Components and Instances: Reusable UI Elements

Figpea uses a Component Master and Linked Instance model to keep reusable UI elements—such as buttons, cards, headers, and icons—consistent across your design pages. Opening an Adobe XD or Figma file with components surfaces them as component masters and linked instances automatically; if you know Photoshop's Smart Objects, Figpea's masters and instances are the equivalent concept, though you build them yourself in the editor rather than PSD import creating them for you.

Understanding Component Masters vs. Linked Instances

Component Master: The central single source of truth for a reusable design element. Editing the master updates every linked instance across your project simultaneously.
Linked Instance: A live, synchronized copy of a master component placed on artboards or pages. Instances inherit visual styling, structural layers, and geometry from their master.

Creating Masters and Placing Instances

How to Create a Component Master

Select any layer or group on your canvas.
In the right Inspector panel under the Component section, click the Create component button.
Your selection becomes a master component: its row in the Layers panel now shows the component icon, the right Inspector shows a matching component badge and a Place instance button, and the master appears under the left-rail Components tab.

Animation showing creation of a component master from selected layers in Figpea Component master created on canvas, shown with the Component badge and Place instance button in the right Inspector

How to Place a Linked Instance

Open the Components tab on the left rail (registered between Layers and Assets).
Select a component master, then click the Place instance button in the right Inspector panel.
A new linked instance appears on the master's own page, offset diagonally by 24px from the master.

Animation showing placing a component instance onto canvas Linked component instance placed on canvas alongside master component

Geometry Synchronization & Master Editing

Master components and linked instances maintain strict geometry synchronization:

Real-time Geometry Sync: Adjusting a master's dimensions or vector paths — for example, selecting a rectangle and clicking Convert To Path, then Edit Path to reshape it — automatically updates every linked instance to match.
Transform Updates: Resizing or editing structural layout propagates across every instance on every page.

Animation showing real-time master component geometry edit propagating to linked instance Master component and linked instance showing synchronized geometry on canvas

Managing Instance Overrides

Instances allow you to customize specific properties locally without severing their connection to the master component across 4 override groups (transform, fill, text, visibility):

Text Content Overrides: Change button labels or copy locally.
Fill & Color Overrides: Custom-paint individual instance fills or icons.
Visibility Overrides: Toggle sub-layers on or off within specific instances.
Transform Overrides: Position or scale local instance sub-elements.

Resetting Overrides

To revert an instance back to matching its master component, click the Reset all changes button in the Inspector's Overrides section, or use the per-child reset control next to an individual overridden layer.

Animation demonstrating text override on component instance and resetting overrides Component instance on canvas after resetting overrides to match master component

Multi-Format Compatibility: PSD Smart Objects & Symbols

Figpea handles each format's component constructs differently on import:

Adobe XD Components: XD symbols translate directly into master components with override support.
Figma (.fig) Component Sets: Main components and instances preserve hierarchy upon import.
Photoshop PSD Smart Objects: Figpea's PSD import doesn't convert Smart Objects into components automatically — they come in as regular layers. If you know Photoshop's Smart Objects, Figpea's component masters and linked instances are the equivalent concept: convert the imported layer into a master yourself, then place linked instances of it. See Advanced Layer Operations → Components & Instances for the full comparison.

Programmatic Control: Agent API

For automated workflows or scripting, Figpea exposes the figpea.component API group (available when opening the editor with ?agent=1). You can programmatically create components, place instances, query overrides, and reset overrides using JavaScript.

For method signatures and code examples, see the Agent API Documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when I edit a master component?

Editing visual elements, vector paths, fills, or geometry inside a master component instantly updates every linked instance on your canvas.

Can I resize or reposition a single instance independently?

An instance's own outer transform (position/scale/rotation on a page) is independently adjustable like any layer, but internal structural geometry strictly follows the master component.

Does modifying components write back to my original PSD, XD, or Figma file?

No. Figpea operates 100% locally in your browser project memory and does not overwrite your original source files on disk.

Are component features free or Pro-gated?

Creating component masters, placing instances, managing overrides, and resetting changes are core editor features and are 100% free to use.