# Space manual

Space is a precision drawing app for iPad and Mac by FFORM: measured, to-scale drawings that can be changed at any time, then printed or exported as PDF, image or SVG.

This file is the complete user manual in one document, for AI assistants answering questions about the app. Each article is also a web page, linked under its title. Human-readable version: https://space.fform.com/manual

## Contents

- Getting started — What Space is, how the screen is laid out, and the gestures that move you around.
  - Welcome to Space: What Space is for, and the three workspaces a drawing moves through.
  - Interface: A tour of the editor, from the top bar to the tool rail and the floating palettes.
  - Documents: Start a drawing, open one, and where Space keeps your files.
  - Gestures and shortcuts: Pan, zoom, rotate and undo with touch, and the keyboard shortcuts on iPad and Mac.
  - Color: Pick a stroke color and width, reuse recent colors, and load a whole palette at once.
- Side tools — The tool rail down the left edge of the canvas, and what each tool draws.
  - Side tools: The tool rail down the left edge of the canvas, and what each button does.
  - Select: Choose objects so you can move, resize, rotate, group, duplicate, or restyle them.
  - Shapes: Create common geometric forms with exact sizes and editable handles.
  - Pen: Sketch freehand or smoothed paths, close them into outlines, or draw clean measured lines that stay editable.
  - Fill: Add colored regions for materials, zones, shadows, or markup.
  - Highlighter: Call attention to an area without covering the drawing underneath.
  - Type: Label materials, rooms, parts, and instructions directly on the drawing.
  - Trim: Remove a line section up to the nearest intersections.
  - Offset: Build a parallel path at an exact distance, with a chosen corner treatment.
  - Clone array: Repeat an object in rows and columns with controlled spacing or overall size.
  - 2.5D: Stack flat shapes into a 2.5D view, oblique or isometric, solid or pulled apart.
  - Measure: Show real distances and clearances so a drawing can be checked or built accurately.
  - Guides: Lay out centerlines, boundaries, and reference shapes without adding them to the finished drawing.
- Quick tools — The bar that appears when something is selected, for moving, aligning, copying and grouping.
  - Quick tools bar: The actions for whatever you have selected, in a bar that appears beside it.
  - Move: Displace a selection by a stated amount, or to a measured distance from another edge.
  - Align and distribute: Line several objects up on an edge or a centre, and even out the gaps between them.
- Precision and snapping — Grid, units, live dimensions, and what new and moved geometry snaps to.
  - Precision: Control the grid, live size labels, alignment hints, and the units used throughout the drawing.
  - Snapping: Snap drawing and movement to the grid, points, lines, and guide outlines.
- Layers and references — Organize a drawing, trace over images at true scale, and count parts.
  - Layers: Organize a drawing so related content can be found, hidden, and presented together.
  - Images and scale: Trace over a photo, scan, or plan at a known real-world scale.
  - Parts list: Turn selected parts into a cut list with quantities, finished sizes, thickness, and board feet.
- Plan and export — Scaled sheets for printing, sharing, and fabrication.
  - Plan and export: Lay out drawings on scaled sheets for printing, sharing, or fabrication.
- Place — Project a drawing onto a real surface at true scale.
  - Place: Project a drawing onto a real surface at true scale, so it can be marked directly.
- Field Notes on iPhone — Photograph things on site, set their scale from one length you know, and mark up sizes. Free on iPhone.
  - Field Notes: Space on iPhone, free: a pocket notebook for photographing real things, scaling them from one known length, and marking up sizes.
  - Notebook: The Field Notes home screen: new notes, the camera, folders, search, and moving notes around.
  - Taking photos: The Field Notes camera, with a level that shows when the phone is square to the surface, and photos that can arrive already scaled.
  - Setting the scale: Mark one length you know on a photo, and every other size in it can be measured.
  - Measuring and marking up: The Field Notes tools: Measure, Note, Rectangle, Line and Photo, plus moving things and the canvas gestures.
  - Viewing drawings: Open drawings from iPad and Mac on iPhone to look, measure, check the parts list, and switch layers.
  - Place on a wall: Use augmented reality to see a drawing on the real wall at true size, slide it into position, and photograph it.

---

## Getting started

What Space is, how the screen is laid out, and the gestures that move you around.

### Welcome to Space

https://space.fform.com/manual/welcome

*What Space is for, and the three workspaces a drawing moves through.*

Space is a precision drawing app for people who make things. You draw at real size, in real
units, and every line keeps its dimensions as you edit it. A finished drawing goes out as scaled
sheets, as SVG or PDF, or straight onto a wall through a projector.

#### Three workspaces

Every drawing has three workspaces, switched from the top-left of the screen.

- **Edit** is where you draw. The tools, layers, snapping and dimensions all live here.
- **Plan** lays the drawing out on paper at a chosen scale, ready to print or export. See
  [Plan and export](https://space.fform.com/manual/plan-mode).
- **Place** projects the drawing onto a surface at true scale, so you can mark it directly.
  See [Place](https://space.fform.com/manual/place).

Plan and Place both show the live drawing, so a change made in Edit appears in them without
rebuilding anything.

#### Where to start

1. Read [Interface](https://space.fform.com/manual/interface) for a tour of the screen.
2. Learn the [gestures and shortcuts](https://space.fform.com/manual/gestures) that pan, zoom and undo.
3. Draw something with [Shapes](https://space.fform.com/manual/shapes) and [Measure](https://space.fform.com/manual/measure). Most drawings
   in Space start as rectangles and lines struck to a size.

#### On iPhone

On iPhone, Space is [Field Notes](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-notes): a free pocket notebook for photographing
things on site, setting their scale from one length you know, and marking up sizes. Notes sync
through iCloud and open here as ordinary drawings.

> [!NOTE]
> Space is free to try for 14 days with every feature. One purchase unlocks it for good on
> iPad, Mac and an open iPhone Duo, with no subscription. Field Notes on iPhone is free.

### Interface

https://space.fform.com/manual/interface

*A tour of the editor, from the top bar to the tool rail and the floating palettes.*

![The Edit workspace with a garage floor plan open, the workbench selected](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/screens/editor.png)
*The editor, with the Select tool active and one object selected.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Back

Closes the drawing and returns to the welcome screen.

##### 2. Workspace

Switches between **Edit**, **Plan** and **Place**. See [Welcome to Space](https://space.fform.com/manual/welcome).

##### 3. Document name

Tap the name to rename the drawing.

##### 4. Undo and redo

Steps back and forward through your changes. A two-finger tap on the canvas also undoes.

##### 5. Zoom and rotation

The current zoom and canvas rotation. Tap the zoom to go back to 100%, where a line on screen is
its real size.

##### 6. Document actions

Scan a wall or room, add a perspective grid, import an image or SVG, export, and open Settings.
The **?** button at the far right opens the Help Center.

##### 7. Tool rail

Every drawing tool, top to bottom. See [Side tools](https://space.fform.com/manual/side-tools).

##### 8. Subtools

The active tool's subtools, beside it on the rail. For Select, that's Box or Lasso selection.
Some tools also have round [modifier](https://space.fform.com/manual/side-tools#subtools-and-modifiers) buttons under
their subtools.

##### 9. Selection actions

Move, Align, Duplicate, Flip, Group and Delete for whatever is selected. With an image selected,
it also has **Set Scale**. See [Quick tools](https://space.fform.com/manual/quick-tools).

##### 10. Color and stroke

The current stroke color and width, at the top of the right-hand column, with your recent colors
and the palettes. See [Color](https://space.fform.com/manual/color).

##### 11. Quick Layers

The drawing's layers. See [Layers](https://space.fform.com/manual/layers).

##### 12. Parts

A cut list of the selected parts. See [Parts list](https://space.fform.com/manual/parts).

##### 13. Precision

Grid, live dimensions, alignment hints and units. Tap to open its strip beside the column, and
again to close it. See [Precision](https://space.fform.com/manual/precision-toolbar).

##### 14. Snapping

What new and moved geometry snaps to. See [Snapping](https://space.fform.com/manual/snapping-toolbar).

