Research: how similar tools lay out the canvas#

Background for intent.md, gathered on 2026-10-21 from official docs, help pages, source code and forums. Each claim cites a numbered source at the end. "Unverified" means no official page confirmed it.

Compared#

App	Zoom and pan	Tools	Library to canvas	Into a component and back	Saving	Hiding the interface
Figma	Pinch and ⌘-scroll zoom; a zoom menu; ⇧1 fit, ⇧2 selection [1]	A slim floating bar at the bottom (UI3) [3][5]	Not checked	"Go to main component", then a "Return to instance" prompt [6]	Autosave with checkpoints [7]	⇧\ minimizes the UI [3]
Aseprite	The wheel zooms or scrolls, chosen in Preferences; keys 1–6 set the zoom; a zoom field [9][10]. H hand, Space as a temporary hand (forum) [11]	Docked toolbar	Pick a tile, then draw with it [12]	Unverified	Saves when asked; backups every 2 min for crash recovery [13]	Unverified
Tiled	⌃-wheel zoom; ⌃+/⌃−/⌃0; Space or middle-drag pans [17]	Docked toolbars	Pick a tile in a docked Tilesets panel, then stamp	"Edit Tileset" opens it; the docs don't say how to return [18]	Unverified	Tab hides every dock [17]
LDtk	Space-drag pans; Space-right-drag zooms [19]	Unverified	A palette in the side panel that follows the layer [20]	A separate world view (⇧W) [19]	Unverified	Tab for a compact sidebar [20]
Sketch	Pinch or ⌘-scroll zoom; ⌘0, ⌘1 fit, ⌘2 selection; Space-drag pans [22][23]	A toolbar with a zoom menu [22]	Insert Symbol [23]	⌘↩ goes into a symbol, Esc comes back out [23]	Unverified	⌘. toggles the interface [23]
tldraw	⇧1 fit, ⇧2 selection, ⇧0 100% [24][25]	V select, H hand [26]	Unverified	Not applicable	Unverified	⌘. focus mode [25]
Excalidraw	Space-drag or wheel-drag pans; ⇧1 fit, ⇧2 selection [27]	V and H, at the top [27][28]	Drag from a library sidebar onto the canvas [29]	Not applicable	Unverified	⌥Z zen mode [27]
Procreate	Pinch zooms; a quick pinch fits the canvas [21]	Unverified	Not applicable	Not applicable	Unverified	Unverified

Also looked at: Pixelorama, Pixaki, Pixquare and Asset Forge. Little about them could be verified [15][16][30][31][32].

Patterns nearly every tool shares#

Zoom: pinch and ⌘-scroll zoom [1][17][21][22].
Panning: Space-drag works as a temporary hand [17][19][22][27].
Fit and selection shortcuts: shared shortcuts for "fit everything" and "fit the selection" [1][22][24][27].
A visible zoom level: most tools keep the zoom level on screen somewhere, as a field or a menu [1][9][22].
Hiding the interface: a single key hides it, such as Tab or ⌘. [17][20][23][25][27].

Patterns that vary#

Where the toolbar sits: floating at the bottom (Figma), at the top (Excalidraw), or docked (Tiled, Aseprite).
The library:
- Docked and picked, then stamped: Tiled, LDtk, Aseprite.
- Dragged onto the canvas: Excalidraw.
Going into a component and back:
- A jump with a return prompt: Figma.
- Keyboard in and out: Sketch.
- A separate view: LDtk.
- None of the tools checked uses a breadcrumb.

Pitfalls#

Figma's UI3 bottom bar drew a feedback thread of about 426 replies. Many asked to hide it or move it back to the top, because it takes canvas space and draws the eye [8a]. Figma's stated reasons were a clearer top and one layout across its products [5].
Removed controls must stay reachable. Apple's guidelines say a toolbar item can't be the only place for a command, and a hidden interface needs a reliable way back [34].
Gestures need a fallback. Apple lists pinch among the standard gestures and says a gesture should never be the only way to do something [33].

Research: how similar tools lay out the canvas#

Compared#

Patterns nearly every tool shares#

Patterns that vary#

Pitfalls#

Sources#