# Navigating the Canvas

The **Inpaint Canvas** is the central interactive workspace in Fater's **Image Editor**. Effectively navigating this space and controlling your view is essential for detailed work.

***

### Core Navigation Actions

These actions allow you to move your view around the canvas and zoom in or out:

1. **Panning (Moving the View):**
   * **How:**
     * **Middle Mouse Button:** Click and drag with your middle mouse button (mouse wheel click).
     * **Tool Deselected:** If no specific tool (like Brush or Pencil) is active in the **Inpaint Toolbar**, you can click and drag with your primary mouse button (left-click) to pan.
   * **Action:** Moves your entire view of the canvas (all layers and the Generation Area Bounding Box) horizontally and vertically.
2. **Zooming (Changing Magnification):**
   * **How:** Use your **mouse scroll wheel**.
     * Scroll Up: Zooms in (magnifies).
     * Scroll Down: Zooms out.
   * **Action:** Changes the magnification level of the canvas, allowing you to see finer details when zoomed in or a broader overview when zoomed out. The zoom is centered on your mouse cursor's position.

***

### View Control Actions (from Inpaint Toolbar)

The **Inpaint Toolbar** provides several actions to quickly adjust your canvas view and the Generation Area:

* 🖼️ **Resize Canvas to Layer/Mask (`Crop` icon):**
  * **To Layer:** Select a layer in the **Layers Tab**, then click this icon on that layer's item to fit the **Generation Area Bounding Box** precisely to that layer.
  * **To Mask:** After creating a mask, click this icon on the Inpaint Toolbar to fit the Generation Area Bounding Box tightly around your current mask.
  * **Purpose:** Focuses the AI's working area.
* 🔳 **Toggle Square Canvas (`Square` icon):**
  * **Action:** Clicking this forces the **Generation Area Bounding Box** to a 1:1 aspect ratio (square). Click again to toggle off.
  * **Purpose:** Useful when generating images intended for square formats.
* 🔍 **Zoom to Fit All Layers (`ZoomIn` icon on Toolbar):**
  * **Action:** Automatically adjusts the canvas zoom level and pan position so that all currently *visible* layers in the active **Layer Workspace** fit within your screen's viewport.
  * **Purpose:** Quickly get an overview of your entire composition.
* **Zoom to Specific Layer (via Layers Tab):**
  * **How:** **Double-click the preview thumbnail** of a layer in the **Layers Tab**.
  * **Action:** Pans and zooms the canvas view to center and fit that specific layer within the viewport.
  * **Purpose:** Quickly navigate to and focus on a particular layer. *(See* [Advanced Layer Actions](/fater-ai-docs/working-with-layers/advanced-layer-actions.md)*)*

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### Other Important View Considerations

* **Generation Area Bounding Box:** Always be aware of this dashed rectangle. AI operations and masking are confined within it. *(See* [The Generation Area (Bounding Box)](/fater-ai-docs/the-generation-area-bounding-box.md)*)*
* **Canvas Position and Zoom Level:** Fater remembers the pan and zoom settings for your project, so when you reopen it, your view should be restored.

Mastering these navigation and view controls will make your workflow in the Image Editor much smoother and more precise.


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