Insert Premade Shapes

Insert Premade Shapes lets you drop reusable “area types” onto your sketch — either built-in geometric shapes (Preset Area Types) or custom areas you’ve saved (Saved Area Types).

Opening the Area Types Tab

Premade shapes are managed in the Area Types tab in the right-side panel.

  1. 1. Open the Area Types panel.
    Use either of these:
    • Click the Area Types button (shapes icon) in the top toolbar, or
    • Switch to the Area Types tab in the right-side panel if it’s already open.
  2. 2. Review the lists.
    The Area Types tab is divided into:
    • Preset Area Types – built-in geometric shapes (circle, rectangle, octagon, etc.).
    • Saved Area Types – custom areas you have saved from your own sketches.
  3. 3. Use search if needed.
    Use the Search shapes… box at the top to filter across both preset and saved area types.

Using Preset Area Types

Preset Area Types are built-in geometric shapes that you can quickly drop into the sketch and then resize or rotate as needed.

  • Examples include: Circle, Rectangle, Pentagon, Hexagon, Octagon, Heptagon, Enneagon, Decagon, Hendecagon, Dodecagon.
  • Scroll the Preset Area Types section to see the full list.
  • Each item shows a name (for example, “Pentagon”) and a short description like “5 sides”.
  • Click a preset shape to enter placement mode, then click on the canvas to place it in your sketch.

Once placed, preset shapes behave like other areas — you can move, resize, rotate, and edit them in the Select/Edit Shapes Properties panel.

Saved Area Types (Custom Areas)

Saved Area Types are custom areas you have captured from existing shapes in your sketches. They’re ideal for repeating the same layout or formatting across multiple projects.

Placing a Saved Area Type

  1. In the Area Types tab, scroll to the Saved Area Types section.
  2. Find the saved area you want to use (for example, “Area2”, “Area55555”, etc.).
  3. Click the saved area name to enter placement mode.
  4. Click on the sketch canvas where you want this area type to be inserted. The saved shape is placed using its stored configuration.

After placement, you can still adjust the new instance (move, resize, rotate, edit properties) without changing the saved template.

Managing Saved Area Types

  • Click Edit next to “Saved Area Types” to toggle edit mode for the custom area list.
  • In edit mode, use the icon next to a custom area to delete it from the list.
  • Deleting a saved area type removes it from the list, but existing placed instances in your sketches remain as normal shapes.

“Save Selected Area” (Create a New Area Type)

The Save Selected Area button at the bottom of the Area Types tab turns your current selection into a reusable Saved Area Type.

  1. 1. Select an area in your sketch.
    Use the Pointer tool to select the shape/area you want to save. Make sure it has the line color, fill, labels, and style you want to reuse.
  2. 2. Click “Save Selected Area”.
    In the Area Types tab, click the + Save Selected Area button at the bottom.
  3. 3. Name the new area type (if prompted).
    Enter a clear, descriptive name so you can find it easily later.
  4. 4. Use it from Saved Area Types.
    The new template now appears under Saved Area Types and can be inserted into any sketch just like the built-in presets.

Note

Save Selected Area always uses the area that is currently selected on the canvas. If nothing is selected, the button has nothing to save.

Search & “How to use this tab”

The Area Types tab includes built-in search and a small help panel to guide users.

Search Shapes

  • Use the Search shapes… box at the top of the tab.
  • Typing filters both Preset Area Types and Saved Area Types.
  • Clear the search box to show the full lists again.
  • If no matches are found, a small “No matches in this list” message is shown.

How to Use This Tab

At the bottom of the Area Types tab there is a help section titled How to use this tab.

  • Click the blue header to expand or collapse the help text.
  • The help explains:
    • Save Selected Area – adds your current area as a reusable custom area type.
    • Preset Area Types – common premade shapes you can quickly place.
    • Custom Area Types – how to reuse, edit, and delete area types you’ve created yourself.
    • That clicking any area type enters placement mode on the canvas.
    • How the Search box works across both lists.

The in-app help mirrors the behavior described on this page and is intended as a quick reminder for users while they are working in a sketch.