Select, move, scale, and rotate objects

The  Hand Tool will probably be the Explain Everything tool you use the most. It lets you select and move any object around your infinite canvas as well as scale, rotate, and activate them.

Select objects on the canvas

Selecting objects gives you the ability to control, manage them with via the Context Menu or move them in temporary groups.

Select a single object

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. To deselect it, select and empty area of the canvas, select another object, or switch to a different tool.

Select multiple objects

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Touch and empty area of the canvas and drag the box so it touches the objects you'd like to select.
  3. To deselect them, select and empty area of the canvas, select another object, or switch to a different tool.

Add and remove objects from the selection

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar twice OR hold the Command ⌘ key on your keyboard. You will switch to the + Add Mode.
  2. Select objects one by one.
  3. Select an already selected object to remove it from the selection.

Select a single object

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. To deselect it, select and empty area of the canvas, select another object, or switch to a different tool.

Select multiple objects

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Touch and empty area of the canvas and drag the box so it touches the objects you'd like to select.
  3. To deselect them, select and empty area of the canvas, select another object, or switch to a different tool.

Add and remove objects from the selection

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object on the canvas.
  3. Select the  Hand Tool again or hold the CTRL key on your keyboard.
  4. Select objects one by one to add them to the selection.
  5. Select an already selected object to remove it from the selection.

Select a single object

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. To deselect it, select and empty area of the canvas, select another object, or switch to a different tool.

Select multiple objects

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Touch and empty area of the canvas and drag the box so it touches the objects you'd like to select.
  3. To deselect them, select and empty area of the canvas, select another object, or switch to a different tool.

Add and remove objects from the selection

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar twice. Alternatively, you can hold the Command ⌘ (Mac) or Control (Other systems) key on your keyboard. You will temporarily switch to the + Add Mode.
  2. Select objects one by one.
  3. Select an already selected object to remove it from the selection.

Move an object

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hold and drag an object with one finger or your stylus.

Tip: You can move multiple objects at the same time with more fingers.

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hold and drag an object with one finger, your stylus, or the mouse cursor.

Tip: You can move multiple objects at the same time with more fingers.

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hold and drag an object with the mouse cursor.

Scale an object

With scale handles

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. Hold and drag one of the handles on the corners.

With touchscreen gestures

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Place two fingers on an object and spread them apart to make it bigger.
  3. Place two fingers on an object and bring them together to make it smaller.

With scale handles

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. Hold and drag one of the handles on the corners.

With touchscreen gestures

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Place two fingers on an object and spread them apart to make it bigger.
  3. Place two fingers on an object and bring them together to make it smaller.

With touchpad gestures

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hover over an object with the mouse cursor.
  3. Place two fingers on the touchpad and spread them apart to make the object bigger.
  4. Place two fingers on the touchpad and bring them together to make the object smaller.

With scale handles

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. Select and drag one of the handles on the corners.

With a mouse

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hover over an object with the mouse cursor.
  3. Move the scroll wheel up or down.

With touchpad gestures

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hover over an object with the mouse cursor.
  3. Place two fingers on the touchpad and move them up or down.

Rotate an object

With the Rotate handle

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. Hold and drag the Rotate handle. It's in the bottom right by default.

With touchscreen gestures

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Place two fingers on an object and rotate them.

Tip: To quickly Straighten an object, select the  Hand Tool and tap an object once with two fingers. You can also select the Rotate Handle once to get the same effect.

With the Rotate handle

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. Hold and drag the Rotate handle. It's in the bottom right by default.

With touchscreen gestures

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Place two fingers on an object and rotate them.

With a mouse and keyboard

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hover over an object with the mouse cursor.
  3. Hold the Alt key on your keyboard and move the scroll wheel up or down.

With a touchpad and keyboard

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hover over an object with the mouse cursor.
  3. Hold the Alt key on your keyboard and move two fingers up or down on your touchpad.

Tip: To quickly Straighten an object, select the  Hand Tool and tap an object once with two fingers. You can also select the Rotate Handle once to get the same effect.

With the Rotate handle

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object once.
  3. Hold and drag the Rotate handle. It's in the bottom right by default.

With a mouse and keyboard

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hover over an object with the mouse cursor.
  3. Hold the Alt key on your keyboard and move the scroll wheel up or down.

With a touchpad and keyboard

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Hover over an object with the mouse cursor.
  3. Hold the Alt key on your keyboard and move two fingers up or down on your touchpad.

Tip: To quickly Straighten an object, select it with the  Hand Tool and double-select the Rotate handle.

Straighten an object

You can quickly snap an object back to the nearest right angle in a couple ways.

Hand Tool gesture

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Tap an object with two fingers.

Keyboard shortcut

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object you'd like to straighten.
  3. Press Option ⌥+R on your keyboard.

Select the Rotate handle

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select the object you'd like to straighten.
  3. Select the Rotate handle.

Via context menu

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select the object you'd like to straighten.
  3. From the Context Menu select the  Special effects tab.
  4. Select  Straighten.

Hand Tool gesture

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Tap an object with two fingers.

Keyboard shortcut

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select an object you'd like to straighten.
  3. Press Alt+R on your keyboard.

Select the Rotate handle

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select the object you'd like to straighten.
  3. Select the Rotate handle.

Via context menu

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select the object you'd like to straighten.
  3. From the Context Menu select the  Special effects tab.
  4. Select  Straighten.

Via the Rotate handle

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select the object you'd like to straighten.
  3. Double-select the Rotate handle.

Via context menu

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the Toolbar.
  2. Select the object you'd like to straighten.
  3. From the Context Menu select the  Special actions tab.
  4. Select  Straighten.

Flip an object

You can mirror any element on your canvas over its vertical or horizontal axis.

  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the toolbar.
  2. Select the object (or objects) on the canvas that you'd like to flip.
  3. From the Context Menu select the  Special effects tab.
  4. Select  Flip left/right or  Flip up/down to flip the object .
  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the toolbar.
  2. Select the object (or objects) on the canvas that you'd like to flip.
  3. From the Context Menu select the  Special effects tab.
  4. Select  Flip left/right or  Flip up/down to flip the object .
  1. Select the  Hand Tool from the toolbar.
  2. Select the object (or objects) on the canvas that you'd like to flip.
  3. From the Context Menu select the  Special actions tab.
  4. Select  Flip left/right or  Flip up/down to flip the object .

Advanced Hand Tool options

You can customize  Hand Tool features in ○○○ Main Menu > Settings > Editing.

  • Drag and drop – When ON, it lets you insert files by dragging and dropping them directly from the apps installed on your device (e.g. Photos or iCloud Drive). Also, it allows you to drag e.g. images from your Explain Everything project and drop them outside the app.
  • Snap to objects – When ON, any object moved with the Hand Tool snaps to the center or the edge of other objects. To help indicate the snap, a red guideline appears. The guidelines won't be visible on your recordings.
  • Snap rotation – When ON, selected object types will snap to right angles when you rotate them.

Additional Hand Tool options aren't available on Android and Chromebook versions of Explain Everything yet.

Additional Hand Tool options aren't available on the Web version of Explain Everything yet.

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