Source: Love Mac | Software download link: INSIDE for Mac

INSIDE is a highly acclaimed creative tool on the macOS platform, praised for its minimalist interface, powerful core features, and smooth workflow. It is not traditional audio/video editing software, but rather a digital environment focused on immersive creation and thought organization. This article aims to provide a detailed operation guide to help users master its essentials from scratch.

I. Detailed Explanation of the Core Interface and Workspace

INSIDE’s interface design philosophy is “non-intrusive,” with all elements serving focused creation. After launching, you will be presented with the following core areas:

Infinite Canvas: The area occupying the center of the entire window. This is a borderless plane where you can place, connect, and combine various elements (cards, text, media, links) at any position. It supports free panning and zooming via trackpad or mouse (two-finger swipe/middle mouse button) (⌘+/⌘-).
Top Contextual Toolbar: Located at the top of the window, it changes dynamically based on the currently selected object. This is the primary location for performing operations such as formatting, linking, and annotations.
Sidebar: Hidden by default; press ⌘+1 to show it. It contains:
- Navigator: Shows a thumbnail overview of the entire canvas for quick positioning.
- Layers: Displays all objects on the canvas in a hierarchical structure, making it easy to manage and select overlapping elements.
- Search: Searches all text content within the canvas globally.
Bottom-right status menu: Shows the current canvas zoom level and grid on/off status. Click to quickly switch grid, alignment, and other view options.

II. Complete Workflow: From Creation to Export

1. Create/Open a Project

Create a new project: When you launch INSIDE, it automatically creates a blank canvas. To create another new project, go to the menu bar File → New or use the shortcut ⌘+N.

Open an existing project: INSIDE projects are saved as .inside files. Use the menu bar File → Open... or the shortcut ⌘+O to select your project file.

2. Add and Organize Content

2.1 Add basic cards: Double-click anywhere on the canvas to create a blank text card. Type content directly. Drag the card edges to resize it.

2.2 Embed Media: Drag images, PDFs, videos, or audio files directly from Finder onto the canvas. INSIDE will create a preview object for them. Select the object to adjust its display size or set inline playback in the top toolbar.

2.3 Create Connections: This is the core of INSIDE. Select an object and connection points will appear around it. Drag a connection point to another object to create a visual connection line. This represents the relationship between concepts.

2.4 Use the Layers Sidebar: Press ⌘+1 to open the sidebar and switch to the “Layers” tab. Here you can rename objects, adjust the stacking order (drag and drop), hide/show objects, and group related objects.

3. Deepen Structuring and Organizing

3.1 Add Annotations: Select any object and click “Add Annotation” (sticky note icon) in the top toolbar or press the shortcut ⌘+’. The annotation will appear as a floating mini-window attached to the object.

3.2 Use Tags and Colors: Select an object and use the color picker or tag (#) button in the top toolbar to add visual categorization. You can then filter content by color or tag text using the search function.

3.3 Frame Grouping: Use the “Frame” tool in the top toolbar (or press the F key) to draw a rectangular area on the canvas. Drag related objects into the frame; the frame can serve as both a visual container and a movement unit.

4. Export and Share

4.1 Export as Static Image: Go to the menu bar File → Export → As Image... or press ⌘+E. In the pop-up window, you can choose the export range (current view or entire canvas), format (PNG/JPEG), and resolution.

4.2 Export as Interactive File: Select File → Export → As INSIDE Package... to save the project as a standalone interactive file that can be double-clicked to view on any Mac (but cannot be edited), with connections and layout preserved.

4.3 Save Project: Use ⌘+S at any time to save your .inside source file for subsequent editing.

III. Advanced Tips for Common Features

Quick Alignment and Distribution: Hold the Shift key to select multiple objects; alignment and distribution buttons (align left, horizontal center, equal spacing, etc.) will appear in the top toolbar, organizing your layout with one click.
Canvas Focus Mode: Double-click an empty area of the canvas, or use the shortcut ⌘+0, to quickly zoom all content to fit the window. After selecting an object, press ⌘+. to quickly center and enlarge it.
Connection Line Customization: Click to select a connection line, then use the top toolbar to change its color, line style (solid/dashed), and arrow style to distinguish between different types of relationships.
Keyboard Navigation: On the canvas, press the Tab key to cycle through and select the next object, and Shift+Tab to select in reverse. Combine with the arrow keys to fine-tune the position of the selected object.
Background Grid and Snapping: Enable smart grid and alignment from the status menu in the bottom-right corner or by pressing ⌘+’. When moving and arranging objects, they will automatically snap to the grid or the edges of other objects, keeping the layout tidy.

IV. Common Problems and Solutions

Q1: There are too many elements on the canvas and it is very cluttered. How can I quickly organize them?

A: First, use ⌘+A to select all elements, then use the “Frame” tool (F key) in the top toolbar to quickly wrap them into a frame and move them as a whole. Next, use the Layers sidebar (⌘+1) to hide the visibility of element groups you are not using temporarily, organizing them by area and in batches. Finally, make good use of the multi-select alignment feature.

Q2: Connection lines cross and overlap, affecting readability. How can I optimize this?

A: Select the key connection lines and adjust their “path” to curved (if available) in the top toolbar, or manually drag the control points in the middle of the connection lines to change their curvature and route around other elements. Using different colors or opacity for connections at different levels can also help distinguish them effectively.

Q3: The software runs slowly, especially when working on large projects.

A: INSIDE’s infinite canvas has certain requirements for system graphics performance. You can try: 1) In the menu bar INSIDE → Preferences → Performance, lower the canvas rendering quality; 2) Replace temporarily unused complex media (such as HD videos) with low-resolution previews or links; 3) Split large projects into multiple linked .inside files.

Q4: I accidentally deleted an important object. How do I get it back?

A: Immediately use the shortcut ⌘+Z to undo the last operation. If you have performed multiple operations, you can use ⌘+Z multiple times to step back. INSIDE’s undo history is linear and sufficiently deep.

V. INSIDE for Mac Keyboard Shortcuts Overview

Function Category	Operation Description	Shortcut (Mac)
File Operations	New Project	⌘ + N
	Open Project	⌘ + O
	Save Project	⌘ + S
	Export as Image	⌘ + E
Editing Operations	Undo	⌘ + Z
	Redo	⇧ + ⌘ + Z
	Select All	⌘ + A
	Copy	⌘ + C
	Paste	⌘ + V
	Cut	⌘ + X
	Delete Selected Object	⌫ (Delete)
View Navigation	Show/Hide Left Sidebar	⌘ + 1
	Zoom to Fit Window	⌘ + 0
	Zoom In Canvas	⌘ + + (Plus)
	Zoom Out Canvas	⌘ + – (Minus)
	Focus on Selected Object	⌘ + . (Period)
Object Operations	Create New Frame	F
	Add Annotation to Selected Object	⌘ + ’ (Single Quote)
	Toggle Grid Alignment	⌘ + ’ (Single Quote)
	Switch Selection Between Objects	Tab / ⇧ + Tab
	Group Selected Objects	⌘ + G
	Ungroup	⇧ + ⌘ + G

Through the above guide, you should be able to fully master the core features and workflows of INSIDE for Mac. Its strength lies in adapting to and extending the user’s nonlinear thinking process. With more practice, you will be able to use it more efficiently for brainstorming, project planning, and knowledge management.