tool (press Delete or click in toolbar)
- Click element to delete
- Or drag to select multiple elements for deletion
Method 2: Quick delete
- With Eraser tool , hold Alt and click for immediate deletion (no confirmation)
Method 3: Keyboard
- Select element(s) with Inspection tool
- Press Delete key
Drawing Area Messages
When you activate a drawing tool, a status message appears indicating the expected action:
| Tool | Message |
|---|---|
| Inspection tool | Choose object to see properties or move, you can use rectangular selection |
| Eraser tool | Choose object to delete, you can use rectangular selection, alt+LMB to immediately delete |
Dimension tool  | Choose dimension start |
Bundle tool  | Choose bundle start |
Line tool  | Choose line start |
Text tool  | Choose text start |
These messages help guide you through the drawing workflow.
Context Menus
click on any element to open its context menu. Available optionsdepend on the element type:
Components are represented by pinouts, sideviews, and wire tables.
click on these shows component options plus element-specificoptions.
| Element Type | Common Actions |
|---|---|
| Pinout | Flip Component, Add Pins, Open Inspector |
| Sideview | Flip Component, Open Inspector |
| Wire Table (caption) | Flip Component, Open Inspector |
| Wire Table (row) | Copy Wire, Open Inspector |
| Bundle | Add/Remove Break, Open Inspector |
| Anchor | Attach All to Anchor, Merge with Another Anchor, Open Inspector |
| Pin (in pinout) | Add Start/End Wire, Remove Wire, Remove Pin, Open Inspector |
| SVG/Image | Convert to Sideview, Convert to Splice, Use as Background, Create Sideview |
Context menu: Pinout
For a complete reference of all context menu operations, see Context Menu Quick Reference.
Related Topics
- Toolbar - Access drawing tools
- Status Bar - Grid and zoom settings
- Inspector - Edit selected element properties