How to draw arrows, shapes, and freehand strokes on an asset

Arrows direct a reader's eye to a specific part of an asset. Elbow leaders turn a corner to point at a component without crossing other annotations. Shapes highlight regions such as a control panel, a safety zone, or a grouped set of components. Freehand scribbles let you add informal markup or circle a region of interest. Together they give your annotated asset a clear visual hierarchy without cluttering it with text.

This article continues with the toaster example. An arrow will point to the browning dial and a shape will frame the control panel area on the right side of the toaster.

Drawing an arrow

Step 1: Select the Line tool

Click the Line tab in the properties panel, or press L or A.

The Line panel showing stroke colour, stroke weight, line style, and opacity controls.

Step 2: Draw the arrow

Click and drag on the canvas to draw an arrow. Release the mouse button to commit it.

1. Position your cursor at the point where the arrow should start, for example in the empty space beside the toaster.
2. Click and drag toward the component you want to point to, such as the browning dial.
3. Release to place the arrow. An arrowhead appears at the end point by default.

An arrow added to the toaster asset pointing to the browning dial (3), with callouts from the previous step still in place.

Styling an arrow

Select an arrow to display its properties in the properties panel. The Line panel offers the following controls:

Arrowhead styles

Select from the available arrowhead styles in the Start marker and End marker pickers in the properties panel. Both ends can be set independently.

Changing line style

To change the line style of an existing arrow:

1. Press V or Esc to switch to the Select tool.
2. Click the arrow to select it.
3. In the Line style row of the properties panel, click the style you want to apply.

Repositioning arrow endpoints

After placing an arrow, you can adjust either endpoint independently without redrawing the arrow.

1. Press V or Esc to switch to the Select tool.
2. Click the arrow to select it. Two endpoint handles appear on the arrow.
3. Drag either handle to its new position.

Hold Shift while dragging an endpoint to constrain it to horizontal or vertical.

Adding waypoints to an arrow

Waypoints add bends to an arrow, turning it into a multi-segment leader. Use waypoints when you need an arrow to route around other annotations or follow the contour of the asset.

Add a waypoint

1. Select the arrow using the Select tool.
2. Double-click anywhere along the arrow shaft. A waypoint handle appears at that position and the arrow bends through it.
3. Drag the waypoint handle to reshape the bend.

Remove a waypoint

1. Select the arrow using the Select tool.
2. Double-click the waypoint handle you want to remove. The bend is removed and the arrow straightens between the surrounding points.

Drawing a shape

Step 1: Select the Shape tool

Click the Shape tab in the properties panel, or press S.

The Shape panel showing Shape Type, Fill colour, and Border colour controls.

Step 2: Choose a shape type

Under Shape Type, click the style you want to draw:

For the toaster example, select Square to draw a rectangle around the control panel on the right side of the toaster.

Step 3: Draw the shape

Click and drag on the canvas to draw the shape. Release to commit it.

1. Position your cursor at the top-left corner of the area you want to highlight, for example above and to the left of the toaster's browning dial.
2. Drag to the bottom-right corner of the control panel area.
3. Release to place the shape.

A square shape with transparent fill framing the control panel area, with callouts and arrow from previous steps in place.

Styling a shape

Select a shape to display its properties in the properties panel. You can adjust the following:

Drawing an elbow leader

An elbow leader is an L-shaped line that auto-inserts one bend on draw. Use it when you need a leader that turns a corner to point at a component without crossing other annotations.

Step 1: Select the Elbow tool

Click the Elbow tab in the properties panel, or press E.

Step 2: Draw the elbow

1. Click where the leader should start.
2. Drag toward the component you want to point to. The bend auto-inserts as you drag.
3. Release to commit the elbow.

The Elbow tool shares the same styling properties as the Line tool: stroke colour, stroke weight, line style, opacity, outline colour, outline width, arrowhead markers, and head scale. Refer to the Styling an arrow section above for details.

Drawing a freehand stroke

The Scribble tool lets you draw freehand strokes directly on the canvas. Use scribbles to circle a region of interest, add informal markup, or draw attention to an area that does not map to a fixed geometric shape.

Step 1: Select the Scribble tool

Click the Scribble tab in the properties panel, or press B.

Step 2: Draw the stroke

1. Click and drag on the canvas to draw freely. The stroke follows your cursor path.
2. Release to commit the stroke.

The Scribble panel offers the following styling properties:

Deleting arrows, shapes, and freehand strokes

1. Press V or Esc to switch to the Select tool.
2. Click the annotation to select it. Hold Alt and click to add more to the selection.
3. Press Delete or Backspace.

To remove all annotations from the canvas at once, click the trash icon in the right toolbar.

Save your work

Click Save in the properties panel when you have finished drawing and styling arrows, shapes, elbow leaders, and freehand strokes. Your annotations are saved to the asset and reflected in your document.