iStudio Publisher icon

Mouse Actions

Use your mouse (in some cases in combination with the keyboard) for shape selection, text selection, tool selection, drawing, flow linking, path enabling and to change the current view.

Most of the keyboard keys used for shortcuts are located at the bottom left of the keyboard. Here are some symbols and names for the main keys involved:

 ⌘  Command - also known as the Apple key

 ⌥  Option - also known as Alt key

 ⌃  Control - also known as Ctrl or Ctl key

 fn  Function

 ⇧  Shift

 ⇪  Caps Lock

Many of the mouse actions are shown on the Info Bar, which is located at the bottom of the document window (just above the status bar) and provides comprehensive context-sensitive help.

To complete the actions listed below, use the corresponding mouse (and keyboard) actions.

NOTE: This list does NOT include basic tool selections made by simply clicking on a tool icon.

Action

Mouse (and keyboard) actions

Selection

Shortcut to select the Pointer Tool (Text Tool currently selected)

Click anywhere on a blank page or canvas (i.e. off any shape)

Select/deselect a shape (Pointer Tool currently selected)

Shift-click on a shape

Select/deselect an image (Image Tool currently selected)

Shift-click on an image

Select one or more shapes (Pointer Tool currently selected)

Drag a selection zone to select all shapes that are fully within the zone (Shift key modifier to also include partially enclosed shapes in the selection)

Select one or more images (Image Tool currently selected)

Drag a selection zone to select all images that are fully within the zone (Shift key modifier to also include partially enclosed images in the selection)

Shortcut to select the Text Tool and insert the text cursor ready to begin text editing (Pointer, Reshaping or Rotation Tool currently selected)

Double click inside a shape or on a shape's outline path

NOTE: You must enable a path before you can add text to it - see below for path enabling actions

Insert the text cursor to begin text editing (Text Tool currently selected)

(Existing text) Click anywhere on the existing text

(No existing text) Click anywhere inside a shape or on a shape's outline path

NOTE: You must enable a path before you can add text to it - see below for path enabling actions

Text Selection (Text Tool currently selected)

Select a string of adjacent characters

Drag across the characters

(Selected characters are highlighted blue - character selection mode)

Select a single word

Double click on the word

(Selected word is highlighted blue - character selection mode)

Select several adjacent words

Double click-drag across the words - only whole words are selected

(Selected words are highlighted blue - character selection mode)

Select a single paragraph

Triple click on the paragraph

(Selected paragraph is highlighted purple - paragraph selection mode)

Select several adjacent paragraphs

Triple click-drag across the paragraphs - only whole paragraphs are selected

(Selected paragraphs are highlighted purple - paragraph selection mode)

Select all in a flow

Quadruple click on the flow

(Selected flow is highlighted purple - paragraph selection mode)

Drawing

Draw a shape from the Shape Library

Click on a shape in the Shape Library to select it, then drag to draw

Draw a shape from the Shape Library that is preset for text input (text shape), select the Text Tool and insert the text cursor

Click on a shape in the Shape Library to select it, then Command-drag

Draw a rectangular text box, select the Text Tool and insert the text cursor (Pointer, Text, Reshaping or Rotation Tool currently selected)

Command-drag

Draw a straight line using the Straight Line Tool

Click to start drawing, move to draw, click again to finish

Draw a shape using either the Multi-Line Tool or Bezier Curve Tool

Click to create a vertex (corner), move to draw a line segment, click to create another vertex, move to draw another line segment,... etc. Complete the shape by double clicking, on the first vertex for a closed shape, or elsewhere for an open shape. To correct a mistake, press the Backspace key to delete the last line segment drawn. Press the Backspace key repeatedly to delete more than one line segment.

Draw a shape using the Freeform Scribble Tool

Drag to draw a line that follows a mouse movement

Reshape an existing shape using the Reshaping Tool

Click on a shape to select it, then drag the nodes (orange) or Bezier handles (purple)

Image Tool

Change an image's settings in the Image Inspector to Fit: Manual and Align: Manual (to enable manual resizing and repositioning)

Double click an image at the mouse No Entry icon

Select/deselect an image's proportional scaling lock that fixes the width to height aspect ratio

Double click a red corner resizing handle

Reset an image to its original size (the current DPI setting is not changed)

Triple click an image

Flow Linking

Display text flow icons for a shape's column and path text containers

With the Pointer Tool selected, click on a graphic shape to select it

Flow link any path or column text container to any other path or column text container

With the Text Flow Tool selected, click on the upstream container and then click on the downstream container

Delete an existing flow link

With the Text Flow Tool selected, click on the upstream container, move away from the shape to display the cloud icon, and then click again

Path Enabling

Enable a shape's outline path

NOTE: A path must be enabled before text can be added to it

With the Text Along Path Tool selected, move the mouse over a shape’s outline until it becomes highlighted blue, then click to enable the path

NOTE: The Text tool is then selected automatically, ready for text editing on the path

Zooming and Panning

Smooth zoom in/out, centered on the mouse location

Option-mouse scroll

Smooth panning (i.e. moving your field of view in any direction)

Option-Command-drag

Zoom to current shape selection (in or out)

Option-double click