> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.theseaai.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.theseaai.com/tools/ruler-and-guides.md).
# Ruler & Guides
## When to use
Use **Ruler & Guides** when placement and sizing need to be exact — not just "looks about right":
* Aligning products, text, shapes, or logos consistently across scenes.
* Checking an element's exact size, or the distance between elements in a scene.
* Doing precise layout work without leaving Beachside.
***
## How to use
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
#### Click the :ruler:**Ruler & Guides** toggle
Located at the bottom-right corner of the playground, alternatively you can use the keyboard shortcut **Shift + R** to turn if on & off
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Create new guides
* Drag from the **top** or **left** ruler to pull out the guides onto playground.
* Drag from the **top-left corner** to pull out both **horizontal** and **vertical** guide at once**.**
As you drag, the guide's pixel position shows on the ruler so you can place it exactly.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### How to read distances
The ruler's distance labels always describe what you're working on, with a **highlight band** appears on each rulers to help read.
* **Nothing selected** → measures from the playground's top-left corner.
* **A scene selected** → measures from that scene's top-left corner.
* **A layer selected** → still measures from the scene's corner, so you see where the layer sits inside its scene.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Remove guides
* Remove **a single guide** — drag it back onto the ruler it came from, or click to select it and press the **Delete** key.
* Remove **all guides** — right-click the **top** or **left** ruler and choose **Remove all guides.**
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
***
## FAQ
What's the difference between scene guides & global guides?
Where a guide lives depends on what was selected when you created it.
* **Global guides** — created with **nothing selected**. They stay at fixed positions on the playground, no matter how scenes move around. Solid all the way across.
* **Scene guides** — created with a **scene selected**. They belong to that scene and move with it. Solid inside the scene, dashed where they extend past it.
Will my rulers and guides still be there when I reopen the playground?
Yes! Guides are **saved with the playground** — when reopening, guides stay where you placed them.
* **Duplicating a scene** copies its scene guides at the same relative positions.
* **Deleting a scene** removes that scene's guides along with it.
Do I lose all the guides if turn the ruler off?
Toggling visibility off doesn't delete your guides — they reappear where you left them when you turn the ruler back on.
---
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