botbook/src/03-knowledge-ai/whiteboard.md

Meeting Whiteboard User Guide

The Meeting Whiteboard provides a collaborative canvas for real-time visual collaboration during meetings, enabling teams to sketch ideas, diagram workflows, and brainstorm together.

Overview

The Whiteboard app enables you to:

• Draw freehand sketches and annotations
• Create shapes, diagrams, and flowcharts
• Add sticky notes and text labels
• Collaborate in real-time with meeting participants
• Export whiteboards as images or PDFs
• Save and revisit whiteboard sessions

Getting Started

Accessing the Whiteboard

During a Meeting:

1. Join a meeting in the Meet app
2. Click the Whiteboard button in the toolbar
3. A shared canvas opens for all participants

Standalone Mode:

1. Navigate to Apps → Whiteboard
2. Click New Whiteboard
3. Share the link to invite collaborators

Canvas Basics

Element	Description
Canvas	Infinite drawing area
Toolbar	Tools on the left side
Properties	Settings on the right side
Zoom	Bottom-right controls
Participants	Avatars showing who's viewing

Drawing Tools

Pen Tool

Freehand drawing with customizable settings:

Setting	Options
Color	Any color
Size	1-20 pixels
Opacity	0-100%
Smoothing	Low, Medium, High

Keyboard Shortcut: P

Highlighter

Semi-transparent marker for emphasis:

• Automatic transparency (50%)
• Wide stroke for highlighting
• Colors: Yellow, Green, Pink, Blue

Keyboard Shortcut: H

Eraser

Remove content from the canvas:

Mode	Function
Stroke	Erases entire strokes
Area	Erases within brush area

Keyboard Shortcut: E

Laser Pointer

Temporary pointer visible to all participants:

• Fades after 2 seconds
• Shows your cursor position
• Color matches your participant color

Keyboard Shortcut: L

Shape Tools

Basic Shapes

Shape	Shortcut	Description
Rectangle	R	Boxes and containers
Ellipse	O	Circles and ovals
Triangle	T	Triangles
Line	\	Straight lines
Arrow	A	Directional arrows

Drawing Shapes

1. Select shape tool
2. Click and drag on canvas
3. Hold Shift for perfect proportions
4. Release to complete

Shape Properties

Property	Options
Fill	Solid, None, Pattern
Stroke	Color, Width, Style
Corners	Sharp, Rounded
Shadow	None, Light, Medium, Dark

Text and Notes

Text Tool

Add text labels anywhere on the canvas:

1. Press T or select Text tool
2. Click on canvas
3. Type your text
4. Click outside to finish

Text Settings:

Setting	Options
Font Size	12-72pt
Font Weight	Normal, Bold
Alignment	Left, Center, Right
Color	Any color

Sticky Notes

Virtual post-it notes for ideas:

1. Press N or select Sticky Note
2. Click to place
3. Type content
4. Drag to reposition

Sticky Note Colors:

• Yellow (default)
• Pink
• Green
• Blue
• Purple
• Orange

Connectors

Creating Connectors

Link shapes to show relationships:

1. Select Connector tool (C)
2. Click on first shape
3. Click on second shape
4. Connector automatically routes

Connector Types

Type	Use Case
Straight	Direct connection
Elbow	Right-angle routing
Curved	Smooth curves

Connector Endpoints

Endpoint	Meaning
Arrow	Direction/flow
Circle	Connection point
Diamond	Decision
None	Simple connection

Collaboration Features

Real-Time Sync

All changes sync instantly to participants:

• See others' cursors in real-time
• Watch drawing as it happens
• Automatic conflict resolution

Participant Cursors

Each participant has a unique cursor:

• Name label follows cursor
• Color identifies participant
• Fades when inactive

Follow Mode

Focus on a presenter:

1. Click a participant's avatar
2. Select Follow
3. Your view follows their canvas position

Presence Indicators

Indicator	Meaning
Green dot	Active, drawing
Yellow dot	Viewing
Gray dot	Idle

Canvas Navigation

Panning

Move around the canvas:

• Mouse: Middle-click drag or Space + drag
• Trackpad: Two-finger drag
• Touch: Two-finger drag

Zooming

Action	Method
Zoom In	Ctrl/Cmd + + or scroll up
Zoom Out	Ctrl/Cmd + - or scroll down
Fit to Screen	Ctrl/Cmd + 0
Zoom to Selection	Ctrl/Cmd + 2