##### 15. Shift

The on-screen Shift key for iPad without a keyboard. Hold it to constrain angles, keep
proportions, or add to a selection, just like Shift on a keyboard.

##### 16. Grid scale

How far apart the minor and major grid lines are at the current zoom. Layers and Parts always
stop short of it, however long they get, so Precision and Snapping stay in reach.

> [!NOTE]
> Left-handed? Set **Drawing hand** to **Left** in Settings and Shift and the grid scale swap
> corners, so Shift sits under the hand that isn't holding the Pencil.

### Documents

https://space.fform.com/manual/documents

*Start a drawing, open one, and where Space keeps your files.*

Space drawings are ordinary files. You choose where they live, including iCloud Drive, and
they open from the Files app or Finder like any other document.

#### The welcome screen

The welcome screen opens when Space launches, and when you close a drawing.

- **New Drawing** starts an empty drawing.
- **Browse...** opens a drawing from Files, iCloud Drive, or anywhere else.
- **Recent** shows the drawings opened most recently on this device. **Drawings** shows only
  drawings, without notes from [Field Notes](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-notes) on iPhone.
- **Help Center** has the manual, beginner videos, and a way to reach us.

#### Saving

A drawing you opened from a file is saved back to that file as you work. A new drawing has no
file yet. When you close it, Space asks whether to save it and where.

#### File types

New drawings are saved as `.space` files.

*If you're curious, internally space files are just a folder of any image assets and a cleartext json format if you'd like to create your own exporter or do something with it. If you do, we would LOVE to hear about what you're up to and feature it*

Notes from Field Notes are `.space` files too. With iCloud Drive on, they live in
**Space › Field Notes** and open here like any drawing, photos and scale included.

> [!TIP]
> Keep drawings in iCloud Drive to open the same file on your iPad and your Mac.

### Gestures and shortcuts

https://space.fform.com/manual/gestures

*Pan, zoom, rotate and undo with touch, and the keyboard shortcuts on iPad and Mac.*

Space works with Apple Pencil, touch, a mouse, or a trackpad. One finger or the Pencil draws
and moves things. Two fingers move the canvas.

#### Touch

| Gesture | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Two-finger drag | Pan the canvas |
| Pinch | Zoom in and out |
| Two-finger twist | Rotate the canvas. It snaps back to straight within a few degrees. |
| Two-finger tap | Undo |
| Two-finger double tap | Reset the zoom |

#### Trackpad and mouse

On a Mac trackpad, two fingers pan, pinch zooms, and a two-finger twist rotates the canvas, just
as on iPad. With a mouse, the scroll wheel pans.

#### Keyboard

These work on Mac and on iPad with a hardware keyboard.

| Shortcut | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| ⌘Z | Undo |
| ⇧⌘Z | Redo |
| ⌘X, ⌘C, ⌘V | Cut, copy and paste |
| ⌘D | Duplicate the selection |
| Delete | Delete the selection |
| Hold Space and drag | Pan the canvas (iPad) |
| Hold Shift | Constrain angles, keep proportions, or add to the selection |

> [!TIP]
> No keyboard? The round **Shift** button in the bottom corner of the screen does the same job as
> holding Shift.

When you're typing a dimension, **Tab** moves to the next field, **Shift-Tab** to the previous
one, and **Return** applies it.

### Color

https://space.fform.com/manual/color

*Pick a stroke color and width, reuse recent colors, and load a whole palette at once.*

The color control sits at the top of the right-hand column, above Layers. Whatever it holds is what
the next stroke, shape, fill or label is drawn in.

![The color control: the stroke width, the current color, four recent colors and the palettes button](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/color-control.png)
*The color control.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Stroke width

Drag up or right for a heavier line, down or left for a lighter one. The widths you've used lately
fan out around it, so you can tap back to one.

##### 2. Current color

Tap to open the color picker. With something selected in a different color, the first tap paints
the selection in the current color instead; tap again to pick a new one.

##### 3. Recent colors

The last few colors you used. Tap one to draw with it.

##### 4. Palettes

Opens the list of palettes. Tap it again to close the list.

#### Palettes

A palette is a set of up to five colors. Picking one loads all five and loads the tapped color from the set into your current color.

![The palettes list open beside the color control, with Current Colors, Document Colors, Technical, Markup and Landscape](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/color-palettes.png)
*The palettes list.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

- **Current Colors** is what the control holds now, so you can find your way back to it.
- **Document Colors** are the colors this drawing already uses, most used first. Use them to keep
  new work matching what's there.
- **Technical, Markup, Landscape, Sky, Earth, Vivid, Pastel, Graphite** and the two Space sets are
  built in. Scroll the list to see them all.

Tap a palette's name to load it, led by its first color. Tap one of its swatches to load the
palette led by that color instead.

#### The color picker

Tap the current color to choose any color. This is the native color picker on iOS/iPadOS and macOS.

 **Opacity** sets how
see-through the color is, which is useful for fills that shouldn't hide the linework under them.
The eyedropper at the top left picks a color from the screen.

![The system color picker open over a garden plan, on the Grid tab, with the opacity slider under it](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/color-picker.png)
*The color picker.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

#### Tips

- Fill and Highlighter draw in the current color too. Lower the opacity for fills that sit behind
  the drawing, as in the [Fill](https://space.fform.com/manual/fill) examples.
- Load **Document Colors** before adding to an existing drawing, so the new work matches.


---

## Side tools

The tool rail down the left edge of the canvas, and what each tool draws.

### Side tools

https://space.fform.com/manual/side-tools

*The tool rail down the left edge of the canvas, and what each button does.*

The tool rail runs down the left side of the canvas. Tap a tool to use it. Tools with options
open a second column beside the rail, like the shape picker below.

![The tool rail with Shape selected and its subtools open beside it](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/toolbar-shapes.png)
*The tool rail, with Shape active and its shapes open.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Select

Pick objects to move, resize, rotate, group, or restyle. [Select](https://space.fform.com/manual/select)

##### 2. Shape

Rectangles, circles, triangles, lines and arcs at exact sizes. [Shapes](https://space.fform.com/manual/shapes)

##### 3. Pen

Freehand, smoothed or snapped strokes that stay editable. [Pen](https://space.fform.com/manual/pen)

##### 4. Fill

Closed areas of color for materials, zones and markup. [Fill](https://space.fform.com/manual/fill)

##### 5. Highlighter

See-through strokes for review notes. [Highlighter](https://space.fform.com/manual/highlighter)

##### 6. Type

Labels and notes on the drawing. [Type](https://space.fform.com/manual/type)

##### 7. Trim

Removes a line back to its nearest intersections. [Trim](https://space.fform.com/manual/trim)

##### 8. Offset

A parallel copy at an exact distance. [Offset](https://space.fform.com/manual/offset)

##### 9. Clone

Repeats a selection in rows and columns. [Clone array](https://space.fform.com/manual/clone-array)

##### 10. 2.5D

Stacks shapes into a quick 3D-looking view, oblique or isometric. [2.5D](https://space.fform.com/manual/2-5d)

##### 11. Dimension

Measures distances and adds dimension lines. [Measure](https://space.fform.com/manual/measure)

##### 12. Guide

Construction shapes that lay out a drawing without becoming part of it. [Guides](https://space.fform.com/manual/guides)

#### Subtools and modifiers

Some tools come in a few variations. Their **subtools** open in a strip beside the rail, and you
pick one: Shape's rectangle, circle, triangle, line and arc, or Fill's three smoothing levels.

A **modifier** is different. It's a round button on its own under the subtools, and it switches a
behaviour on or off for whichever subtool you've picked. 

The **Pen Tool's Close Path** is an example, toggling it on/off will enabled/disable automatically drawing a line
from the start of your stroke to the end.

A lit modifier stays on until you tap it again.

![The tool rail with Pen active, Smooth pen picked and Close Path switched on](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/toolbar-pen-modifier.png)
*Pen's subtools, with Smooth pen picked, and its Close Path modifier switched on.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Subtools

Pick one. The highlighted square is the one in use.

##### 2. Modifier

On or off, on top of the subtool. Filled when it's on.

> [!TIP]
> The stroke color and width are at the top right of the screen, over Layers, and the on-screen
> **Shift** button is in the bottom corner. See [Interface](https://space.fform.com/manual/interface).

