Drawing Tools
ASCII Motion provides a comprehensive set of drawing tools for creating ASCII art. Each tool is optimized for different tasks, from freehand drawing to precise geometric shapes.
Use keyboard shortcuts to quickly switch between tools. The left toolbar shows the shortcut for each tool in its tooltip.
Tool Overview
Drawing Tools
| Tool | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brush | B | Freehand drawing with customizable brush size and shape |
| Bezier Pen | P | Draw bezier curves and vector shapes |
| Eraser | E | Remove characters from the canvas |
| Fill | F | Flood fill connected areas with characters or colors |
| Gradient | G | Apply gradient fills to areas |
| Rectangle | R | Draw rectangles and squares (filled or outline) |
| Ellipse | O | Draw ellipses and circles (filled or outline) |
| Text | T | Type text directly onto the canvas |
| ASCII Type | Y | Create stylized ASCII text with figlet-style fonts |
| ASCII Box | Q | Draw boxes and tables with line-drawing characters |
Selection Tools
| Tool | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Select | M | Select rectangular areas |
| Lasso | L | Freeform selection by drawing |
| Magic Wand | W | Select matching cells by character, color, or background |
Utility Tools
| Tool | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eyedropper | I | Pick character and colors from canvas |
| Flip H | Shift+H | Flip selection horizontally |
| Flip V | Shift+V | Flip selection vertically |
Common Features
All drawing tools in ASCII Motion share several common capabilities:
Character Selection
Every tool draws with the currently selected ASCII character. Access the character picker from:
- Appearance section (right panel) - Click the character preview
- Character Palette section (right panel) - Select from preset or custom character palettes
Affects Toggles
For Brush, Eraser, and Fill tools, you can control what properties are affected when drawing:
- Character - Whether the tool places/removes the selected character
- Text Color - Whether the tool applies the foreground color
- Background Color - Whether the tool applies the background color
Toggle these in the Tool Options section of the left panel.
Color Selection
ASCII Motion supports separate foreground (text) and background colors:
- Foreground Color - The color of the character itself
- Background Color - The color behind the character (can be transparent)
- Swap Colors - Press
Xto swap foreground and background colors
Access colors from the Color Palette section in the right panel, with separate Text and BG tabs.
Undo/Redo
All drawing operations support unlimited undo and redo:
- Undo:
Cmd+Z/Ctrl+Z - Redo:
Cmd+Shift+Z/Ctrl+Shift+Z
ASCII Motion uses granular undo, meaning each brush stroke or shape placement is a single undo step.
Choosing the Right Tool
Here's a quick guide to help you choose the best tool for your task:
Freehand Art & Details
Use the Brush tool (B) for organic shapes, hand-drawn elements, and fine details. Adjust brush size with [ and ] keys.
Vector Shapes
Use the Bezier Pen tool (P) for precise curved paths and filled shapes with smooth edges.
Geometric Elements
Use Rectangle (R) or Ellipse (O) for boxes, borders, frames, and circular elements. Toggle filled/outline mode in Tool Options.
Filling Areas
Use Fill (F) to quickly fill regions or Gradient (G) for smooth character/color transitions.
Labels & Typography
Use Text (T) for simple text or ASCII Type (Y) for stylized ASCII art fonts.
Tables & Boxes
Use ASCII Box (Q) to draw boxes and tables with proper line-drawing characters.
Tool Options Panel
When you select a tool, the Tool Options section in the left panel shows tool-specific settings:
Brush/Eraser Options
- Size - Brush diameter (1-20, adjust with
[and]) - Shape - Circle, square, horizontal line, or vertical line
- Affects - Toggle character, text color, and background color
Shape Options (Rectangle/Ellipse)
- Filled - Toggle between filled shapes and outlines
Fill Tool Options
- Contiguous - Fill only connected cells vs. all matching cells
- Selects Same - Match by character, text color, and/or background color
- Affects - Toggle character, text color, and background color
Gradient Tool Options
- Contiguous - Apply to connected area vs. all matching cells
- Selects Same - Match criteria for target area
Magic Wand Options
- Contiguous - Select only connected matching cells
- Selects Same - Match by character, text color, and/or background color
Bezier Tool Options
- Character Mode - Selection (current char), Palette, or Autofill
- Color Mode - Current Color or Palette
- Close Shape - Toggle between open and closed paths
- Stroke Width/Taper - For open paths only
Eyedropper Options
- Picks - Toggle what properties to sample (character, text color, background color)
Quick Reference
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
B | Brush tool |
E | Eraser |
F | Fill |
G | Gradient |
R | Rectangle |
O | Ellipse |
T | Text |
Y | ASCII Type |
Q | ASCII Box |
P | Bezier Pen |
M | Rectangle Select |
L | Lasso Select |
W | Magic Wand |
I | Eyedropper |
[ | Decrease brush size |
] | Increase brush size |
X | Swap foreground/background colors |
Alt (hold) | Temporary eyedropper |
Ctrl (hold with Brush) | Temporary eraser |
Next Steps
Ready to start drawing? Explore each tool in detail:
- Brush Tool - Master freehand drawing
- Eraser Tool - Remove content from canvas
- Fill Tool - Flood fill techniques
- Gradient Tool - Add depth with gradients
- Rectangle Tool - Draw rectangular shapes
- Ellipse Tool - Draw circular shapes
- Text Tool - Type text on canvas
- ASCII Type Tool - Stylized FIGlet fonts
- ASCII Box Tool - Box-drawing characters
- Bezier Pen Tool - Vector curves and shapes