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Pan and zoom gesture on middle mouse click

  • March 15, 2021
  • 6 replies
  • 3673 views
Bent

Right now, when you are exploring your file, you can hold the middle mouse button to go in some pan mode, where you grab and move the canvas. Other 2D graphics software offer this functionality aswell, though some have it on spacebar per default.

In my favorite photo editing suite the user can not only pan the canvas, but also zoom by scrolling the mouse wheel in this mode. I’d love to see this functionality in Figma aswell.

Currently in Figma one would have to hold crtl additionally to the middle mouse button. This is somewhat inconvenient, because you need to use both hands and it’s most likely bad for accessibility too.

Andreas_Bossard
rbz

6 replies

Laszlo_Ambrus

If you’ve a Logitech mouse you can change the key bindings in the logi app. It’s not down to Figma. I use the MX 3 and have the side scroller set to zoom and the middle one is pan when held down.

Attila_Zoltan_Kedei

Have you checked the new logi options+? Because this function is broken now, figma won’t recognize the mb4 and mb5 and the sidewheel can only switch between tabs. Bummer.

Theo8
  • Theo8
  • March 26, 2023

Download ahk and use this script:
#IfWinActive, – Figma MButton:: Send {Space Down}{LButton Down} Keywait, MButton Send {LButton Up}{Space Up} Return #IfWinActive

Ivan_Nikitin

It seems that JavaScript cannot handle middle button presses in current browsers. mousedown event isn’t being fired by middle mouse press. Chrome seems to fire auxclick event but only after user releases the middle button. Hence, Figma won’t be able to implement this feature until browsers provide developers with capabilities to handle middle button press and release.

Bent
  • Bent
  • Author
  • September 18, 2023

It seems to work fine here: w3c.github.io/uievents/tools/mouse-event-viewer.html

rbz
Figmate
  • rbz
  • Figmate
  • June 4, 2024

Hey @Bent, thank you for the feedback! Scrolling your mouse wheel to zoom (without holding ctrl) is now a preference you can enable by going to the Figma menu > Preferences > Use scroll wheel zoom. More info here: https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500004414582-Pan-and-zoom-in-FigJam#h_01HSBSYQ60ZGRZY29M56PZQ6WD

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