How to Use Canvas in a ReadyTools Document

Use Canvas when a document needs a picture of how things connect, not just another paragraph. In ReadyTools, Canvas is a visual whiteboard block inside a Workspace page. Add one by typing /canvas in the block editor or selecting Canvas from the block insertion menu, then sketch, map a flow, or build a diagram where the rest of the project already lives.

This guide covers how to start a board, choose the right tools, turn a written description into a diagram, bring in project assets, and share or export the result. ReadyTools Workspace supports notes, files, research, collaboration, and diagrams together on a page, so Canvas can stay close to the context it helps explain.

When to use Canvas instead of more text

Text works well for explanations, decisions, and details that need to be read in sequence. Canvas is better when position, direction, grouping, or relationships carry meaning. A system architecture, a user journey, an interface sketch, or a brainstorming map can be easier to understand as objects connected across a board.

Canvas does not need to replace the written part of a document. A practical page might explain a design decision in text, place a flow diagram beside it, and keep the related research or files on the same page. Use text for the reasoning and Canvas for the visual structure.

Add a Canvas block to a Workspace page

1. Open the page where the visual should live in the ReadyTools Workspace editor.
2. Choose an insertion point, then type /canvas in the block editor or select Canvas from the block insertion menu.
3. Begin adding shapes, notes, sketches, or connectors to build the board around the question or process you need to explain.

Starting from the relevant page helps keep the visual connected to its supporting notes and materials. For example, a project page can hold the written goals, a Canvas showing the planned user flow, and related files together instead of scattering them across separate tools.

Build the board with shapes, sketches, and connectors

Canvas supports freehand drawing as well as geometric shapes, including rectangles, rounded rectangles, diamonds, triangles, pills, ellipses, and sticky notes. Use freehand strokes for rough ideas or annotations. Choose a shape when the item needs a consistent form, such as a process step, decision, or component.

Connectors can be straight, elbow-shaped, or curved, with configurable arrowheads and dashed borders. These options help distinguish different relationships. For example, an arrow can show the direction of a user journey, while a dashed connector can mark a relationship that is optional or still under discussion. Treat those conventions consistently so viewers do not have to guess what a line means.

For a more orderly diagram, Canvas includes object snapping, automatic alignment guides, distribute tools, and tidy-up actions. These are useful once a rough board starts to grow: align related items, space repeated steps evenly, and arrange groups so crossing lines and inconsistent gaps do not obscure the structure.

Choose a canvas surface that suits the work

Canvas can use ReadyTools canvas gray, a dot matrix, a grid, blank paper, or a transparent background. A grid or dot matrix can help when placing components or sketching layouts; blank paper can keep a simple concept map visually quiet. Canvas also follows the application-wide light or dark mode setting.

Turn a description into an editable diagram with Lara

For a flowchart or other supported flow structure, describe the diagram in natural language through the Text-to-Diagram dialog. Canvas integrates with Lara AI, which streams a Mermaid flowchart structure that Canvas converts into native, editable diagram elements. This gives a useful first draft to refine on the board rather than a static picture that cannot be adjusted.

A prompt can describe the sequence and the important branches, such as a user journey with an initial visit, a sign-up decision, and separate paths for completed and abandoned registration. For an architecture sketch, name the components and the connections that matter. Specific relationships make the resulting structure easier to review, but the generated diagram should still be checked against the intended design before it is shared.

Use Lara for a starting structure, then edit the diagram to reflect the actual decisions, terminology, and exceptions in the project. Text-to-Diagram is suited to creating flowchart structures; for loose brainstorming, visual notes, or an unusual layout, direct sketching and arranging objects may be a better fit.

Add files and interactive media to the board

If a relevant asset is stored in ReadyTools Vault, open the Vault from the Canvas toolbar and embed it directly on the board. Images can be displayed with aspect-ratio controls. Audio appears with an inline player, videos with playback controls, and PDFs in interactive viewer frames. Code files and other attachments appear as interactive cards with download options.

Canvas also supports smart paste embeds. Pasting supported media or platform links onto the board can turn them into interactive embeds. Supported services include YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Vimeo, Loom, and Figma, as well as general web frames. This can be useful for a research or design page where a video, prototype, or reference belongs beside the diagram it informs.

Keep embeds purposeful. A board crowded with source material can become harder to read than the page it is meant to clarify. Put the most relevant item near the part of the visual it explains, and keep fuller background in the surrounding document when that is clearer.

Work together on a Canvas

Canvas supports real-time collaboration, so multiple people can work on the same visual and see changes synchronized. This suits activities such as reviewing an architecture diagram or mapping a shared process. As with any collaborative board, agree on what the shapes and connectors mean before a complex diagram gets large. Clear labels and consistent conventions make parallel edits easier to interpret.

Because Canvas is a block inside Workspace, it can sit alongside the notes, files, feedback, and decisions that give a diagram context. ReadyTools Workspace also supports collaboration on documents, comments, and access controls, which can help keep discussion connected to the page rather than detached from the visual.

Use a stylus, then export the finished visual

Canvas includes a dedicated stylus mode so pen and Apple Pencil input draws while touch or mouse input can be used to navigate or move objects. This separation is useful when sketching on a touch device: the pen can mark the board without every contact being treated as a drawing stroke.

When a diagram is ready to use elsewhere, export the full canvas, the active frame, or a selected region. Available formats include a 2x high-resolution PNG, vector SVG, or a complete scene file. PNG exports can use a transparent or solid background. Choose the export scope based on the destination: a selected region can focus attention on one flow, while the full canvas preserves the broader map.

Common Canvas decisions and limitations to consider

Canvas or a text block?

Use a text block when information is mainly explanatory or must be read in a particular order. Use Canvas when the reader needs to see spatial relationships, branches, or groupings. Many project pages benefit from both: the diagram shows the shape of the problem, and nearby text explains why a choice was made.

Manual drawing or Text-to-Diagram?

Manual drawing gives direct control over freeform layouts, annotations, and visual exploration. Text-to-Diagram can produce an editable flowchart structure from a natural-language description. Choose the method that fits the task, and review any generated structure for missing steps or incorrect relationships.

One large board or several focused diagrams?

A broad board can show how a whole system fits together, but too many components and connectors can make individual paths difficult to follow. Split the explanation into focused visuals when a reader must work hard to trace a single sequence. The surrounding Workspace page can hold the broader context and connect those visuals to supporting notes.

Canvas block availability

Canvas is managed under Workspace's heavy block capacity system. The product information describes generous allowances on Free and Go tiers and unlimited heavy blocks on Plus and Max plans, and states that every plan can use Canvas for free. If a page contains many heavy blocks, keep that capacity model in mind when planning its structure.

For a first board, choose one question to answer, add Canvas with /canvas, and place only the shapes, labels, and connections needed to make that answer visible. Then keep the explanation and related project material nearby in ReadyTools Workspace.