Organize content on the canvas

Once assets are on the canvas, Motif gives you several tools for positioning, layering, and grouping content to keep your boards clear and well-structured.

Move and resize objects

• Move: Click and drag any object to reposition it. Use the shortcut shift+m

• Rotate: Use the shortcut shift+r

• Resize: Click and drag a corner handle. Hold Shift to constrain proportions, or toggle the aspect ratio lock in the Properties panel.

• Precise positioning: Select an object and edit its Position, Size, and Rotation values directly in the Properties panel in the Noodle.

• Distribute objects: Select three or more objects and use the distribute controls located in the right click menu to space them evenly along their horizontal or vertical axis.

Layer and order objects

When objects overlap, you can control which appears on top:

1. Right-click a selected object on the canvas.

2. Choose Send to front, Send to back, Bring forward, or Send backward.

Use Frames to group content

Frames are fixed 2D containers that group related content together. Everything placed inside a Frame becomes a child of that Frame — moving the Frame moves everything inside it.

Frames are ideal for:

• Building presentation layouts with related images and views

• Grouping a floor plan with its annotations

• Structuring a design review board into sections

See📄 Organize ideas and present with Framesfor full details.

Use the Scene Browser for complex boards

On boards with many assets, the Scene Browser gives you a full list of every object on the canvas. Use it to:

• Select objects that are hard to click in a busy scene

• Hide assets you’re not currently working with

• Lock a base model to prevent accidental edits while marking up

See📄 Use the Scene Browserfor full details.

Snapping

Snapping helps you align objects and markup precisely:

• Toggle grid snapping or object snapping from the Properties panel in the Noodle (with nothing selected).

• Hold Shift while drawing lines to snap to 45 or 90-degree angles.

• Press G to toggle the grid on/off.