A tour of the editor
The editor is where you draw and read a diagram. It has five zones: the top bar, the left panel, the canvas in the middle, the right panel and the status bar. Every command is also in the command palette, Mod+K.
On this page
The top bar
Across the top: the iyedy wordmark, which leads back to Home, where you are (the workspace and the diagram), the diagram's classification, its version and its status stamp. In the middle, the views of the diagram as tabs. On the right: search, the people who are here with you, Share…, Export… (Ctrl E), the To do counter, the Help button (?) and your account.
The menus (File, Edit, View, Insert, Arrange…) are folded to leave room for the drawing: press Alt or F10 to open them.
The left panel
A narrow rail on the left opens one panel at a time; Ctrl B opens or closes it.
- Model: every element and relationship of the diagram, as a tree, whether or not a view shows it.
- Views: the list of views, in sheet order. Select one to open it, or add one with New view….
- Standards: the technology radar, patterns, decisions and exceptions your diagrams are checked against.
The canvas
In the middle, the sheet of the current view, laid on the drawing table. The sheet carries the view's title block, its legend and its sheet number.
- Add an element: press N for Quick add, or pick a shape in the shelf on the left of the canvas.
- Connect two elements: press C or select Connect, then drag from one element to the other. iyedy routes the line at right angles.
- Move around: Shift 1 fits the sheet on screen, Ctrl 0 zooms to 100 %, M shows the minimap.
- Undo and redo: Ctrl Z and Ctrl Shift Z.
- Layers: Layers of this view… shows or hides parts of the sheet. See Layers.
When the Assistant proposes a change, it shows on the canvas as ghosts, with the bar to apply or discard it.
The right panel
Tabs for what you do with the selection and with the diagram; Ctrl Alt B opens or closes the panel.
| Tab | What it holds | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect | the details of the selected element or relationship: name, kind, technology, description, classification | Ctrl I |
| Assistant | the conversation with the Assistant and its proposals | Ctrl J |
| Review | the findings of the checks, the comments and the sign-off. On your own the tab is called Sign-off | |
| History | the versions of the diagram: compare, restore, save a named version | Ctrl Shift H |
The status bar
Along the bottom: whether your changes are saved (Saved and the time, Saving…, or a warning), and how many elements and views the diagram has. If a save fails, a banner above the canvas says why. See Changes not saved.
Anywhere: the command palette
Press Ctrl K and type what you want to do: a command, an element, a view. Text that is not a command goes to the Assistant. Press ? for every keyboard shortcut. To hide every panel and keep only the sheet, press Ctrl \.
On a phone or a small screen
Editing needs a screen at least 768 px wide. On a phone the editor shows Viewing only: you can browse, present and export.
What this means for you
- Draw on the canvas, fill in details in Inspect, and let the views follow the model.
- Look at the status bar for the save state, and at Review for what the checks found.
- When you forget where a command is, press Ctrl K.
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