Changelog: Collaborative drawing over an existing image

We are proud to announce the release of a new version 2022-01-22! One of the biggest changes are the addition of pasting an image to a board. Apart from that we fixed several bugs and made performance improvements.

• Main highlight: Draw over an existing image
• Paste image options
• Limitations of current paste image implementation
• Additional fixes and improvements

Main highlight: Draw over an existing image

One of the many requested features was the ability to upload an existing image (for example a screenshot) and use it as a background of a whiteboard.

For example, this can be used to collaboratively annotate a screenshot from a different application. Or brainstorming about a snapshot of a webpage design. Or maybe you want to draw something over a map? The possibilities are endless!

To use this feature, you need to create a new board or open an existing board.

Then you can either press CTRL+V (if you have the image already in a clipboard), or use the main menu (hamburger icon in the top left corner) and select "Import an image" option.

Paste image options

This will bring up the paste image dialog, where you can see the preview of the image before pasting it to the board. You can also specify the position of the pasted image. By default, the image will be pasted in original size to the center of a board. This will leave you with even space around each side of the image to allow you to draw outside the image.

You can either paste the image by using the "Paste" button, or cancel the action.

Limitations of current paste image implementation

Currently, only one image is supported. Pasting a different image to board will remove the previous one. We are working hard to deliver the support for inserting multiple image to a board in one of the next updates.

Also, we support pasting the image via URL only at this time. In the future, the whole process will be much easier and user-friendly.

The next step after supporting multiple images will be to add support to inserting multi page PDF files to a board. This is something that can be especially useful in a school setting.

Additional fixes and improvements

• fixed the bug when the viewport is moved when using arrows keys while editing a board name
• improved performance by reducing the amount of work done when you click on the board
• design clarity improvements in board browser
• added horizontal / vertical variants to the dropdown of board sizes
• fixed incorrectly displayed name in settings dialog when logged in
• added ability to draw under UI without interrupting your line
• fixed transparency mode issues in board browser

If you have any questions regarding these news or any kind of feedback, please contact us and let us know.