Drawing basic shapes

Lesson guide

1. Open the shape list with the small arrow on the shape button in the left toolbar. Choose Rectangle and drag on the canvas.
2. Hold Shift while dragging to make a square. Hold Cmd on Mac or Ctrl on Windows/Linux to draw from the center.
3. Choose Ellipse. Drag for an oval, or hold Shift to draw a circle.
4. Try Triangle or Star. For a polygon, edit Sides in Properties; for a star, change the number of points.
5. Press Escape to return to Select. Click a shape to select it, then drag to move it.

Independent practice

Draw a rectangle for a name tag and a small circle near one end for a hanging hole. Choose your own dimensions. This exercise is about using the tools, not entering exact sizes.

• Use Rectangle for the outer shape and Ellipse with Shift for the round hole.
• Return to Select with Escape. Move the circle until it sits fully inside the tag outline, away from the edge.
• Select each shape separately. Confirm that you created two editable shapes.

• Which modifier helped you make the circle round?
• Which modifier would draw a shape outward from its center?

Check your work

Two separate shapes

The rectangle is the tag outline. The circle marks the intended hole. You should be able to select either one without selecting the other.

A round circle

Width and height look equal. If you drew an oval, Undo and draw again while holding Shift.

A useful position

The circle sits inside the rectangle. This lesson does not require one exact hole location or size.

Try another shape

Open the same shape list and try Triangle, Pentagon or Octagon. For a polygon with another side count, select it and edit Sides in Properties. Use Star for a pointed shape, then change its point count.

Shift constrains the proportions while drawing. Cmd on Mac or Ctrl on Windows/Linux draws from the center. Escape returns to Select.

Matches the demonstrated Beam Bench 0.2.37 interface. Panel layout may differ in later versions.