Rectangle and Circle
Press R for Rectangle or C for Circle. These tools cover rectangles, rounded rectangles, circles, and ellipses.
Rectangle and CircleScapiera provides four dedicated geometric tools: Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Circle, and Ellipse. Each tool supports both freehand canvas drawing and exact numeric entry in the tool panel — changes to either the canvas or the panel fields stay in sync bidirectionally. Use these tools to lay out patios, decks, rectangular planting beds, circular fire pit areas, pond outlines, and tree canopy indicators. The panel for each tool shows an Apply button to commit the shape once you are satisfied with its dimensions.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| R | Activate Rectangle tool |
| C | Activate Circle tool |
| Shift | Constrain rectangle to square / ellipse to circle |
| Alt | Draw from center outward |
| Escape | Cancel current shape |
Ellipse
Works like the rectangle but places an ellipse fitted to the bounding box. Hold Shift to constrain to a circle. The tool panel shows: center, horizontal radius, vertical radius.
Draw the rectangle on the canvas
Click once on the canvas to place the first corner, move the mouse to preview the shape, then click again to complete it. Alternatively, press and hold at the first corner, drag to the opposite corner, and release. As you draw, the Width and Height fields in the panel update live so you can monitor exact dimensions before committing.
Hold Shift while drawing to constrain the shape to a perfect square. Hold Alt to draw outward from the center point rather than from a corner.
Set exact dimensions in the panel
Type values directly into the Width and Height fields to set precise dimensions — the canvas preview updates immediately. Enter coordinates in the Origin field to position the rectangle at an exact location. Dimensions are displayed in your project's configured unit system (metric or imperial) and accept input in either format.
You can type a dimension before drawing to pre-set the size, then click the canvas once to place the shape at that exact size.
Add rounded corners with Corner Radius
Enter a value in the Corner Radius field to soften the rectangle's corners. You can also drag the circular handle that appears at each corner on the canvas. A radius of zero produces sharp 90-degree corners; a larger radius produces a pill or stadium shape. The Rounded Rectangle tool in the toolbar behaves identically — it is the same rectangle tool pre-configured for rounded corners.
Draw a circle
Press C or click the Circle tool in the toolbar. Click once on the canvas to set the Center point, then move out and click again to set the radius. The panel shows Center (X/Y coordinates), Radius, and a read-only Diameter field that updates automatically. You can also drag from center to edge and release to complete the shape in one motion.
Draw an ellipse for oval shapes
Select the Ellipse tool from the toolbar. Click and drag diagonally to define the bounding box of the oval, then release to complete the shape. The panel shows Center coordinates, Width (horizontal radius), and Height (vertical radius). Hold Shift while drawing to constrain the ellipse to a perfect circle.
Apply the shape
Once you are satisfied with the shape's dimensions — whether set by drawing on the canvas or typing in the panel fields — click Apply in the tool panel to commit the shape to the drawing. The shape is added as a named entity in the layer stack. You can rename it using the Name field before applying.
Give your shapes meaningful names (for example, 'Main Patio', 'Vegetable Bed North') in the Name field. This makes them easy to find in the Hierarchy panel and in cost reports.
All four tools support bidirectional input: drawing on the canvas populates the panel fields, and typing in the panel fields updates the canvas preview in real time. This means you can start by drawing a rough shape freehand and then fine-tune its exact dimensions by overtyping the Width or Height fields before clicking Apply.
Use circles to visualize tree canopy spread and sprinkler coverage zones. Draw a circle at the expected mature spread of a tree to check that it clears paths, structures, and neighboring plants before committing to a planting position.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I draw a perfect square or circle?
Hold Shift while dragging. For the rectangle, this constrains width and height to equal values, producing a square. For the ellipse, this constrains both axes equally, producing a circle. You can also type identical values into the Width and Height fields in the panel.
What is the difference between the Rectangle tool and the Rounded Rectangle tool?
They are the same tool — the Rounded Rectangle option simply pre-sets a non-zero Corner Radius. You can switch between sharp and rounded corners by changing the Corner Radius field to zero (sharp) or any positive value (rounded). Both tools share the same Width, Height, and Origin fields.
Can I set an exact position for the shape rather than clicking on the canvas?
Yes. Type the X and Y coordinates directly into the Origin field (for rectangles) or Center field (for circles/ellipses) in the tool panel. The canvas preview moves to that position immediately so you can verify placement before clicking Apply.
How do I draw a rectangle or circle from its center, not from a corner or edge?
Hold Alt while drawing on the canvas. The shape grows symmetrically outward from the point where you clicked, making it easy to center a shape on a feature such as a tree or fire pit. Release Alt at any time to revert to the default corner-to-corner behavior.
Can I change the dimensions after applying the shape?
Yes. Select the shape on the canvas and open the Inspector panel on the right. The shape's Width, Height (or Radius), and Corner Radius are all editable there. Changes are applied immediately and the shape updates in both 2D and 3D views.