### Select

https://space.fform.com/manual/select

*Choose objects so you can move, resize, rotate, group, duplicate, or restyle them.*

Use Select to work with individual strokes, shapes, guides, measurements, images, or groups.

![Select: Actions for one selected object](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/quicktools-singleobject.png "Actions for one selected object")

#### How to use

1. Tap or click an object to select it. Drawing objects receive priority when guides or measurements overlap.
2. Drag an empty part of the canvas in Box mode to select every object touched by the marquee. Switch to Lasso for an irregular selection area.
3. Hold Shift, or the floating Shift button on iPad, to add or remove objects from the current selection.
4. Drag a selected object to move it. Hold Shift while dragging to leave a duplicate at the original position.

#### See it in use

![Select in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/select.gif)

#### Tips

- Use Box selection for a compact group of objects and Lasso when the objects are mixed with nearby work.
- Hold Shift while dragging when you need a copy in a new position.
- Group related objects when you want to move and resize them together.

### Shapes

https://space.fform.com/manual/shapes

*Create common geometric forms with exact sizes and editable handles.*

Use Shapes when an object needs a clean geometric outline or a specific size, such as a room, opening, tabletop, radius, or fixture.

![Shapes: Shape controls on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/shapes-canvas.png "Shape controls on the canvas")

![The Shape subtools beside the tool rail](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/toolbar-shapes.png)
*The Shape subtools.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Rectangle

Width, height and area as you draw. Hold Shift for a square.

##### 2. Circle

Diameter and area, with a handle on the radius.

##### 3. Triangle

Hold Shift to keep its proportions.

##### 4. Line

A single straight segment.

##### 5. Arc

Curved walls, door swings, and anything set out from a radius.

#### How to use

1. Open the Shape subtools and choose Line, Rectangle, Circle, Triangle, or Arc.
2. Drag on the canvas to create the object. Rectangles and triangles report width, height, and area; circles report diameter and area.
3. Use corner handles to resize rectangles and triangles. Use the radius handle to resize a circle.
4. Tap a visible dimension label to enter an exact value in the precision keypad.

#### See it in use

![Shapes in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/shapes.gif)

#### Tips

- Hold Shift to make a square or keep a triangle proportional.
- Snap to a shape's center when laying out concentric objects or symmetrical details.
- Use Arc for curved walls, swing paths, and radius-based layouts that need to stay exact.

### Pen

https://space.fform.com/manual/pen

*Sketch freehand or smoothed paths, close them into outlines, or draw clean measured lines that stay editable.*

Pen combines the speed of sketching with the structure of a measured path. Each stroke stays editable after it is drawn.

![Pen: Pen stroke on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/pen-canvas.png "Pen stroke on the canvas")

#### Subtools

![The tool rail with Pen active, its two subtools and the Close Path modifier](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/toolbar-pen.png)
*The Pen subtools, and Close Path under them.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Pen

The line goes exactly where your Pencil, finger or mouse goes, and follows the snapping you have
turned on.

##### 2. Smooth pen

Irons out the wobble as you draw. Each stretch of the line is averaged with the path just around
it, never with the whole stroke, so a shaky hand comes out steady, tight jags round off into
curves, and the shape you drew stays where you drew it. What you see while drawing is what you
get when you lift.

##### 3. Close Path

A [modifier](https://space.fform.com/manual/side-tools#subtools-and-modifiers): while it's on, every stroke is closed
back onto its start.

#### Smooth pen

![The same jagged sawtooth drawn with Pen (top) and Smooth pen (bottom)](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/pen-smooth-compare.png "The same stroke with Pen, top, and Smooth pen, bottom")

Smooth pen smooths freehand drawing only. With grid snapping on, or a perspective grid in use, the
pen draws straight runs along the grid, and it leaves their corners square rather than rounding
off what the snapping did.

#### Close Path

![Two outlines closed by Close Path](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/pen-close-path.png "Left: ends far apart, closed with a straight edge. Right: a loop that stopped just short, joined smoothly")

How the path closes depends on where you lift:

- **Far from the start**, the end is joined to the start with a straight line. Nothing you drew
  moves.
- **Close to the start**, Space treats it as a loop you were already closing. Any overshoot past
  the start is trimmed away, and the last stretch is eased onto the start, so the join reads as
  part of the stroke instead of a hook or a little tail.

The join shows while you draw, so you can see how the stroke will close before you lift. With
Smooth pen, the closed outline is smoothed all the way round, join included.

#### How to use

1. Choose Pen, then pick **Pen** or **Smooth pen** in the strip beside it.
2. Turn on **Close Path** under the strip when every stroke should be a closed outline.
3. Draw with Apple Pencil, a finger, a mouse, or a trackpad.
4. Turn on Grid, Points, Lines, or Guides in [Snapping](https://space.fform.com/manual/snapping-toolbar) when the path
   should follow existing geometry.
5. With grid snapping active, pause into a turn to favor a square corner. A deliberate diagonal
   gesture keeps its angle.
6. Hold Shift before beginning a stroke to lock the direction inferred from the opening motion.

#### See it in use

![Pen in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/pen.gif)

#### Tips

- Use Smooth pen for curves, outlines of found objects, and anything traced by hand from a photo.
- Use Close Path with Smooth pen to trace a closed shape, like a template or a cut-out, in one
  stroke.
- Turn on snapping when a stroke needs to meet an existing corner, center, guide, or grid point.
- Hold Shift for straight runs such as walls, edges, and centerlines.
- Double back over the last snapped segment to remove that segment without starting over.

### Fill

https://space.fform.com/manual/fill

*Add colored regions for materials, zones, shadows, or markup.*

Use Fill to add a closed area of color without redrawing the surrounding linework. Filled regions remain editable and can be layered.

![Fill: A fill being drawn](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/fill-canvas.png "A fill being drawn")

#### Subtools

![The tool rail with Fill active and its three subtools beside it](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/toolbar-fill.png)
*The Fill subtools.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Extra smooth

Irons the wobble right out of the outline, for organic shapes and quick zones.

##### 2. Smooth

Softens small jitters but keeps sharp corners. The default.

##### 3. Exact

Keeps the outline exactly as drawn.

#### How to use

1. Choose Fill, then pick a color and opacity from the [color control](https://space.fform.com/manual/color). A lower
   opacity keeps the linework under the fill readable.
2. Draw the region boundary with Pencil, touch, or mouse. A straight preview edge connects the live point back to the start.
3. Release anywhere to close and commit the region; you do not need to trace back to the first point.
4. Finish near the starting point when you want Space to weld the endpoints into a smooth connection.

#### See it in use

![Fill in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/fill.gif)

#### Tips

- Use lower opacity to mark zones while keeping the drawing visible underneath.
- Layer fills to compare overlapping areas such as circulation, lighting, or material changes.

### Highlighter

https://space.fform.com/manual/highlighter

*Call attention to an area without covering the drawing underneath.*

Use Highlighter for review notes, changed areas, and temporary emphasis. Its transparent stroke keeps the original drawing readable.

![Highlighter: A highlight on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/highlighter-canvas.png "A highlight on the canvas")

#### How to use

1. Choose Highlighter, then set color and width from the style controls.
2. Draw freely or enable the same snapping sources used by other drawing tools.
3. Hold Shift before the stroke to constrain it along the direction established at the start.

#### See it in use

![Highlighter in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/highlighter.gif)

#### Tips

- Use different colors to separate review rounds, trades, or responsibility.
- Restyle or remove highlights after the underlying work is approved.

### Type

https://space.fform.com/manual/type

*Label materials, rooms, parts, and instructions directly on the drawing.*

Type adds editable drawing labels using Space's embedded architectural lettering. Text remains a canvas object that can be moved, grouped, styled, and rotated.

![Type: Text settings](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/type-popup.png "Text settings")

#### How to use

1. Choose Type and click or tap an empty point to begin a label.
2. Use the floating text panel to choose Regular, Italic, or Ruled lettering, adjust size, and set left, center, or right alignment.
3. Press Return on the software or hardware keyboard to add another line.
4. Double-tap existing text with Select to edit it again. Use the selection rotation handle to set its angle.

