Grids
A grid is a card divided into cells, and every cell holds any kind of content — an image, text, a link, a video, a file, even another cluster. Split and merge cells by dragging the dividers, start from a preset like storyboard or 2x2, or generate an empty matrix of any size. Grids have a defined reading order, so a storyboard reads in sequence.
A grid is a card that is divided up. Every cell holds real content, and the divisions are yours to move.
Press G, or use the tool rail.
What a cell holds
Not just images. A cell takes an image, a piece of text, a link, a video, a file, or a nested cluster. A storyboard panel can be the frame in one cell and the action line in the cell beneath it.
Drop a file directly into a cell to fill it. Each cell has its own menu for replacing, clearing, or — for images — the full set of photo controls.
Building a layout
Grids are not fixed rows and columns. The structure is a tree of splits, which is why an asymmetric storyboard layout is as easy as a regular one.
- Drag a divider to resize the cells either side of it.
- Split a cell to divide it further, horizontally or vertically.
- Merge adjacent cells back together.
Everything reflows around what you changed.
Presets
Rather than starting from nothing:
| Preset | Layout |
|---|---|
single | One cell |
2x2 | Four equal cells |
3up | Three across |
storyboard-1-2 | One wide panel on top, two beneath |
db-row-1-3 | One, then a row of three |
Generate matrix builds an empty N×M grid at whatever size you name — the fast path to a contact sheet.
Reading order
Cells have a defined order, which is what makes a grid different from a set of images that happen to be arranged in rows. A storyboard reads in sequence, and that sequence is what exports and what a reader follows.
Grid families
Grids created from the same template stay linked as a family. Change the layout in one and the change can carry to the others — the mechanism that keeps a twelve-page storyboard from drifting into twelve slightly different layouts.
Discovering grids
Put four or more images on a board and the app suggests a grid, once. That suggestion is a power reveal: it fires a single time, ever, and never again.
Grids versus schedules
They look similar and are not the same thing:
- A grid is a spatial layout. Cells mean position.
- A schedule is a calendar. Cells mean dates — real ones, with month, week, day and hour views.
If the cells represent time, you want a schedule.
Building a storyboard specifically? The storyboard maker guide covers the whole workflow.
Frequently asked questions
What can go in a grid cell?
Images, text, links, videos, files and nested clusters. A cell is not restricted to pictures.
How do I change the layout after I have made it?
Drag the dividers between cells. Cells split and merge as you go, and the rest of the grid reflows around what you changed.
Can several grids share a layout?
Yes. Grids created from the same template stay linked as a family, so a layout change can carry across them — useful for a storyboard where every page should match.
Machine-readable: /docs/canvas/grids.md · /llms.txt