Arranging panels and toolbars in Vectornation by Zaweba

A vector editor with a full set of tools has a lot of panels, and the right arrangement depends on your screen and your work. Vectornation by Zaweba lets you move almost everything: panels can float, tools can float, toolbars can be chosen and built, and drawings can be tiled side by side.

Floating panels and separate windows

Any panel group can float over the canvas, or go in its own window. A floating panel is good on a single screen when you want a panel close to the artwork you are working on and then out of the way again. Putting a panel group in its own window means it can also go on another monitor, which is the best use of a two screen setup: the canvas fills one screen and the Layers, Colour, Swatches and Appearance panels sit on the other.

Tools can float too, and the tool column can be two columns wide. Two columns is shorter, which helps on a wide but not very tall laptop screen. A floating tool column can sit right beside the area you are drawing in.

Toolbars to suit the work

Window > Tools > Toolbars has Basic and Advanced sets, and you can make your own. Basic is friendlier for anyone new to vector drawing, or for a quick job where you only need a handful of tools. Advanced shows the full range. Your own toolbars let you build a set for a particular kind of work, such as lettering, packaging or technical drawing, with only the tools that job uses.

A custom toolbar is also a good way to help someone else learn the app. Set one up with the dozen tools they need and they won't be overwhelmed by the rest.

Getting back to normal

Moving panels around freely is great until the screen gets cluttered or a panel goes missing on a monitor you've unplugged. Workspace > Dock all panels resets everything back into place. It is worth knowing about before you start rearranging, because it means you can experiment without worrying about undoing it all by hand.

Several drawings at once

Window > Arrange tiles and cascades drawings. Tiling puts two or more open drawings side by side, which helps when you are copying artwork from one to another, comparing versions of a logo, or matching colours between a client's old file and your new one. Cascading stacks them so you can switch between them quickly.

Setting up a workspace that works

Start with the panels you use on every job and keep them docked. Float the ones you use only now and then. If you have a second screen, move the panel groups there and give the canvas the main screen. Pick Basic or Advanced tools, or make a toolbar of your own for the work you do most. If anything goes astray, Dock all panels puts it right.

The aim is simple: the least distance between your eye, the artwork and the control you need next. A workspace arranged for your work makes the whole app feel quicker, even though not a single tool has changed.