Canvas Tools

This is a page for canvas help

The “canvas” is where you create the ToC graphic of outcomes connected to one another in causal pathways. The canvas opens up when you open an existing TOCO file by clicking on the title in your file browser, or when you create a new TOCO file. Many operations on the drawing canvas are available on the Edit menu. These functions include creating new outcomes, comments, text boxes, titles, color legend, and the dashed accountability line. Here too are items for editing assumptions and the ToC narrative, and for switching from right-angled to straight-line connectors.

Editing and Moving Graphic Objects

To delete an outcome box, text box, comment, connector or curved line, right-click and select “delete” from the menu.

Outcome boxes may be moved by clicking and dragging; moving all other objects requires right-clicking on the object and selecting the “move” menu item. These include text boxes, the title box, comments, and the color legend. Once you have moved the object you must right-click again and select "edit" to update the content of the object.

                                                     Outcome Box, Text Box, Comment Box 

Right-click on an outcome box
to perform various operations

Right-click on a text box to perform various operations

Right-click on a comment box to perform various operations

                                                            Outcome Box Editor 

Select text to change, size, color, style and also apply to all

                                                               Color Legend

Right-click on color legend to edit text or move legend box

Edit, Remove or reposition color legend

                                                               Curved Line 

Right-click on curved line to delete.

To manipulate shape and length, select drag the points

                                                                Connector (Rationales, Interventions)

Double click on connector to add Rationale Or Intervention

Click on connector once to adjust the position horizontally

Click on connector and edit line weight, color and shape from canvas tool

How to edit, add, delete interventionss on a connector

How to edit, add, delete rationales on a connector

                                                                Callout Box 

To edit callout box, right click on the box and select edit

To manipulate the pointer zoom in, click & drag the tip

Canvas Tool Panel

File Menu

Edit Menu

Help Menu

Keypad/Mouse Navigation

There are two ways to move around the canvas.

- Grab the vertical or horizontal scroll bar and move
- click on the canvas (i.e., somewhere on the background grid rather than on any objects), hold the cursor down, and drag the canvas to the location you want.
- Creating and editing the TOC map requires frequent adjustments of the canvas size. 

There are two ways to zoom in and out:
- Use the zoom in/zoom out buttons to the left of the file menu.
- Or, use your mouse or keypad.

My ToCs File Directory