LocalEditor
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Sketch it out, right beside your files.

Canvas is a whiteboard built into LocalEditor for flows, wireframes, and quick sketches. Every drawing is a plain .lcv file in your own folder, so you can link it from notes, preview it in Finder, export it, or hand it to your agent.

Ways to start a Canvas

What you can do with it.

Map out a flow

Drop in rectangles, ellipses, diamonds, and text, then connect them. Arrows snap to a shape's edge and stay attached as you move things around. Wrap a section in a Frame, or group pieces together.

Try it

  • Press R for a rectangle, then A to draw an arrow from its edge.
  • Hold Option while you drag to duplicate a selection.

Sketch it by hand

Pick up the Pencil for rough wireframes and notes in the margin. Hold Shift to snap a straight line to 15° steps, then let go to keep drawing freehand. The Eraser removes whole strokes in one sweep.

Try it

  • Press P for the Pencil, and hold Shift for straight lines.
  • Press E and sweep across anything to erase it.

Grab a quick sketch from anywhere

Press ⌘2 from any app and a blank Canvas opens in its own small window, ready for the Pencil. It's saved as a Scratchpad, so you can come back to it later or move it into a Project when it's worth keeping.

Try it

  • Press ⌘2 from any app for a blank Canvas.
  • Turn an empty Scratchpad note into a Canvas from its Note label.

Keep it with your notes

Add a Canvas right inside a Markdown page with /Canvas. It's saved in a subpages folder beside the page, so the drawing travels with the note. Link any Canvas from any note with [[WikiLinks]].

Try it

  • Type /Canvas in a page to add one inline.
  • Type [[ in a note to link a Canvas you already have.

Share it outside LocalEditor

Export a Canvas as PNG, JPEG, SVG, or PDF, cropped neatly around your drawing. In Finder, press Space on any Canvas to preview it, and see it as a thumbnail, without opening LocalEditor.

Try it

  • Choose Export as… from the ··· menu.
  • Select a .lcv file in Finder and press Space.

Hand it to your agent

A Canvas is plain, versioned JSON rather than a flattened image, so every shape, label, and connection is in the file. Your agent can read your sketch as context, or draw one back for you with LocalEditor MCP.

Try asking

  • “Read my architecture canvas before you plan this.”
  • “Sketch the signup flow on a Canvas.”
See what agents can do

Start a Canvas.

In a Project

Press ⌥⌘N, or choose New Canvas from ⌘K or a folder's menu in the sidebar. It opens in a new tab.

⌥⌘N

From any app

With LocalEditor open, press ⌘2 anywhere for a fresh Canvas Scratchpad in its own small window.

⌘2

Inside a page

Type /Canvas in a Markdown page to create a new Canvas there, or move one you already have into it.

/Canvas

From a Scratchpad note

Started a note but want to draw? Turn an empty Scratchpad into a Canvas from its Note label or ··· menu.

Turn into → Canvas

Shortcuts worth knowing

V
Select
H
Hand
P
Pencil
E
Eraser
R
Rectangle
⇧R
Rounded rectangle
O
Ellipse
D
Diamond
T
Text
A
Arrow
F
Frame
Space
Hold to pan
⌘G
Group
⇧⌘G
Ungroup
⌥ drag
Duplicate
⇧ click
Add to selection

Your drawings stay plain files.

  • Every Canvas is a .lcv file in a folder you choose. Nothing is uploaded or synced.
  • The format is open, versioned JSON, so a script or an agent can read it without LocalEditor.
  • Fields LocalEditor doesn't recognise are kept exactly as they are when it saves.
  • Exports are new files. The drawing you exported from never changes.
  • Finder shows a preview and a thumbnail without opening LocalEditor.
  • Link a Canvas from any note, and see every note that links back to it.
See what agents can do with a Canvas