CanvusLite User Manual

What is CanvusLite?

CanvusLite is a client app for Canvus, the collaborative infinite canvas platform. You connect to a Canvus server and work on shared canvases with other people in real time. Think of it as a giant whiteboard you can zoom into, filled with sticky notes, images, videos, documents, and web pages.

You need access to a Canvus server to use CanvusLite. If your organization runs one, your IT team can give you the server URL and credentials. If someone shares a canvas with you via a link or QR code, you can join as a guest without logging in.

Installation

Android

CanvusLite is available on the Google Play Store. Search for "CanvusLite" and install it like any other app.

If you've been given an APK file instead, open it on your device and follow the prompts. You may need to allow installation from unknown sources in your device settings first.

Windows

Run the installer (CanvusLite_Setup.exe). It walks you through the standard Windows install process and creates a Start Menu shortcut when finished.

Linux

CanvusLite ships as a Flatpak bundle. Install it with:

flatpak install canvus_lite-1.0.0.flatpak

Then launch it from your application menu or run flatpak run com.canvus.canvus_lite.

macOS

Open the DMG file and drag CanvusLite into your Applications folder. The app is notarized, so macOS will let you run it without any Gatekeeper warnings.

iOS

CanvusLite is available on the App Store. Search for "CanvusLite" and install it like any other app.

Web

If your organization hosts a web deployment of CanvusLite, open the URL in your browser. No installation needed.

Getting connected

Guest access (QR code or link)

When you open CanvusLite, the first screen you see is guest access. This is the fastest way to join a canvas someone has shared with you.

On a phone or tablet, the app opens your camera to scan a QR code. Point it at the QR code displayed on a Canvus wall or shared by a colleague, and you'll join the canvas immediately.

On a desktop, you'll see a text field instead. Paste the canvas share URL (it looks like https://server.example.com/open/canvas-id) and tap "Join Canvas".

On mobile, you can switch between QR scanning and URL entry using the buttons below the input area.

Guests can view and interact with the canvas but may have limited permissions depending on how the server is configured.

Logging in with username and password

Tap "Advanced Login" in the bottom-right corner of the guest access screen to reach the login form.

Fill in three fields:

Server URL - the address of your Canvus server (e.g. https://canvus.yourcompany.com)
Username or Email - your account credentials
Password

Then tap "Login". On success, you'll see the canvas list.

Logging in with SSO

If your organization uses single sign-on, enter the server URL first, then tap "Sign in with SSO". This opens a browser-based login flow where you authenticate through your organization's identity provider. Once complete, you're returned to CanvusLite and logged in.

The SSO button only becomes available after you enter a valid server URL starting with http:// or https://.

Permissions

Your access level determines what you can do on each canvas:

Viewer - you can look around and follow presenters, but not change anything
Editor - you can create, move, resize, edit, and delete widgets
Admin - editor access plus the ability to manage canvas settings
Owner - full control

A "View Only" badge appears in the top-right corner when you're on a canvas where you can't edit. If you don't see it, you have edit access.

Navigating the app

Canvas list

After logging in, you see your canvases organized into folders. Your personal folder opens automatically at the top. Other users' folders, plus Guest and Templates folders, appear below.

Tap a folder to expand or collapse it. Tap a canvas to open it. Each canvas shows an access badge (editor or viewer) so you know your permissions before opening.

The refresh button in the top bar reloads the list. To log out, tap your avatar in the top-right corner and select "Logout".

Pan and zoom

Once you're on a canvas:

With a mouse - click and drag on empty canvas space to pan. Use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out.

With touch - drag with one finger on empty space to pan. Pinch with two fingers to zoom.

The canvas is large (typically 9600 x 9600 pixels), so zoom out to get an overview or zoom in to read details.

Follow mode

Follow mode locks your view to another user's viewport, so you see what they see as they move around the canvas. This is useful during presentations or when someone is walking you through their work.

Tap the people icon (in the floating button column on the right side) to see who's currently viewing the canvas. Tap a name to follow them. While following, the button shows their initials on a purple background.

To stop following, tap the button again and select the same person. Guests are automatically placed in follow mode when they join and can't unfollow.

Working with widgets

Creating widgets

Tap the + button in the bottom-right corner to open the creation menu. You can create:

Note - a sticky note with text and a color
Image - upload a photo or graphic from your device
Video - upload a video file
PDF - upload a document
Browser - embed a web page

You can also right-click (or long-press) on empty canvas space to create a widget at that specific location.

Sticky notes

When you create a note, a dialog opens where you type your text and pick a background color from the palette (12 colors ranging from yellow to gray). Tap "Create" to place it on the canvas.

To edit an existing note, double-tap it. The edit dialog lets you change the text and background color. The text color adjusts automatically based on how light or dark the background is.