![Type: Text on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/type-canvas.png "Text on the canvas")

#### See it in use

![Type in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/type.gif)

#### Tips

- Use Ruled lettering for notes that need a guide line and Italic for secondary information.
- Group a label with the object it describes when they should move together.
- Rotate labels to follow walls, parts, or angled details.

### Trim

https://space.fform.com/manual/trim

*Remove a line section up to the nearest intersections.*

Trim turns intersecting construction lines into finished outlines without forcing you to redraw them.

![Trim: Trim on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/trim-canvas.png "Trim on the canvas")

#### How to use

1. Choose Trim and tap the portion of a drawing line you want to remove.
2. If the tap lies beyond the last intersection, Space trims the line back to that intersection.
3. If the tap lies between two intersections, only the enclosed middle section is removed.

#### See it in use

![Trim in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/trim.gif)

#### Tips

- Use Trim to clean up overlapping construction lines after the main geometry is in place.
- Zoom in when several intersections are close together so you remove the intended section.
- Undo immediately if Space trims to a different intersection than you expected.

### Offset

https://space.fform.com/manual/offset

*Build a parallel path at an exact distance, with a chosen corner treatment.*

Offset creates a parallel copy of selected geometry at a distance you specify. Use it for walls, margins, and repeated outlines.

![Offset: Offset settings](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/offset-popup.png "Offset settings")

#### How to use

1. Select the geometry to offset, then choose Offset.
2. Set Amount by dragging the offset handle, or tap the value to type one exactly.
3. Choose how corners resolve: Sharp carries both edges to their intersection, Rounded arcs between them, Chamfered cuts across.
4. Leave New Line on to keep the original and add the offset beside it; turn it off to move the original instead. Apply to commit.

![Offset: Offset preview on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/offset-canvas.png "Offset preview on the canvas")

#### See it in use

![Offset in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/offset.gif)

#### Tips

- Use Offset to give a wall, panel, frame, or border a consistent thickness.
- Use a negative amount for an inset such as an internal margin or reveal.
- Choose Rounded or Chamfered corners when the drawn edge should match how the material is actually made.

### Clone array

https://space.fform.com/manual/clone-array

*Repeat an object in rows and columns with controlled spacing or overall size.*

Use Clone array for repeated items such as lights, slats, holes, shelves, tiles, or seating. Adjust the count and spacing while viewing the full arrangement.

![Clone array: Fill Space settings](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/clone-popup-fillspace.png "Fill Space settings")

#### How to use

1. Select the source object or group, then choose Clone.
2. Use Fill Space to define an overall width and height, or Space Between to define the gap directly.
3. Set horizontal and vertical clone counts by dragging their labels or tapping for number entry.
4. Adjust the bounding handles while orange spacing indicators show the resulting distance.

![Clone array: Fill Space preview](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/clone-canvas-fillspace.png "Fill Space preview")

![Clone array: Space Between settings](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/clone-popup-spacebetween.png "Space Between settings")

![Clone array: Space Between preview](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/clone-canvas-spacebetween.png "Space Between preview")

![Clone array: Change to Fit settings](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/clone-popup-fillspace-scaletofit.png "Change to Fit settings")

![Clone array: Change to Fit preview](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/clone-canvas-fillspace-scaletofit.png "Change to Fit preview")

#### See it in use

![Clone array in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/clone-array.gif)

#### Tips

- Use Fill Space when the array must fit inside a known opening or boundary.
- Turn on Change to Fit to resize every copy so the array fills the space with exactly the gaps you enter. Width and height change independently, so a square can become a rectangle, such as panels filling a wall.
- Use Space Between when the gap matters more than the array's total width or height.

### 2.5D

https://space.fform.com/manual/2-5d

*Stack flat shapes into a 2.5D view, oblique or isometric, solid or pulled apart.*

2.5D turns flat shapes into a quick 3D-looking drawing. Each shape becomes one layer of a stack,
drawn as thick as its material and pushed back along a depth direction, so a few rectangles become
a box, a step or an exploded assembly. Nothing is modelled: the stack is redrawn from your shapes
whenever they change, so editing a shape edits the 2.5D view too.

![2.5D: three rectangles and the stack made from them](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/iso-canvas.png "Three rectangles, left, and the stack 2.5D makes from them")

#### How to use

1. Draw the shapes that make up your object: one shape, or one group, for each layer.
2. Give each a thickness: in [Parts](https://space.fform.com/manual/parts), or later with the layer's **Thickness** in
   the panel.
3. Select them all and tap **2.5D** on the tool rail. The stack appears beside them, on a layer of
   its own, with the 2.5D panel open.
4. Change the stack on the **Stack** tab and how it's drawn on the **Rendering** tab.
5. To come back to a stack later, double-tap its drawing.

#### Stack

![The 2.5D panel on its Stack tab: three layers, Add Selection, and the first layer's thickness, opacity and Cut Out Inner Shapes](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/iso-stack.png)
*The Stack tab.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Stack and Rendering

The panel's two tabs: what the stack is made of, and how it's drawn.

##### 2. Layers

Every layer of the stack, front first. The front layer draws over the ones behind it. Tap one to
change its settings below.

##### 3. Order and remove

Move a layer forward or back in the stack, or take it out. Taking it out leaves the shape itself
alone.

##### 4. Add Selection

Select more shapes on the canvas and tap this to add them to the back of the stack.

##### 5. Thickness

How thick the selected layer is: the material's real thickness, the same number the Parts list
uses. Orange **Set** means it has none yet.

##### 6. Opacity

How solid the layer's faces are. Lower it to see the layers behind.

##### 7. Cut Out Inner Shapes

Treats shapes drawn inside another as holes through it when in a group, so a frame comes out as a frame and not a
solid slab. (Draw a rectangle and put a shape "inside it", group them, and add to the stack.)

#### Rendering

![The 2.5D panel on its Rendering tab: Oblique or Isometric, four depth directions, Thickness, Separation and Alignment](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/iso-rendering.png)
*The Rendering tab, set to Isometric and Centered.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Projection

**Oblique** keeps each face its true shape and pushes depth back at 45°, so the face you drew
stays measurable. **Isometric** turns the faces into the 30° planes of a classic isometric
drawing.

##### 2. Depth direction

Which way the depth goes: up left, up right, down left or down right. Pick the one that shows the
sides you want to see.

##### 3. Thickness

Draws every layer this many times its real thickness. Thin stock like ¾″ plywood all but disappears
next to a 4′ panel; turning this up makes it readable.

##### 4. Separation

The gap between layers. Above zero, the stack pulls apart into an exploded view. Drag the value,
or tap to type it.

##### 5. Alignment

**As Drawn** stacks the layers where they sit in your drawing. **Centered** lines up their centres,
so different sizes sit squarely on each other. Lets you draw each "layer" side by side on your canvas
and have the 2.5D render line them up to visualize it.

#### See it in use

The depth turned each way, then Isometric, Centered, and pulled apart into an exploded view.

![2.5D in use: the depth turned each way, then Isometric, Centered and an exploded view](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/iso.gif)

#### Tips

- Draw each part as it looks face-on. 2.5D only adds depth; the face is exactly what you drew.
- For an exploded assembly drawing, set Separation and leave Thickness at ×1 so each part stays
  its true thickness.
- The stack can be moved, copied and sent to Plan like any drawing.

### Measure

https://space.fform.com/manual/measure

*Show real distances and clearances so a drawing can be checked or built accurately.*

Measurements are editable objects with their own layers. Space formats feet, inches, fractions, and metric values for drawings and plan sheets.

![Measure: Measurement on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/measure-canvas.png "Measurement on the canvas")

#### How to use

1. Choose Measure and drag between two points. Nearby endpoints and corners are favored automatically.
2. Near-horizontal, vertical, and 45-degree gestures are constrained to remove accidental angle error.
3. With Select or Measure active, drag a geometry label away from its source to create a parallel architectural dimension line.
4. Tap a dimension label to open the precision keypad and enter units or an expression such as 4ft-3in.

