Rectangle Tool
The Rectangle tool lets you draw rectangular shapes on the canvas. It creates boxes using your selected character, with options for filled or outline-only rectangles.
Quick access: Press R to activate the Rectangle tool from anywhere in the application.
Basic Usage
Select the Rectangle Tool
Click the rectangle icon in the toolbar or press R.
Choose Your Character
Select the character you want to use for the rectangle from the Character Palette.
Set Colors
Choose foreground and optionally background colors from the Color Palette.
Draw the Rectangle
Click and drag on the canvas to define the rectangle. The starting point becomes one corner, and where you release becomes the opposite corner.
Rectangle Options
Filled vs Outline
Control whether the rectangle is filled or just an outline:
Outline Only draws just the border of the rectangle.
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Perfect Squares
Hold Shift while drawing to constrain the rectangle to a perfect square.
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Drawing Preview
While drawing, you'll see a preview of the rectangle before committing:
- Drag to adjust the size
- The preview updates in real-time
- Release the mouse to finalize the shape
Tips & Techniques
Creating Frames
Use outline rectangles to create frames and borders around content:
┌────────────────┐
│ │
│ Content │
│ │
└────────────────┘
For proper box-drawing characters (like ┌ ─ ┐), use the ASCII Box tool instead.
Layering Rectangles
Create depth by layering multiple rectangles:
- Draw a larger rectangle in a darker color
- Draw a smaller rectangle on top in a lighter color
- Creates a 3D or layered effect
Combining with Fill
After drawing an outline rectangle:
- Switch to the Fill tool (
F) - Click inside the rectangle to fill it with a different character or color
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
R | Select Rectangle tool |
Shift (while drawing) | Constrain to square |
Escape | Cancel current rectangle |
Cmd/Ctrl + Z | Undo last rectangle |