Images

Choosing "Image" opens your device's file picker. Select an image file and it gets uploaded to the server and placed on the canvas. You can then move and resize it like any other widget.

Videos

Same flow as images - pick a video file and it uploads to the canvas. Once placed, you can play, pause, and seek through the video. Mute is handled locally (other users won't hear your audio changes).

PDFs

Upload a PDF and it appears on the canvas. Use the page controls to flip through pages. The total page count is shown alongside the current page number.

Browser widgets

Choose "Browser" and enter a URL. The web page renders inside the widget on the canvas. To change the URL later, double-tap the browser widget to open the edit dialog.

Browser rendering varies by platform: Linux and Windows use CEF (Chromium Embedded Framework), Android uses Android WebView, macOS and iOS use WKWebView, and the web version uses an iframe.

Connectors

Connectors are lines drawn between two widgets. They can be straight or curved and have optional arrowheads at either end. Connectors are created on the full Canvus desktop app and are visible in CanvusLite, but you can't create new ones from CanvusLite yet.

Selecting and arranging

Single selection

Tap or click a widget to select it. A selection outline appears around it. Tap empty canvas space to deselect.

Multi-selection

Tap the selection mode button (the dashed-rectangle icon above the + button) to enter selection mode. Then draw a lasso around the widgets you want to select. Tap the button again to exit selection mode.

Move and resize

Drag a selected widget to move it. Drag the resize handles at the edges and corners to change its size.

Snapping

When you move or resize widgets, they snap to nearby edges and centers of other widgets. This helps you line things up without eyeballing it.

Depth ordering

Right-click (or long-press) a widget to open the context menu. Choose "Bring to Front" to move it above everything else, or "Send to Back" to push it behind other widgets.

Pinning

Pinned widgets can't be moved or resized. This is set from the full Canvus desktop app. If a widget won't budge when you drag it, it's probably pinned.

Undo and redo

CanvusLite tracks your actions so you can step backwards and forwards through changes.

Keyboard shortcuts (desktop and web):

Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) - undo
Ctrl+Shift+Z or Ctrl+Y (or Cmd+Shift+Z / Cmd+Y) - redo
Delete or Backspace - delete selected widgets

On-screen buttons: undo and redo arrows appear in the top-right corner on tablet-sized screens, or in the pull-down toolbar on phones.

Undoable actions include creating, deleting, moving, resizing, editing, and laying out widgets.

Settings

Tap your avatar (top-right) to reach settings, or navigate there from the canvas screen.

Theme

Choose between System (follows your OS setting), Light, or Dark.

Connection

Server URL - view or change the configured server address
Connection timeout - how long to wait for server responses (default: 30 seconds)

Cache

CanvusLite caches downloaded images, videos, and PDFs locally so they load faster on repeat views. If you're running low on space or see stale content, you can clear each cache independently from this section.

About

Shows the current version number and a link to open-source licenses.

Platform notes

Touch vs. mouse

On touch devices, drag gestures are used for both panning and moving widgets. CanvusLite distinguishes between the two based on whether your finger lands on a widget or on empty space. Two-finger pinch always zooms.

On desktop, the mouse scroll wheel zooms, click-drag on canvas pans, and click-drag on widgets moves them.

Browser widget differences

The browser widget rendering engine depends on your platform:

Platform	Engine
Linux	CEF (Chromium)
Windows	CEF (Chromium)
Android	Android WebView
macOS	WKWebView
iOS	WKWebView
Web	iframe

Some web pages may render differently or have restricted functionality depending on the engine. Pages that block iframes won't work in the web version.

Mobile layout

On phones, the top toolbar is hidden by default to save screen space. Swipe down from the top of the canvas to reveal it (back button, canvas name, undo/redo, settings). It hides again when you interact with the canvas.

On tablets and desktops, the toolbar is always visible.

Troubleshooting

Can't connect to server

Check that the server URL is correct and includes https://. Make sure you're on a network that can reach the server. If you're behind a VPN, check that it's connected.

Try increasing the connection timeout in Settings if you're on a slow connection.

Session expired

If you've been away for a while, the server may have ended your session. The app will show a "Session expired" message and return you to the login screen. Log in again to continue.

Video not playing

Video playback uses FFmpeg under the hood. If a particular format won't play, it may not be supported by the codec set available on your platform. Try converting the video to MP4 (H.264) before uploading.

Widgets not updating

CanvusLite uses a streaming connection to receive real-time updates from the server. If widgets seem frozen or out of date, check your network connection. The canvas list screen shows a green cloud icon when the connection is active.

You can also try leaving the canvas and reopening it to re-establish the stream.

Can't edit anything

Look for the "View Only" badge in the top-right corner. If it's there, you have viewer permissions on this canvas. Ask the canvas owner to grant you editor access if you need to make changes.