#### See it in use

![Measure in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/measure.gif)

#### Tips

- Pull a dimension away from crowded geometry so the drawing remains easy to read.
- Measure between existing corners to check clearances before adding a permanent dimension.
- Type a unit expression such as 4ft-3in when matching a field measurement.

### Guides

https://space.fform.com/manual/guides

*Lay out centerlines, boundaries, and reference shapes without adding them to the finished drawing.*

Use Guides to establish a layout before drawing finished geometry. They are useful for centerlines, clearances, repeated curves, and alternate design options.

![Guides: Guide tracing on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/guides-canvas.png "Guide tracing on the canvas")

#### Subtools

![The tool rail with Guide active and its five shapes beside it](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/toolbar-guides.png)
*The Guide shapes.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

The same five shapes as the [Shape](https://space.fform.com/manual/shapes) tool, in the same order.

##### 1. Rectangle

Hold Shift for a square.

##### 2. Circle

Set out from its center.

##### 3. Triangle

Hold Shift to keep its proportions.

##### 4. Line

A single straight guide, for centerlines and setbacks.

##### 5. Arc

Curved layouts set out from a radius.

#### How to use

1. Choose Guides and select Rectangle, Circle, Triangle, Line, or Arc.
2. Draw the guide with touch, Pencil, or mouse. Hold Shift to constrain equal width and height where applicable.
3. Place related guides on separate guide layers so construction systems can be hidden and restored together.
4. Enable Guide snapping, then draw against the guide edges just as you would against finished geometry.

#### See it in use

![Guides in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/guides.gif)

#### Tips

- Keep separate guide layers for different layout systems or design options so each can be shown independently.
- Turn on Guide snapping when tracing a layout into finished drawing lines.
- Hide guide layers when reviewing or exporting the final drawing.


---

## Quick tools

The bar that appears when something is selected, for moving, aligning, copying and grouping.

### Quick tools bar

https://space.fform.com/manual/quick-tools

*The actions for whatever you have selected, in a bar that appears beside it.*

The quick tools bar appears when you select something. It only shows actions that apply to the
current selection, so it changes as the selection does.

![The quick tools bar with Move, Align, Duplicate, Flip, Group and Delete](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/quicktools-all.png)
*Two or more objects selected.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Move

Moves the selection by an exact amount, or to an exact distance from another edge.
[Move](https://space.fform.com/manual/move)

##### 2. Align

Lines objects up on an edge or center, and evens out the gaps between them. Appears when two or
more objects are selected. [Align and distribute](https://space.fform.com/manual/align-distribute)

##### 3. Duplicate

Makes a copy of the selection. ⌘D does the same.

##### 4. Flip

Mirrors the selection. Choose **Horizontal** or **Vertical**.

##### 5. Group

Joins the selection into one object that moves and resizes together. With a group selected, this
becomes **Ungroup**.

##### 6. Delete

Removes the selection.

#### One object selected

With a single object selected, the bar has Move, Duplicate, Flip and Delete.

![The quick tools bar for one object](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/quicktools-singleobject.png "One object selected.")

#### An image selected

With an image selected, the bar also has **Set Scale**, the ruler. It opens the Image Scale panel,
where you mark a length you know on the image so everything traced from it is true to size. See
[Images and scale](https://space.fform.com/manual/images-scale).

![The quick tools bar with a photo selected: Move, Set Scale, Duplicate, Flip and Delete](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/quicktools-image.png)
*One photo selected.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

#### Tips

- Use Move when an object needs an exact offset or clearance from another edge.
- Use Align to share an edge or center line, or to distribute objects with equal or specified spacing.
- Flip is useful for mirrored parts, left- and right-hand versions, and reflected layouts.

### Move

https://space.fform.com/manual/move

*Displace a selection by a stated amount, or to a measured distance from another edge.*

Move places a selection using exact values. Open it from the Quick tools bar after selecting an object or group.

![Move: Move by offset](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/move-popup-offset.png "Move by offset")

#### How to use

1. Select the object or group, then choose Move from the selection actions.
2. In Offset mode, enter horizontal and vertical amounts. The selection moves by exactly that much.
3. In Distance mode, tap an edge elsewhere in the drawing to measure from. The edge highlights so it is clear which one is driving the result.
4. Enter the distance the selection should sit from that edge, and it moves to land exactly there.

![Move: Offset preview](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/move-canvas-offset.png "Offset preview")

![Move: Move by distance](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/move-popup-distance.png "Move by distance")

![Move: Distance reference on the canvas](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/move-canvas-distance.png "Distance reference on the canvas")

#### See it in use

![Move in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/move.gif)

#### Tips

- Use Offset mode when you know how far the object should move from its current position.
- Use Distance mode to set a required clearance from a wall, edge, or reference line.
- Enter unit expressions such as 4ft-3in instead of converting them first.

### Align and distribute

https://space.fform.com/manual/align-distribute

*Line several objects up on an edge or a centre, and even out the gaps between them.*

Align puts selected objects on a shared edge or center line. Distribute makes the gaps between selected objects equal or sets them to an exact value.

![Align and distribute: Align in the multi-selection tools](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/quicktools-all.png "Align in the multi-selection tools")

#### How to use

1. Select two or more objects and choose Align from the quick tools bar.
2. Under Horizontal, align left edges, centres, or right edges. Under Vertical, align tops, middles, or bottoms.
3. Under Distribute, pick an axis. The palette then asks how, rather than guessing.
4. Choose Even spacing to share the room the outermost objects already span, or Set spacing to type an exact gap between each.

#### Tips

- Use Align for cabinets, fixtures, labels, or details that should share a clean edge or center line.
- Use Even spacing to tidy an existing row while keeping its overall span.
- Use Set spacing when a repeated gap must match a requirement, such as stud, light, or shelf spacing.


---

## Precision and snapping

Grid, units, live dimensions, and what new and moved geometry snaps to.

### Precision

https://space.fform.com/manual/precision-toolbar

*Control the grid, live size labels, alignment hints, and the units used throughout the drawing.*

Precision holds the drawing settings you change most often. On iPad and Mac it's a tab at the
foot of the right-hand column, under Parts, with **Snapping** right below it.

![Layers and Parts collapsed, with the Precision and Snapping tabs under them](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/precision-tabs.png)
*Precision and Snapping, under Layers and Parts.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

Tap **Precision** to open its strip beside the column. Tap it again to close it. Only one of
Precision and Snapping is open at a time.

An orange dot beside **Precision** means something inside it is switched off: the grid, Live
or Hints. With all three on, the dot goes away. **Snapping** shows the same dot when any of its
switches is off, so you can tell from the tabs alone, without opening either strip, that the
drawing isn't in its usual everything-on state.

![An orange dot beside the Precision tab](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/precision-tabs-off.png)
*Hints is off, so Precision shows the orange dot.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

Hold **Shift** (on the keyboard or the on-screen Shift key) and tap **Precision** to switch Grid,
Live and Hints all off at once. Shift-tap again to switch them all back on. If some are on and
some are off, the first Shift-tap switches them all off. The strip doesn't open or close.

![The Precision strip with Grid, Live, Hints and the units](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/precision.png)
*Precision open, with feet and inches picked.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Grid

Shows or hides the adaptive grid. The grid scale in the corner of the canvas reports the minor
and major spacing at the current zoom. With the grid hidden, there's no grid to snap to, so
Snapping's Grid switch dims.

##### 2. Live

Shows or hides dimension labels while you draw and on editable geometry. Dimensions made with
the Measure tool stay visible either way.

##### 3. Hints

Shows or hides the orange alignment lines, the gaps beside them, and the dot on a snapped point.
Hiding them doesn't stop anything snapping; that's what [Snapping](https://space.fform.com/manual/snapping-toolbar) is for.

##### 4. Units

Choose ft/in, in, mm, cm, or m. New values and the dimension keypad use these units. You can
always type any unit in the precision editor; this just changes the default.

> [!NOTE]
> On an open iPhone Duo, Precision and Snapping sit side by side at the bottom right, and their
> strips open above them. The grid is always on there, so the strip starts with the units.

