
Manipulating Images on the Canvas
Changing the Canvas Settings
Canvas Settings affect the appearance of the Canvas and how images will be displayed and positioned on the Canvas. To view or change these settings, click the Settings toolbar item or select the Canvas > Show Canvas Settings menu item from the main menubar.
Canvas Settings include the following attributes:
- Grid Spacing - sets the distance between the visible grid lines on the Canvas.
- Alignment - determines whether or not to place images at the nearest grid intersection point.
- Sizing - tells LightTable the image aspect ratio should be maintained during any resizing operation.
- Shadow - sets the shadow depth cast by images placed on the canvas.
- Initial Scale - changes the size at which images appear on the Canvas. Scaling can be 100%, 50% or 25% of the original item size.
Sizing Images
Once placed on the Canvas, images may be resized using the mouse or several menu options.
- To resize an image using the mouse, select a single image. Drag the selection ring from any side or corner of the image to the desired size. Only one image at a time can be resized using this method.
- Click the Layout > Resize Items menu item to resize one or more selected images. Images can be resize 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 percent. Images may also be resized to fit the current visible area of the Canvas.
- The Layout > Reset Items to Original Size menu option can be used to reset a selection of images to the size their actual size in pixels.
The above menu options are also available on the Context menu when you control-click on the LightTable Canvas.
Copying Images
LightTable provides two mechanisms for creating one or more copies of the selected images on your Canvas
- Duplicate - allows you to select one or more images and create a single copy of each. After selecting your desired images, click the Canvas > Duplicate Canvas Items menu option. A copy of each selected image will appear, selected, on the canvas, to the right and above the original images.
- Replicate - lets you create multiple copies of a single image. Select your source image, then select the Canvas > Replicate Canvas Item menu option. A window will display asking for the number of row and columns to use when replicating the source image. Provide the requested values and press the Continue button and the replicated array of images will appear on the Canvas. To repeat the replication task, without providing new row and column values each time, select the Canvas > Replicate Canvas Item Again
Aligning Images
The Layout menu has several items for aligning images. Images may be aligned in relationship to one another (e.g., "Align Top Edges") or they may be aligned in relationship to the Canvas (e.g., "Center on Canvas").
Layering Images
As each image is placed on the Canvas, it is layered just like the physical equivalent of putting photographs in a stack. The Layout menu provides four menu items that allow you change the stacking order of the images on your Canvas. The Send To Front and Send To Back operations move the selected images to the top (front) or bottom(back) of the layering order. To move an item one layer in either direction, use the Send Forward and Send Backward options.
Other Image Operations
The Layout menu provides several additional controls for images:
- Selected images may be flipped across their vertical or horizontal axis.
- To expose smaller images obscured by the placement of larger images, click the Layout > Uncover Hidden Images menu item.
- LightTable can automatically arrange your canvas images for you. The algorithm places the largest image in the lower-left corner of the canvas and builds out from there. To use Auto Arrange click the Layout > Auto Arrange Images menu item. (Holding down the Option Key while clicking Layout > Auto Arrange Images will show the Auto Arrange Selected Items menu item, which performs the auto arrange function only on items selected on the current canvas.