Shape tool

Shapes are common layers in files and are one of the most basic elements in design.

Motiff provides 6 basic shapes: Rectangle, Line, Arrow, Ellipse, Polygon, and Star. Click next to in the toolbar to select, or press the shortcuts for the specific shape, then click and drag on the canvas to create a shape.

For unique or complex graphics, you can freely draw with the Pen tool.

Rectangles

Create rectangles and squares using the Rectangle tool.

1. 1.Select from the shape tools, or press the shortcut key R .
2. 2.Click and drag on the canvas to create a rectangle.
3. 3.Each corner of the rectangle has a control point, which you can drag to adjust the rectangle's size.

Adjust corner radius

In addition to the regular control points, rectangles have four circle handles inside every corner. These control points are used to adjust the corner radius of rectangles. Learn more about Corner radius and smooth corners.

Lines

Create lines in any direction using the Line tool.

1. 1.Select from the shape tools, or press the shortcut key L .
2. 2.Click and drag on the canvas to create a line.
3. 3.You can set the Stroke property in the design panel, including color, position, width, end point tips, etc. Learn more about Stroke properties.

Create dashed lines

You can create dashed lines by adjusting the stroke style:

1. 1.Select one or more lines.
2. 2.In the design panel's stroke section, select to open the menu for stroke setting.
3. 3.Adjust the stroke style to dashed lines.
4. 4.Adjust the length and spacing of the dash ends to change the density of the dashed line.

Arrows

The Arrow tool allows you to draw one-sided and two-sided arrows. You can customize the tips of the arrow’s end points:

1. 1.Select from the shape tools, or press the shortcut keys Shift + L .
2. 2.Click and drag on the canvas to create an arrow.
3. 3.Adjust the Stroke property in the design panel.
4. 4.Independently adjust the start and end styles in the stroke section.
5. 5.Click between the start and end points to swap their styles.

Ellipses

Draw ellipses and circles using the Ellipse tool. You can draw the shape directly or draw custom shapes containing curves based on the ellipses.

1. 1.Select from the shape tools, or press the shortcut key O .
2. 2.Click and drag on the canvas to create an ellipse.
3. 3.Each corner of the ellipse’s bounding box has a control point, which you can drag to adjust its size.

Polygons

Create polygons with any number of sides using the Polygon tool, with the default shape being a triangle.

1. 1.

   Select from the shape tools.

2. 2.

   Click and drag on the canvas to create a polygon.

3. 3.

   Each corner of the polygon's bounding box has a control point, which you can drag to adjust the polygon's size.

4. 4.

   The polygon has two circular control points to control the number of sides and corner radius:

   • Number of sides: Controls how many sides the polygon has, with a minimum of three and a maximum of 60.
   • Corner radius: You can set the corner radius for the polygon. Hover the mouse over the handle inside the polygon and start dragging when the corner radius is shown. Drag the handle towards the center of the object to round the corners.

Polygons and bounding boxes

When drawing a polygon, the blue bounding box around the shape does not always fit the shape (such as a triangle). This allows the geometric center of the shape to be in the center of the bounding box when adjusting the number of sides of a polygon. If you want the bounding box to fit the actual boundaries of the shape, you can combine shapes. Select Flatten from the right-click menu, or use the shortcuts:

• macOS: ⌘ Command + E
• Windows: Ctrl + E

Stars

Use the Star tool to create stars with any number of points, with the default shape being a pentagon.

1. 1.Select from the shape tools.
2. 2.Click and drag on the canvas to create a star shape.
3. 3.Each corner of the star shape bounding box has a control point, which you can drag to adjust the size of the star shape.
4. 4.The star shape has three circular control points, which can control the number of points, inner radius ratio, and corner rounding respectively.
   • Count: Controls how many points the star has, with a minimum of three and a maximum of 60.
   • Ratio: Controls the percentage ratio of the distance from the center of the star to the inner points versus the outer points.
   • Radius: Sets rounded corners for the star's points, which is similar to the effect of rounded corners on a rectangle.

For unique or complex shapes, you can draw them with the pen tool. You can also double-click the shape layer or click Enter to enter vector editing mode and continue editing based on the shape.