#### Tips

- Choose the document units before entering many dimensions so new values use the expected format.
- Keep Live on while sizing and editing objects; turn it off when you want a cleaner presentation view.
- Turn Hints off for a quieter canvas when you're sketching loosely, and back on for layout work.
- If snapping or hints seem to have stopped working, look for the orange dot on the tabs. Shift-tap
  a tab once or twice to get everything back on.
- Zoom in when you need finer grid increments for detail work.

### Snapping

https://space.fform.com/manual/snapping-toolbar

*Snap drawing and movement to the grid, points, lines, and guide outlines.*

Snapping makes new and moved objects meet existing geometry exactly, without typing every
position. On iPad and Mac it's the tab under **Precision**, at the foot of the right-hand column.
Tap it to open its strip, and tap it again to close it.

![The Snapping strip with Grid, Points and Lines on and Guides off](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/snapping.png)
*Snapping open, with Guides off, so the tab shows the orange dot.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Grid

Snaps to grid intersections. With a perspective grid showing, it snaps to that
grid instead, and its icon changes to match. It dims while the grid is hidden in Precision.

##### 2. Points

Snaps to endpoints, corners and centers.

##### 3. Lines

Snaps to any position along an existing path.

##### 4. Guides

Snaps to [guide](https://space.fform.com/manual/guides) outlines.

Each switch is independent. Turn on the ones you want; when they're all off, nothing snaps.

While any of the four is off, an orange dot sits to the left of the word **Snapping**, so you can
see that snapping is limited without opening the strip. Turn them all back on and the dot goes
away. ([Precision](https://space.fform.com/manual/precision-toolbar) shows the same dot for its own switches.)

To switch all four at once, hold **Shift** (on the keyboard or the on-screen Shift key) and tap
**Snapping**. If they're all on, or some are on and some off, they all switch off. If they're all
off, they all switch back on. The strip doesn't open or close.

#### How to use

1. Tap **Snapping** to open its strip.
2. Turn on only the sources you need, so the target you want is easier to hit.
3. Watch for orange alignment hints while drawing or moving. The label between them reports the
   gap to whatever you're aligning to. (Hints can be hidden under
   [Precision](https://space.fform.com/manual/precision-toolbar).)
4. Tap **Snapping** again to close the strip. Your choices stay as they are.

#### See it in use

![Snapping in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/snapping-toolbar.gif)

#### Tips

- Use Points to meet corners and centers, Lines to follow an existing edge, and Guides for construction layouts.
- Turn off sources you do not need when several nearby objects compete for the same snap.
- Shift-tap **Snapping** to turn snapping off completely for loose sketching, and again to turn
  it all back on.
- Watch the orange hints to confirm what the object is aligning to before you release it.


---

## Layers and references

Organize a drawing, trace over images at true scale, and count parts.

### Layers

https://space.fform.com/manual/layers

*Organize a drawing so related content can be found, hidden, and presented together.*

Layers separate drawing content so you can hide, reorder, and export it without duplicating
geometry. Space has three kinds: drawing layers, guide layers, and measurement layers.

![The Quick Layers panel with Guides, Measurements and Drawing layers](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/layers.png)
*Quick Layers, with one layer of each kind.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Collapse

Folds the panel down to a single button, which shows how many layers are visible. Tap it to
open the panel again.

##### 2. Selected line indicator

The colored tab indicates the line selected on the canvas is on this layer. If multiple lines are on difference layers, each will show a colored tab.

##### 3. Active layer

The highlighted layer that new drawing goes into.

##### 4. Layer kind

The icon shows what the layer holds: drawing, guides, or measurements.

##### 5. Visibility

Hides or shows the layer. A hidden layer's name dims.

##### 6. Lock

Locks the layer so nothing on it can be selected or changed.

##### 7. New drawing layer

Adds a layer for drawing.

##### 8. New guide layer

Adds a layer for [guides](https://space.fform.com/manual/guides).

##### 9. New measurement layer

Adds a layer for [dimensions](https://space.fform.com/manual/measure).

#### How to use

1. Create drawing, guide, or measurement layers with the buttons at the bottom of the panel.
2. To rename a layer, double-tap its name on iPad, or right-click it and choose **Rename Layer** on
   Mac.
3. To reorder, press and hold a layer and drag it on iPad, or click and drag it on Mac. On Mac, a
   line shows where it will land.
4. To select everything on a layer, swipe the layer right and tap **Select** on iPad, or
   right-click it and choose **Select** on Mac.
5. Swipe left on iPad to reveal Delete. On Mac it's in the right-click menu.
6. Use the eye control to hide a layer. Its name dims to make hidden state clear.

![A layer row swiped right, showing the green Select action](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/layers-swipe-select.png)
*Swipe a layer right for Select.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

![A layer lifted and being dragged to a new place in Quick Layers](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/layers-reorder.png)
*Press and hold a layer, then drag it.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

> [!NOTE]
> Quick Layers works the same on Mac, with one difference: where iPad has you swipe a row for
> **Select** or **Delete**, on Mac you right-click it.

#### When the column is full

Layers and Parts share the right-hand column with Precision and Snapping. Open both with long
lists, and each panel shortens and scrolls rather than pushing anything off the screen, so
Precision and Snapping always stay above the grid scale.

#### Tips

- Use separate layers for existing conditions, proposed work, dimensions, and references.
- Hide layers to compare options or produce a cleaner sheet without deleting work.
- Name layers by purpose so another person can understand the file quickly.

### Images and scale

https://space.fform.com/manual/images-scale

*Trace over a photo, scan, or plan at a known real-world scale.*

Bring a photo, a scan or an old plan into Space, then mark a length you know on it. From then on
the image is true to size, and anything you trace over it measures correctly.

#### Bring an image in

- Choose **Import › Image...** in the top bar, drag an image onto the drawing, or paste one.
  Space puts each image on a reference layer of its own.
- Photos taken in [Field Notes](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-notes) on iPhone arrive in the note already, with
  whatever scale they were given there.

#### Open Set Scale

Select the image and tap **Set Scale**, the ruler on the [quick tools bar](https://space.fform.com/manual/quick-tools).
Or tap the label under the image.

Every photo carries a small label under it that says how it's scaled:

- **Scale not set**, in orange: nobody has marked a length on it yet.
- **≈ Scaled by camera**: Field Notes' guided camera estimated the scale from how far away the
  surface was. Close, but mark a length to be sure.
- A length, such as **36″**: the known distance it was scaled from. The reference line is drawn
  over the photo while it's selected.

![Three photos labelled Scale not set, Scaled by camera, and with a known length](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/image-scale-labels.png "Scale not set, scaled by the camera, and scaled from a known length")

#### The Image Scale panel

![The Image Scale panel with two known distances, Add measurement, Auto Align and the scale summary](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/image-scale-panel.png)
*The Image Scale panel with two known distances.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Known distances

Each numbered line is a length you know, drawn over the image. Tap its value to type the real
length. With two or more, each shows how far it disagrees with the others; a disagreement over
half a millimetre turns orange, which usually means one end is in the wrong place.

##### 2. Remove

Deletes that line. The last one can't be removed.

##### 3. Add measurement

Adds another known distance. More lines, spread across the image, average out the error in any
one of them.

##### 4. Auto Align

Rotates the image so that horizontal and vertical lines you've marked come out square to the grid.
Handy for a scan or photo taken slightly crooked.

##### 5. Scale

What the lines work out to: how much one pixel stands for, and the image's real width and
height.

##### 6. Cancel and Apply

Apply scales the image and closes the panel. It stays dimmed until at least one length is set.

#### On the canvas

![Set Scale on a photo of a window, with two lines on the tape measures and the loupe on one end](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/image-scale-canvas.png "Set Scale under way: two lines on the tapes, the loupe on the end being placed")

Drag the ends of each line onto the two points you know the distance between. While you drag, a
loupe magnifies what's under your finger, so the end can sit exactly on an edge or a mark. Tap
the length on the line itself to type it, just as in the panel.

#### How to use

1. Select the image and tap **Set Scale**.
2. Drag the ends of line 1 onto something you know the length of: a door width, a tape measure
   in the photo, a sheet of plywood.
3. Tap its length and type the real distance.
4. Add more lines if you can, the longer the better, and check that none of them turns orange.
5. Turn on **Auto Align** if the image is a little crooked, then tap **Apply**.

