# Getting started

> Sign in with your email — there is no password, you get a one-time code. Create a cluster, drag images straight onto the canvas from your desktop, arrange them, and send a view-only link to anyone. No account is needed to view a shared board, and the free plan includes 100 cards and unlimited collaborators.

_Source: https://clusters.soleilpictures.com/docs/getting-started · Updated 2026-08-08_

From an empty account to a board you would show someone, in about five minutes.

## 1. Sign in

Go to [clusters.soleilpictures.com](https://clusters.soleilpictures.com/) and enter your email
address. You will get a one-time code — there is no password.

New accounts land on a starter cluster with a few cards already on it, so the
canvas is never a blank intimidating rectangle. You can delete all of it.

## 2. Make a cluster

Click **New cluster** in the sidebar, or press `⌘K` and type "create cluster".

Name it after the thing it is for — a scene, a project, a pitch. Names are
searchable later and "Untitled cluster" is not.

## 3. Get things onto the canvas

The fastest way is to drag files straight from your desktop onto the canvas.
Drop twelve images at once and they arrange themselves rather than landing in a
pile.

Everything else lives in two places:

- The **tool rail** down the left edge — select, pan, image, note, doc, cluster, grid, arrow.
- **Right-click the canvas** — an Add menu grouped into Cards, Visual, Web and Annotate, plus paste, select all, background colour and export.

A few things worth knowing on day one:

| To do this | Do this |
|---|---|
| Add a note | Press `N`, or right-click where you want it |
| Add an image | Drag it in, or paste from the clipboard |
| Add a link | Paste a URL onto the canvas — it unfurls into a real card |
| Pan | Hold `Space` and drag, or press `H` |
| Fit everything on screen | `⇧1` |
| Undo | `⌘Z` |

> **Tip:** Double-clicking empty canvas opens an add menu right at your cursor,
> which is usually faster than crossing the screen to the rail.

## 4. Arrange it

Drag cards around. Alignment guides appear as you move, and cards snap to each
other — hold `Alt` to bypass snapping when you want something deliberately off.

Select several cards and press `⌘G` to group them. A group gets a name and an
outline, moves as one, and can be commented on as a unit.

Draw connections with the arrow tool (`A`). Arrows anchor to cards, so they stay
attached when you move things.

## 5. Share it

Click **Share**. You have two different things there, and the difference matters:

- **Invite by email** gives a named person Editor or Viewer access. Editors can change the board. This does not require them to pay — collaboration is free on every plan.
- **Create a public link** produces a view-only URL that works for anyone, with no account and no sign-in. You can set it to expire, and choose whether sub-clusters are included.

## Where to go next

- [Core concepts](/docs/concepts) — the vocabulary, in two minutes
- [The canvas](/docs/canvas) — every tool and gesture
- [Cards](/docs/canvas/cards) — what each card type does
- [Sharing](/docs/collaborate/sharing) — links, roles, expiry and public boards
- [The API](/docs/api) — read and write all of this from your own code