Lucidchart's drag and drop interface and simple styling tools make it easy for you to build beautiful diagrams from scratch. Read on to learn how to add and modify shapes in the Lucidchart editor. For information on how to use shape libraries to organize your shapes, please see the Create and Manage Shape Libraries article.
There are several ways you can add a shape to your canvas.
- Drag a shape from one of the shape libraries in your toolbox and drop it onto the canvas.
- Drag a line from a shape that is already on your canvas and select a new shape from the auto-prompt menu.
- Upload a shape from your device.
After adding a shape to your diagram, you can move, resize and rotate it directly on the canvas.
- To move a shape, simply drag it with your cursor or select it and move it using your arrow keys. Hold down "Shift" while using your arrow keys to move your shape in smaller increments.
- To resize a shape, select it and drag one of the blue squares along its border. Hold down "shift" to maintain the shape's dimensions while resizing.
- To rotate a shape, select it and drag it clockwise or counter-clockwise using the handle in the top left corner of its border.
You can customize a shape's style by selecting it and modifying the settings in the properties bar at the top of the editor.
Use the paint bucket to add a fill color to your shape and the pen icon to modify the color of its border.
If you do not see the color that you are looking for in the color swatch drop-down menu, you can click the color wheel
and manually pick a color by adjusting the HSB and RGBA values in your color space, or by typing the hexidecimal code of the color you desire into the text box next to the # symbol.
You can match a shape's color to an existing color on your canvas by clicking the wand
to the left of the color wheel and then clicking on the relevant object in your canvas.
You can also fill a shape with a gradient or an image by clicking "More" at the bottom of the shape fill menu. Use the menus to the right of these icons to adjust the border style and thickness.
Use the paint bucket to add a fill color to your shape and the pen icon to modify the color of its border.
If you do not see the color that you are looking for in the color swatch drop-down menu, you can click the color wheel
and manually pick a color by adjusting the HSB and RGBA values in your color space, or by typing the hexidecimal code of the color you desire into the text box next to the # symbol. You can match a shape's color to an existing color on your canvas by clicking the wand
to the left of the color wheel and then clicking on the relevant object in your canvas. You can also fill a shape with a gradient or an image by clicking "More" at the bottom of the shape fill menu. Use the menus to the right of these icons to adjust the border style and thickness.
To lock down a shape's position, size, and style, select the shape and click the lock icon in the properties bar OR right-click on the shape and select "Lock" from the dropdown menu.
To change a shape on your canvas to another shape from the same shape library, right-click on the shape, select "Change Shape," and choose the new shape you wish to use from the menu that appears.
To move or copy a shape to a layer, right-click on the shape and select "Move to Layer" or "Copy to Layer" from the menu.
To change a shape on your canvas to another shape from the same shape library, right-click on the shape, select "Change Shape," and choose the new shape you wish to use from the menu that appears.
To move or copy a shape to a layer, right-click on the shape and select "Move to Layer" or "Copy to Layer" from the menu.
In addition to the basic shape styling options described above, here are some advanced ways to use Lucidchart to create custom shapes.
Group Multiple Shapes into One
To combine two or more shapes into one, follow these steps:
You can create a custom shape using the Flex Polygon, which you can find under "Shapes" in your toolbox.
You can adjust the shape of your Flex Polygon by dragging the purple squares along the edge of the shape.
Link Data to Custom Shapes
Want to link data to custom shapes? You can find instructions on how to create custom shapes in the Link Lucidchart Diagrams to Spreadsheet Data article.
Group Multiple Shapes into One
To combine two or more shapes into one, follow these steps:
- Select the shapes by dragging your cursor over them or by holding down "shift" while clicking on them
- Right-click anywhere in the selection box and select "Group" from the menu.
You can create a custom shape using the Flex Polygon, which you can find under "Shapes" in your toolbox.
You can adjust the shape of your Flex Polygon by dragging the purple squares along the edge of the shape.
Link Data to Custom Shapes
Want to link data to custom shapes? You can find instructions on how to create custom shapes in the Link Lucidchart Diagrams to Spreadsheet Data article.
Save modified shapes to reuse in other documents or to share with teammates by adding them to custom shape libraries. To add a shape to a custom shape library, drag the shape from the canvas into the library or follow these steps:
- Right-click on the shape and select “Add to Custom Shape Library.”
- Choose the destination shape library from the list.
- Name your shape and click “Done.”
- Look for your new shape in the left Toolbox.
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