Ability to add anchor points within images in canvas

Use case or problem

Oftentimes I do sketches or use photos that I would like to callout information based on a specific region of an image. For example, I might want to link to a certain heading of a certain character’s note by pointing to something that character is holding in an image.

Proposed solution

Within canvas, it would be very cool to be able to add anchor attachment points to various positions within an image. This way connection lines could be dragged out to and from these points just like the anchor points on the four sides of any canvas node.

Current workaround (optional)

Thank you very much for considering. Canvas is amazing!

8 Likes

Want to second this with my use case:

I’m planning a long trip and have it marked out on a map (image) and now I want to attach notes to places along the route (cityX, activityY), like you could do with a pinboard, pins and thread.

I guess another use case are conspiracy/investigation boards as seen on TV.

1 Like

Thanks to the addition of canvas groups, there is now a workaround to this issue!

  1. Create canvas
  2. add random cards
  3. create a canvas group from those
  4. Add the image as the canvas group’s background image
  5. remove the random cards
  6. add a dummy card (empty card)
  7. resize dummy card to minimum size
  8. resize canvas group so that the dummy cards have an acceptable size (not obscuring too much)
  9. Done! You can now attach connections to the dummy cards.

This is a workaround, not a solution, because it is not really ideal. When you have the dummys very small, which you want because you don’t want it to obscure the image too much, we cannot attach without zooming in because the resize option takes precedence over the attachment anchor. Also the obscuring effect is kinda annoying but it can be as small as we want (in comparison) so not that much of an issue. Except that font size also doesn’t scale so there is a trade-off.

It is possible to drag from an external card to the dummy, although that too is kinda finnicky but I want the other way around primarily, so no cigar.


It wouldn’t be that hard either, just add a fourth element at the bottom for standalone anchors…

1 Like

Or you can use Leaflet plugin. I mainly use it to pinpoint completed scenarios in Gloomhaven dungeon map.

1 Like