Minimap

Overview of entire canvas:

1. Click minimap icon (bottom-right)
2. Blue rectangle shows current view
3. Click to jump to location

Selection and Editing

Selecting Objects

Action	Method
Single select	Click object
Multi-select	Shift + click
Box select	Drag selection rectangle
Select all	Ctrl/Cmd + A

Transforming Objects

Action	Method
Move	Drag selected object
Resize	Drag corner handles
Rotate	Drag rotation handle
Constrain	Hold Shift while transforming

Alignment

Align selected objects:

Alignment	Shortcut
Left	Alt + L
Center	Alt + C
Right	Alt + R
Top	Alt + T
Middle	Alt + M
Bottom	Alt + B

Distribution

Evenly space selected objects:

• Distribute Horizontally: Alt + H
• Distribute Vertically: Alt + V

Layers and Organization

Layer Order

Action	Shortcut
Bring to Front	Ctrl/Cmd + ]
Send to Back	Ctrl/Cmd + [
Bring Forward	Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + ]
Send Backward	Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + [

Grouping

Combine objects:

1. Select multiple objects
2. Press Ctrl/Cmd + G to group
3. Press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + G to ungroup

Locking

Prevent accidental edits:

1. Select object
2. Right-click → Lock
3. Right-click → Unlock to edit again

Templates

Using Templates

Start with pre-built layouts:

1. Click Templates in toolbar
2. Browse categories:
   • Brainstorming
   • Flowcharts
   • Mind Maps
   • Retrospectives
   • Kanban
   • User Journey
3. Click to apply

Saving Templates

Create reusable templates:

1. Design your whiteboard
2. Click File → Save as Template
3. Name and categorize
4. Template appears in your library

Export and Sharing

Export Formats

Format	Use Case
PNG	High-quality image
JPEG	Smaller file size
SVG	Vector graphics
PDF	Document sharing

Export Options

Option	Description
Selection	Export only selected area
Entire Canvas	Export everything
Current View	Export visible area
With Background	Include canvas background

Sharing

Method	Description
Link	Share view-only or edit link
Embed	Embed in websites
Email	Send link via email

Undo and History

Undo/Redo

Action	Shortcut
Undo	Ctrl/Cmd + Z
Redo	Ctrl/Cmd + Y or Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z

Version History

1. Click History icon
2. Browse previous versions
3. Click to preview
4. Restore to revert

Keyboard Shortcuts

Tools

Shortcut	Tool
V	Select
P	Pen
H	Highlighter
E	Eraser
T	Text
N	Sticky Note
R	Rectangle
O	Ellipse
A	Arrow
C	Connector
L	Laser Pointer

Actions

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl/Cmd + Z	Undo
Ctrl/Cmd + Y	Redo
Ctrl/Cmd + C	Copy
Ctrl/Cmd + V	Paste
Ctrl/Cmd + D	Duplicate
Delete	Delete selected
Ctrl/Cmd + A	Select all
Ctrl/Cmd + G	Group
Escape	Deselect / Cancel

Navigation

Shortcut	Action
Space + drag	Pan canvas
Ctrl/Cmd + +	Zoom in
Ctrl/Cmd + -	Zoom out
Ctrl/Cmd + 0	Fit to screen
Ctrl/Cmd + 1	Zoom to 100%

Tips and Best Practices

For Facilitators

1. Prepare templates - Set up structure before meeting
2. Use frames - Organize different activities
3. Enable follow mode - Guide participants' attention
4. Use laser pointer - Highlight without editing
5. Save checkpoints - Version history for reference

For Participants

1. Claim your color - Identify your contributions
2. Use sticky notes - Quick idea capture
3. Don't overlap - Give space to others' work
4. Use reactions - Vote with emoji stamps

Performance Tips

Issue	Solution
Slow canvas	Reduce object count
Lag in sync	Check network connection
Export fails	Reduce canvas size

Integration with Meetings

Starting from Meet

1. In Meet, click More → Open Whiteboard
2. Whiteboard opens for all participants
3. Whiteboard persists after meeting ends

Whiteboard Recording

When meeting is recorded:

• Whiteboard activity is captured
• Playback shows drawing timeline
• Export includes whiteboard snapshots

Related Topics

• Meet App - Video meetings
• Tasks Integration - Create tasks from whiteboard
• Drive Storage - Whiteboard file storage
• Export Options - Sharing and formats