Eraser

The Eraser mode is the fastest way to remove elements from the canvas. Choose it from the mode picker at the top of the floating palette, or press E.

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.

Setting up the brush

While the mode is active an Eraser panel sits under the palette, over a preview of the brush:

• Mode — Sweep (drag across things to erase them) or Tap (one press, one thing), which is the safer choice 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.
• Erases — Anything, Drawings only (pencil and highlighter strokes), or Arrows only. Drawings only is what makes sketching over a diagram safe: sweep the whole thing at Large and the diagram underneath is untouched. Arrows only lets you rewire without disturbing the boxes.
• Groups — whether erasing one member of a group takes just the piece or the whole group.

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.

Locked elements, and anything on a locked or hidden layer, are never erased whatever the panel says — and a whole sweep is still a single undo.

When it is unavailable

The Eraser is disabled when the canvas is empty, since there is nothing to erase. Add at least one element and the mode becomes available again.