#### See it in use

![Set Scale in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/images-scale.gif)

#### Tips

- Use the longest reliable known distance available; a longer calibration line usually reduces
  measurement error.
- Measure on the flat face you care about. A photo is only true to scale in the plane the known
  length lies in.
- Use two perpendicular calibration lines with Auto Align when a scan or photo is slightly rotated.
- Lower the image opacity or hide its layer after tracing to check the finished geometry clearly.

### Parts list

https://space.fform.com/manual/parts

*Turn selected parts into a cut list with quantities, finished sizes, thickness, and board feet.*

Parts list groups selected geometry by finished size, shows the quantity of each size, and totals board feet.

![Parts list: Parts list](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/partslist.png "Parts list")

#### How to use

1. Select the geometry to count — a cabinet, a door, a shelf — and expand the Parts pill beneath the layer panel.
2. Read one row per distinct finished size, with the quantity Space found at that size.
3. To pick out every piece of one size, swipe its row right and tap **Select** on iPad, or
   right-click it on Mac and choose **Select**. The selection narrows to just those pieces, ready to move,
   restyle or give a thickness.
4. Check the board-feet total at the foot of the list when ordering stock.
5. Send the finished list to Plan to place it on a sheet beside the drawing it describes.

![A parts row swiped right, showing the green Select action](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/partslist-select.png)
*Swipe a row right to select just those pieces.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

![Parts list: Parts list with thickness](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/partslist-thickness.png "Parts list with thickness")

> [!NOTE]
> On Mac, right-click a row instead of swiping it.

#### See it in use

![Parts list in use](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/gifs/parts.gif)

#### Tips

- Select one assembly at a time when you need separate material totals for cabinets, doors, or other components.
- Set thickness correctly before ordering stock so the board-foot total reflects the material you will buy.
- Send the list to Plan when a fabricator or installer needs it beside the drawing.


---

## Plan and export

Scaled sheets for printing, sharing, and fabrication.

### Plan and export

https://space.fform.com/manual/plan-mode

*Lay out drawings on scaled sheets for printing, sharing, or fabrication.*

Use Plan to arrange one or more views of the drawing on paper. Changes made in Edit remain visible in the placed views, so sheets do not need to be rebuilt.

#### How to use

1. Select source geometry in Edit and choose Send to Plan, or use Add Selection in Plan.
2. Pick a paper size and orientation, then position and scale each live viewport independently.
3. Choose whether the viewport shows measurements, references, guides, and individual layers.
4. Use Export to create PDF or SVG, or send the complete sheet set to Print.

![Plan and export: Sheet scale and layout](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/states/planmode-scalelayout.png "Sheet scale and layout")

#### Tips

- Use different view scales to show an overall plan and detailed areas on the same sheet.
- Hide references or guide layers in a viewport when they are useful while drawing but not needed on the final sheet.
- Print at 100% rather than Fit to Page when the physical drawing scale matters.


---

## Place

Project a drawing onto a real surface at true scale.

### Place

https://space.fform.com/manual/place

*Project a drawing onto a real surface at true scale, so it can be marked directly.*

Place sends the drawing to a projector or AirPlay display at a calibrated physical scale. Use it to trace or mark the drawing on a surface.

![Place: Place in Space](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/screens/place.png "Place in Space")

#### How to use

1. Switch to Place and connect a display — a projector on a USB-C hub or adapter, or an AirPlay receiver.
2. Leave Output on Calibration, aim the projector, and measure the width of the projected image edge to edge. Enter that width so Space knows the physical scale.
3. Use Align Projection to square the image to the surface when the projector is not straight on.
4. Switch Output to Drawing to project the work itself. The canvas locks so a stray touch cannot shift what is already aligned.

#### Tips

- Use Place for full-size templates, wall layouts, lettering, and other work that is easier to mark directly on the surface.
- Invert Output when projecting onto a dark or textured surface.
- Recheck calibration if the projector or receiving surface moves.


---

## Field Notes on iPhone

Photograph things on site, set their scale from one length you know, and mark up sizes. Free on iPhone.

### Field Notes

https://space.fform.com/manual/field-notes

*Space on iPhone, free: a pocket notebook for photographing real things, scaling them from one known length, and marking up sizes.*

On iPhone, Space is **Field Notes**: a pocket notebook for real places and things. Photograph the
window, the wall or the old cabinet, mark one length you know, and every other size in the photo
follows from it. Box out an opening, note the trim and the gaps, and read the sizes as you go.

Field Notes is free. Nothing in it needs a purchase.

![A note open in Field Notes: a scaled photo of a window with a rectangle, a measurement and a note on it](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/overview.png)
*A note, ready to mark up.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

#### How it fits with Space

Every note is an ordinary Space drawing. Capture on the phone, then open the same note on iPad or
Mac to draw the whole job properly, with the photo and its scale already in place. Drawings made
on iPad or Mac open in Field Notes too, to look at, measure, and try on a wall.

- **[Notebook](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-notebook)**: your notes and folders.
- **[Taking photos](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-camera)**: the camera, with a level for square, true photos.
- **[Setting the scale](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-scale)**: one known length makes a photo measurable.
- **[Measuring and marking up](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-markup)**: Measure, Note, Rectangle and Line.
- **[Viewing drawings](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-viewing)**: layers and parts from iPad and Mac drawings.
- **[Place on a wall](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-place)**: see a drawing on the real wall at true size.

#### Where notes are kept

With iCloud Drive on, notes are kept in **iCloud Drive › Space › Field Notes**, where Space on iPad
and Mac can open them. Without it, they stay on the iPhone, and each one can be moved to iCloud
later from its menu in the notebook.

#### iPhone Duo

On an iPhone Duo, Space follows the hinge:

- **Folded**, it's Field Notes, laid out for one hand, with the tools in a column down the side.
- **Open**, the same note opens in the full Space editor, with layers, parts, live dimensions and
  every drawing tool. The full editor is free to try for 14 days, then one purchase unlocks it on
  iPad, Mac and the open Duo.

![The Front window note open in the full Space editor on an open iPhone Duo](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/duo-open.png)
*The same note, open in Space on an unfolded iPhone Duo.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

> [!WARNING]
> Sizes read from a photo are marked **≈**. They're close on the flat face you set the scale on,
> and rougher anywhere else. Check with a tape before you cut.

### Notebook

https://space.fform.com/manual/field-notebook

*The Field Notes home screen: new notes, the camera, folders, search, and moving notes around.*

The notebook is where Field Notes opens. Notes are listed with the most recently changed
first, each with a thumbnail of what's in it, alongside your folders.

![The Field Notes notebook with two folders, two drawings from Space and photo notes](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/notebook.png)
*The notebook.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Folders

Tap a folder to open it. The number is how many notes are inside.

##### 2. Notes

Tap a note to open it. Press and hold for its menu.

##### 3. New note

Starts an empty note, ready to draw.

##### 4. Shutter

Opens the [camera](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-camera). The photos you take become a new note.

##### 5. Browse

Opens a drawing from Files: a note from somewhere else, or a drawing from iPad or Mac.

##### 6. Search and More

Search finds notes by name. **More** has Select, New folder, Help and About, and Feedback.

#### A note's menu

Press and hold a note for:

- **Select**, to pick several notes at once and move, share or delete them together.
- **Rename** and **Move to folder**.
- **Take a photo** or **Choose from library**, to add photos to that note without opening it.
- **Move to iCloud**, for a note still kept only on this iPhone.
- **Share** and **Delete**. A delete can be undone from the notebook straight after.

![A note pressed in the notebook, its menu open: Select, Rename, Move to folder, Take a photo, Choose from library, Share, Delete](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/notebook-menu.png)
*Press and hold a note for its menu.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

#### Folders

Choose **More › New folder** to make one, then move notes into it from their menus. Removing a
folder doesn't delete anything: the notes in it go back to the notebook.

> [!TIP]
> The very first time, the notebook points at the shutter with **Start here**. Photograph the
> thing, mark one length you know, and every other size follows.

