Smart selection

With Smart selection, you can quickly adjust the arrangement or spacing between two or more layers. This feature allows you to:

• Adjust the vertical and horizontal spacing between layers uniformly.
• Reorder or rearrange layers in a row, column, or grid layout.
• Allow other layers to rearrange when copying or deleting layers from the selection.

Create a smart selection

To create a Smart selection, the spacing between adjacent layers must be equal. If the distance between adjacent layers is unequal, you can use Tidy up to rearrange the layers and create a smart selection.

Motiff supports one-dimensional and two-dimensional smart selection.

Layers for one-dimensional (1D) smart selection need to have overlapping projections on the x-axis or y-axis, such as layers sorted by rows or columns.

Layers for two-dimensional (2D) smart selection need to have overlapping projections on both axes, such as layers sorted in a grid or table.

You can create a smart selection by following these steps:

1. 1.Select the layers you want to create a smart selection for. The layers do not have to be the same size or shape.
2. 2.Selection handles are located at the center of the smart selection layers, which means a pink circle will appear at the center of each layer.
3. 3.When the cursor hovers over the selection, spacing handles will appear between each layer. Dragging the spacing handles adjusts the vertical or horizontal spacing between layers.

Adjust layers with smart selection

After selecting layers, you can make the following adjustments to each layer within the selection:

• Adjust layer spacing
• Reorder or rearrange layers
• Copy layers
• Delete layers

You can select the layers you want to adjust using the selection handles:

• Select a single layer: Click the selection handle at the center of that layer to adjust.
• Select multiple layers: Hold Shift and click the selection handles at the center of the layers in sequence to adjust.

Adjust layer spaces

If you want to adjust the vertical or horizontal spacing between selected layers, you can drag the spacing handles between layers on the canvas or adjust the spacing value in the design panel.

Canvas

1. 1.

   Hover the cursor over the spacing handle between layers, and the cursor will change to .

2. 2.

   Click and drag the spacing handle to adjust the spacing between layers. The distance between the current layers will be displayed above the cursor:

   • Drag up to decrease vertical spacing.
   • Drag down to increase vertical spacing.
   • Drag left to decrease horizontal spacing.
   • Drag right to increase horizontal spacing.

Design panel

You can adjust the spacing of layers in the design panel by:

• Enter a value directly.
• Use arrow keys.
• Drag to adjust the value by holding or in the input box.

Reorder or rearrange layers

You can change the order or position of layers within the Smart selection:

1. 1.Click the selection handle at the center of the layer.
2. 2.Drag the layer to another position within the selection to change the current order or arrangement.

Duplicate layers

You can create a duplicate of any layer within the Smart selection:

1. 1.Click the selection handle at the center of the layer.
2. 2.Use the shortcut keys to copy the layer:
   • macOS：⌘ Command + D
   • Windows：Ctrl + D

Delete layers

You can delete one or more layers within the Smart selection:

1. 1.Click the selection handle at the center of the layer.
2. 2.Use Delete / Backspace to delete the layer.