Visual Space manual, Live Apps, Create Save And Reopen Canvas Artwork
This walkthrough takes a Canvas from an empty area-owned file to a small layered artwork that you can safely leave and reopen. Along the way, you will paint on one layer, add editable text, test the layer controls, confirm the online save, and optionally keep a local `.vscanvas` project copy.
Create a named Canvas in the right space area, build a small layered image, and reopen the saved file with its parts still editable. This is a useful first project before you begin a larger composition.
Choose the Destination First
You need sign-in, access to the destination space and area, Canvas app access, and Coordinator access to create a file. A private area also requires its normal membership. Choose a recognizable name such as Workshop color study.
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Open the owning area - Go to the space area where the artwork belongs, then choose Canvas from the Apps menu.
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Create the file - Choose New Canvas, enter the name, and choose a size preset or custom pixel dimensions. Neither dimension can exceed 5,000 pixels.
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Confirm the new workspace - Select Create and wait for the named document to open. The Canvas is now associated with that area.
Creation makes a paired draft article, without automatically publishing a feed post. You can add a brief through Article or discuss the artwork through Comments later.
Make Two Editable Parts
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Check Layers - Open the layer stack and select an editable raster layer. Create one with Create raster layer if needed, then rename it Paint marks.
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Choose your brush - Select Brush, set its size and foreground color, and make a few marks inside the document. Finish each stroke before changing settings.
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Add a headline - Select Text and place a text layer on the artwork. Use Character to enter a short phrase such as Color study, then adjust its size and color.
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Arrange the result - Keep the headline above the paint in the layer stack. Move it where it remains readable and rename the layer so you can recognize it later.
You should see two distinct rows in Layers and their combined appearance on the artwork. If you cannot paint, check the selected layer, its lock and visibility, and whether a mask or pixel selection is active.
Review Before Saving
Hide the headline briefly to compare the image without it, then show it again. Use Fit on Screen to inspect the whole composition and Actual Pixels to check detail. These viewing changes do not alter the pixels.
Lock the finished paint layer if you want to protect it while adjusting the text. There is no need to rasterize the headline or flatten the artwork just to save it.
Confirm the Shared Save
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Save now - Open File and choose Save. Canvas also saves automatically, but an explicit save is useful before leaving.
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Read the result - Wait for the current save to finish. A delayed-save or reconnect message means the shared copy is not yet confirmed; keep the artwork and browser data available while it recovers.
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Make an optional project copy - Choose Save as Layered Project... and complete the download to keep an editable .vscanvas file. This is separate from verifying the online save.
Routine autosave collects edits for about 30 seconds and can be quiet before actual saving begins. Live updates reaching another open editor do not prove that the saved file is current.
Reopen and Check the Result
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Return to the explorer - After the save completes, use the Canvas close action. It returns to the file's owning area.
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Open the named file - Select it in Canvas, open its linked file in Docs, or use an accessible linked document card in chat.
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Check the artwork and stack - Confirm the paint, headline, layer names, order, and visibility. Select the headline and verify that its wording remains editable.
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Verify an important handoff separately - After saving, open the file in another authorized browser or device if you need to confirm what a collaborator can recover. A reopen in the same browser can restore a local recovery draft.
Separate layers keep the poster heading, illustration, and background editable.
Continue With the Same Project
You now have a space-owned Canvas that can be reopened and revised. Live collaboration can share changes while the file is open; avoid overlapping edits on the same pixels when working with someone else.
Meet fellow creators and transform bright ideas into real projects β¦β¦β¦ or just geek out for the fun of it π
Visual Space is built for projects like thisβwhere creators collaborate, organize goals, and grow communities around real work.
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