The Eraser mode is the fastest way to remove elements from the canvas. Choose it from the tool picker at the start of the palette strip, or press E (press Esc first if an element is selected, or the letter types into its label).
Erasing elements
- Click an element to delete it.
- Drag across several elements to remove them all in one sweep.
This is quicker than selecting elements and then deleting them, especially when you want to clear out a cluster of shapes or arrows at once. Erasing a shape also removes the arrows attached to it, just as deleting it would.
Setting up the brush
While the mode is active an Eraser panel sits at the top right, over a preview of the brush. Each row shows its current setting; press it to change it.
- Mode: Sweep (drag across things to erase them) or Tap (one press erases only what is under the brush at that moment, with no sweep). Pair it with Point for one thing at a time on a crowded canvas.
- Size: Point for the exact pixel, or Small, Medium and Large brushes. Above Point, a ring follows the cursor at the brush's real size, so you can see what a sweep will take before you press. The brush stays the same size on screen however far you zoom.
- Erases: Anything, Drawings (pencil and highlighter strokes only), or Arrows (connectors only). Drawings is what makes sketching over the canvas safe: sweep the whole thing at Large and everything underneath is untouched. Arrows lets you rewire without disturbing the boxes.
The ring turns amber whenever a filter is on, so a restricted eraser never looks like a broken one. Your settings are remembered on this device, so check the Erases row if the eraser seems to be ignoring something.
Locked elements, and anything on a locked or hidden layer, are never erased whatever the panel says. A whole sweep is still a single undo.
When it is unavailable
- On an empty canvas the Eraser is greyed out, since there is nothing to erase.
- On a view-only link there is no Eraser: erasing changes the document.
- In Plan mode the Eraser is left out of the picker.
- In Draw mode the drawing dock has its own Eraser (still
E), with its settings in the dock rather than this panel.
Erasing removes elements straight away. If you take off something you meant to keep, press
Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac) to undo the sweep and bring it all back.
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