💡 How to work with BASIC ELEMENTS in Excalidraw 👀 | TUTORIAL #17

Creating literally anything is really easy in Excaladraw. And in this video, we're going to show you how with the help of basic elements, you can create, for example, the diagram you're seeing

right now. Starting with the basic

right now. Starting with the basic shapes rectangles ellipses and diamonds. Working with them is really

diamonds. Working with them is really easy. Simply pick the shape you'd like

easy. Simply pick the shape you'd like to create and start dragging your mouse over the canvas. By default, you can adjust the width and height freely as you draw. But if you want to create a

you draw. But if you want to create a perfectly even shape, just hold shift while [Music] dragging. If you then need to adjust the

dragging. If you then need to adjust the width, height, or angle of any object you've created, simply use the handles or drag the sides to customize

it. When working with any object in

it. When working with any object in Excal, using shortcuts for actions such as copy and paste can significantly speed up your workflow.

The same resizing mechanism applies when you have multiple objects selected. And

if you want to scale them proportionally, just hold shift while dragging. With the group of objects

dragging. With the group of objects still selected, let's customize its stroke and background colors. Next, you can customize the fill

colors. Next, you can customize the fill pattern to change the texture inside your shapes. Adjust the stroke width and

your shapes. Adjust the stroke width and style to make the outline stand out more.

Tweak the sloppiness if you want a more professional or more handdrawn look.

Switch between different edge styles like sharp or rounded. And finally,

adjust the opacity to make elements more transparent or subtle. Now, let's

quickly go through the individual settings so everything fits the diagram we want to create.

Next, let's use the arrow tool for showing the flow. To create an arrow, just select the arrow tool and drag from one element to another. This creates a

simple twopoint arrow, which you can adjust later using the node handles. And

as a sign of attachment, you'll see a gray binding area around the element, showing you where to place the start or end point so the arrow connects properly.

To create a multi-point arrow, just click instead of dragging as each click adds a new node to your arrow. Hold

shift if you want to constrain the angle and press escape when you're done with the arrow creation. And if you ever want to turn a simple arrow into a multi-point one, open the arrow editor

with command plus enter or use the node handle after selecting the arrow. Using the shift key, we're going

arrow. Using the shift key, we're going to select all arrows and move on to their adjustments.

Just like with basic shapes, you can customize similar settings, including the arrow type. The elbow arrow type is especially useful when creating diagrams, as it lets you easily create

multiple segments using the node handles. Another great feature of elbow

handles. Another great feature of elbow arrows is that they snap directly to the center of an edge, which you can adjust by simply dragging the start or end point close to it.

What would an arrow be without arrow heads? That's why in Excaliraw, you can

heads? That's why in Excaliraw, you can choose from multiple arrow head styles for both ends, the starting and the ending point. Just like with all other

ending point. Just like with all other settings, you can adjust them directly in the preferences panel.

Now, let's move on to the text tool, which is essential for communicating your message clearly. The basic way to add text is by selecting the text tool, clicking anywhere on the canvas,

starting to type, and pressing escape when you're done. But that's not the only way to create text. You can also select any object and press enter, which will automatically place the text in the

center of that shape. Or double click on the canvas or inside an object to activate the text tool as well.

Another way is to click inside any object with the text tool selected. This

will automatically place the text in the center of that shape. And last but not least, you can

shape. And last but not least, you can create a separate text using one of the previous methods.

Then select it together with an element.

Right click and choose bind text to the container to place it in the center of that element automatically. Now let's change the text

automatically. Now let's change the text settings. By default, you can set the

settings. By default, you can set the font family, font size, and text alignment.

And if you need more precise control over the text size, just open the canvas and shape properties via right click on the canvas and adjust the size from there. And just like with shapes and

there. And just like with shapes and arrows, you can also adjust the text color via the stroke settings to make your text stand out.

By default, changing the stroke of an object that contains text will update both the elements outline and the text color. So, if you want to change the

color. So, if you want to change the text color only, just doubleclick the text inside the object and adjust the stroke settings. This will apply the

stroke settings. This will apply the color change to the text alone.

[Music] Now let's take a look at how to add some flare with the help of the line tool.

Start by selecting it. Dragging from one point to another

it. Dragging from one point to another creates a straight line. And if you want to constrain its angle, just hold shift while creating it. As with any other

object, you can then customize the line settings in the preferences panel. But the real power of the line

panel. But the real power of the line tool lies in its ability to create complex shapes using multi-point lines.

Just like with arrows, instead of dragging, you can click to place each point. Every click adds a new segment.

point. Every click adds a new segment.

And when you're done, just press escape.

If you end the line at the same point where it started, you'll create a closed shape that can be filled with color background or pattern. This way you can draw just

pattern. This way you can draw just about any shape. And as you can see in our example, we're using the line tool in combination with the ellipse tool to create a shopping cart icon. And if you

later need to make any adjustments, just press command plus enter to open the line editor and make your changes. Once the icon is ready, we're

changes. Once the icon is ready, we're going to select all its parts and group them via the context menu after right-clicking the selection, so we can move and resize it more easily.

Now that our base diagram is ready, we'll show you how by combining everything we've just covered, you can take your drawing to the next level.

[Music] [Music] [Music] down. Bele baby.

down. Bele baby.

And that's it for today's video. If you

found it helpful, make sure to like and subscribe, and we'll see you in the next one.