Part 1 of 3
Create Your First Canvas
Canvas is an infinite board for building a whole creative project in one place. Every image, video, audio clip and script lives on a card. You generate directly on cards, connect one card's result to the next, and an Agent at the bottom of the board can do the busywork for you. This chapter takes you from an empty board to your first generated card.
| # | Area | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menu & name | Go home, open another canvas, project settings, import and export. Click the name to rename the canvas. |
| 2 | Share | Share a link that is read-only or lets people comment. |
| 3 | The board | Your cards. Here three cards sit in one group. |
| 4 | Bottom-left tools | Assets (Tab), Comments, Show all connections (V), Zoom and Help. |
| 5 | Agent | Tell it what you want in plain language. |
Canvas is rolling out gradually. If you see Canvas in the left sidebar, you have access. Anyone signed in to YouArt can open a canvas link that has been shared with them.
Create a canvas
Click Canvas in the left sidebar, then New canvas. You can also type an idea into Describe your story or idea — the Agent creates the canvas and starts working on it for you.
A new, empty canvas opens on a short setup screen:
- Canvas Name — what the canvas is called.
- About This Canvas — a few lines about the project. The Agent reads this as context, so it is worth filling in.
- Default Generation Ratio — the shape new cards start with, such as 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1. Choose Auto to let the model or your input decide.
- Start by Creating Your First Card — pick Image, Video or Upload.
You can change the description, the default ratio and the default models later in Menu → Project settings. To rename the canvas, click its name at the top of the board.
Add cards
Once the board has content, there are three quick ways to add a card:
- Number keys — hover over an empty spot and press 1 for Image, 2 for Video, 3 for Script, or 4 to upload or add from your assets.
- Right-click an empty spot, or press A, and pick from Add.
- Drop files — drag images, videos, audio or Markdown (.md) files onto the board, or paste them with ⌘+V.
Prompt and generate
Click a card to select it. The prompt bar opens below it.
| # | Control | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | References | Click + to add reference images, or connect another card to this one (see the next chapter). |
| 2 | Prompt | Describe what you want. Type @ to point at a reference, such as @Image1. |
| 3 | Model | New cards start with Nano Banana for images, Seedance 2.5 Omni Reference for video (when your account includes it) and Open Suno for audio. Change the defaults in Project settings. |
| 4–5 | Ratio · Count | Changing the ratio reshapes the card immediately. The options depend on the model. |
| 6 | Free Mode | On models that offer it, queue for free instead of spending credits (limited runs per day without a plan). |
| 7 | Dictate | Speak your prompt. |
| 8 | Generate | The number is the credit cost. Shortcut: ⌘Enter (Ctrl+Enter on Windows). |
While a card generates it shows Generating and the button turns into Stop. Generation keeps going if you reload or close the tab — the result still lands on the card.
Earlier results are kept. Generating again on a card adds the new result to the same card and keeps the earlier ones in its history. Select the card and press B or H, or click the badge in its corner, to browse its saved versions and choose which one the card shows. A card keeps up to 10 versions. If you would rather get a new card for every result, set Generation results to New cards in Project settings.