### Taking photos

https://space.fform.com/manual/field-camera

*The Field Notes camera, with a level that shows when the phone is square to the surface, and photos that can arrive already scaled.*

Field Notes' camera is made for photos you'll measure from. A photo taken square-on to a surface
has the least perspective in it, so its sizes come out truest, and the camera shows you when
you're there.

##### 1. Into

Which note the photos are going into: a new note, or the one you started from.

##### 2. Level

The line through the middle shows roll. Turn the phone until it's level.

##### 3. Square

The two bubble arcs show aim: the one at the right for up and down, the one at the bottom for left
and right. Swing the phone until each bubble sits on its tick and the camera is square to the
surface. The pill tells you which way and by how much.

##### 4. Lenses

Switch lenses, or pinch to zoom. Tap the picture to focus.

##### 5. Shutter

Takes a photo. Take as many as you like; they stack up beside it.

##### 6. Done

Puts every photo into the note, side by side, each on its own locked layer under your drawing.

#### Photos that arrive scaled

On an iPhone that can measure depth, the camera works out how far away the surface is and scales
the photo from that. Such a photo arrives labelled **≈ Scaled by camera**: good for a first look,
and worth confirming with a length you know. See [Setting the scale](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-scale).

Switching to a lens other than the main one, or pinching well past it, hands over to a plain
camera for as long as you're using it. Photos from it arrive with **Scale not set**.

#### From the library

Photos already on the iPhone can go into a note too: choose **Choose from library** from the
notebook's menu for a note, or from the Photo tool inside one. If the camera isn't allowed,
Field Notes offers the library instead.

> [!TIP]
> Closing the camera with photos still in the stack asks whether to keep them. Nothing you've
> shot is thrown away without asking.

### Setting the scale

https://space.fform.com/manual/field-scale

*Mark one length you know on a photo, and every other size in it can be measured.*

A photo on its own has no size. Mark one length you know on it, such as a door width, a tape
measure in the shot, or a sheet of plywood, and Field Notes works out every other size on the same
face.

#### Each photo's label

Under every photo is a label that says how it's scaled. Tap it to set the scale for that photo,
and only that one.

- **Scale not set**: nobody has marked a length yet. Measurements over it can't be trusted.
- **≈ Scaled by camera**: the camera estimated it. Mark a length to replace the estimate.
- A length: the photo is scaled from that. Tap the photo to see where it was marked.

#### Mark a known length

![Set scale under way, the reference line's ends on the tape and the magnifier showing one end](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/scale-line.png)
*Placing the reference line.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

1. Tap the photo's label.
2. Drag the two ends of the line onto the ends of something you know the length of. A magnifier
   shows exactly where each end sits.
3. Type the real length.
4. Tap **Set scale**.

#### The keypad

![The Known length keypad with 31 1/2 inches typed](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/scale-keypad.png)
*The Known length keypad.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

The keypad is made for tape-measure numbers. Type the whole inches, then add fractions with the
**½**, **¼**, **⅛** and **1⁄16** keys. The line under the value converts it as you type. The unit
pills switch between feet and inches and metric, and **/** lets you type any fraction.

> [!WARNING]
> A photo is only true to scale on the flat face the known length lies on. Things nearer or
> further away than that face come out bigger or smaller. Sizes read from a photo are marked
> **≈**; check with a tape before you cut.

### Measuring and marking up

https://space.fform.com/manual/field-markup

*The Field Notes tools: Measure, Note, Rectangle, Line and Photo, plus moving things and the canvas gestures.*

Open a note to mark it up. The tool strip along the bottom holds everything, in the same order
in every note, so a tool is always where your thumb left it.

![A note with Measure armed, its tip above the tool strip](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/tools.png)
*Measure armed, with its tip.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Measure

Drag from one point to another for a dimension.

##### 2. Note

Tap where the note goes, then type.

##### 3. Rectangle

Drag out a rectangle. Its width and height show as you draw.

##### 4. Line

Drag out a line, with its length.

##### 5. Photo

Take a photo or choose one from the library, and add it to this note.

There's no Select tool. With no tool armed, tap something to pick it and drag to move it. Tap the
armed tool again to put it down.

#### A selection

![A rectangle selected on a photo, with Move, Duplicate, Zoom and Delete in place of the tool strip](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/selection.png)
*A rectangle selected.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

With something picked, the selection bar takes the tool strip's place, with **Move**,
**Duplicate**, **Zoom** (to fit it on screen) and **Delete**. **Move** moves it by an exact
distance: type how far across and how far up, then confirm. Tap empty canvas to let go.

Tap a photo to pick it. Its bar has **Set scale** (or **Edit scale**, once it has one) and
**Delete**, for a shot you didn't need.

#### Gestures

| Gesture | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| One finger | Draws with the armed tool. With none armed, tap to pick and drag to move. |
| Two fingers | Drag to pan, pinch to zoom, twist to rotate. |
| Two-finger tap | Undo |
| Three-finger tap | Redo |
| Two-finger double tap | Reset the zoom |
| Press and hold | Cut, copy, paste, and zoom to fit |

> [!TIP]
> Tips appear above the tool strip the first few times you use something, then step back once
> you've got the hang of it.

### Viewing drawings

https://space.fform.com/manual/field-viewing

*Open drawings from iPad and Mac on iPhone to look, measure, check the parts list, and switch layers.*

Drawings made in Space on iPad or Mac open in Field Notes too. They open for looking first, so
nothing changes by accident while you pan around.

![A sideboard drawing from Space open in the viewer, with Edit, Place, Fit and Parts at the bottom](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/viewer.png)
*A drawing from Space in the viewer.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

##### 1. Edit

Switches to the tool strip to mark the drawing up. Tap **Done** to go back to looking.

##### 2. Place

Shows the drawing on a real wall at true size. See [Place on a wall](https://space.fform.com/manual/field-place).

##### 3. Fit

Fits the whole drawing to the screen.

##### 4. Parts

The drawing's parts list, as set up on iPad or Mac.

#### Layers and parts

![The Parts sheet over a bookcase drawing, listing parts by size with Open in Place at the foot](https://space.fform.com/assets/manual/field-notes/layers-parts.png)
*The Parts sheet.*

The numbered headings below describe the numbered tags on this screenshot.

A drawing with more than one layer has a **Layers** button at the top right; open it to show and
hide layers. **Parts** lists what to cut, with
sizes and quantities. A drawing with no parts list says so: add one in Space on iPad or Mac.

> [!NOTE]
> There's no Plan on iPhone. Sheets and anything else set up on iPad or Mac that the phone doesn't
> show stay in the file, untouched, and are there when you open it on the big screen again.

### Place on a wall

https://space.fform.com/manual/field-place

*Use augmented reality to see a drawing on the real wall at true size, slide it into position, and photograph it.*

Place shows a drawing on a real wall, at true size, through the camera. Hold it up to see whether
the cabinet fits the alcove, how high the shelf sits, or how big the mirror will look.

#### How to use

1. Open a note or drawing and tap **Place**.
2. Point the phone at the wall and move it slowly from side to side until it says **Wall found**.
3. Aim the centre mark where the drawing should go and tap **Place**.
4. Drag to slide the drawing along the wall into position.
5. Tap the shutter to photograph it on the wall, then share the photo or add it to the note.

##### 1. Re-place

Lifts the drawing off the wall, so you can aim at another spot or another wall.

##### 2. Approximate preview

Always on screen, because this is a preview: true scale on an iPhone that can measure depth, rough
scale on one that can't.

##### 3. Line colour

Tap to fan out the other colours, then pick one that shows up against the wall.

##### 4. Shutter

Freezes the picture. **Retake** goes back for another, **Add to note** keeps it in the note, and
**Share** sends it on.

> [!WARNING]
> Place is for seeing, not for marking. It's close, especially on an iPhone with LiDAR, but it
> isn't exact. To mark a drawing out on a surface at full size, use [Place](https://space.fform.com/manual/place) with a
> projector on iPad or Mac.

If the phone loses track of the room, Place says so. Point back at the wall, or tap **Start
over**. Very large drawings are too big to place: hide the layers you don't need and try again.